Stuck nipples, etc

[TomADC]

Got this in the mail this morning.

For all of you mechanic's and self doer�s out there. Recently �Machinist Workshop Magazine� did a test on penetrating oils. Using nuts and bolts that they �scientifically rusted� to a uniform degree by soaking in salt water, they then tested the break-out torque required to loosen the nuts. They treated the nuts with a variety of penetrants and measured the torque required to loosen them. This is what they came up with:

Nothing: 516 lbs
WD-40: 238 lbs;
PB Blaster: 214 lbs;
Liquid Wrench: 127 lbs,
Kano Kroil: 106 lbs
Shop brew (50/50): 50 lbs.

This last �Shop brew� of 50% automatic transmission fluid and 50% acetone appears to beat out the commercially prepared products costing far more.

 

[brushhippie]

Thanks Tom I gotta try that!

 

[Jim K]

Deleted.

 

[pohill]

I've been soaking nipples in PB Blaster for almost a week now. I got two(maybe three) out and the last two are stubborn. Do you think the transmission fluid and acetone would hurt an antique?

 

[barstoolguru]

my old man liked a 480 ft lbs of air wrench, he said if it didn't come out it would snap off and he would drill it out and retap it

 

[TomADC]

Pohill, what I go t when all else fails is Oil of Wintergreen, it works fast and is harmless. Local drug store or health food store should have it. A 4 oz bottle lasts for ever, apply with a q-tip.

I'll also add if you decide to try the 50-50 be sure to read all the labels acetone can remove fingernail polish and isn't real good around plastics!!

 

[Pancho]

Acetone is very aggressive and you must take care but the formula does work.

 

[Rojelio]

When I had a stubborn nipple and all else failed, I made a tight fitting nipple wrench out of a 3/16 socket and used it with an impact driver (the kind that you smack with a hammer) and it came right out.

 

[pohill]

I just bought some transmission fluid and mixed it with Acetone and applied a small amount to the two frozen nipples. Hopefully it will work.

 

[Pancho]

I would think that the hot set up would be to plug the nipples with toothpicks turn the cylinder nipples down and add penetrant to the cylinders and let sit.

 

[J-Bar]

One trick I have used...

Warm the cylinder up in a pan of boiling hot water for a few minutes, then drop it into an ice water bath. Repeat hot/cold a few cycles. The expansion and contraction of the metal helps bust loose sticky threads. For really bad cases, after a few heating/cooling cycles, apply a penetrating lubricant, let it sit a while, then repeat the heating/chilling treatment. Capillary action of the expansions and contractions helps pump the lube down into the threads. Getting the metal up to 212 degrees is not going to change the metal's temper. It's like shooting a bunch on a winter day and then letting the gun cool down outside.

 

[Skinny 1950]

pohill..I would be interested to know if that stuff works on your antique, if it works on an antique it should work even better on a newer gun.
I wanted to take the nipples out of all my guns and put some grease on them so the next time they would come out with no problems...ran into several that won't budge so if that 50/50 mix works I will try again in conjunction with the hot and cold cycle suggested by J-Bar. If that fails then the impact wrench.