Cylinder bolts stuck on a Husqvarna 55, ideas welcome.

[hamish]

Striking a bolt or machine screw always helps break them free, I have resorted to using a very sharp cold chisel to make contact with the side of the machine screw in cylinder bolts, work it with lighter taps first to start a cut/notch and then a good sound hit to start it moving, then take over with a tight fitting allen or torques bit to fully remove them. I have completely snapped off the best quality drive bits removing over stressed cylinder base screws but never stripped out the drive socket so badly that the screws are not removable.
Pioneerguy600

Exactly give a good rap with a hammer to break er free. Most likely it has been apart before and loctite is an issue. Did you clean the pockets of the shcs first so you allen key is getting a good grip? (shcs=socket head cap screw aka allen head bolt). The fasterns on the saw are metric......do you have metric allen keys?.... there is a difference!

 

[Axlerod74]

Exactly give a good rap with a hammer to break er free. Most likely it has been apart before and loctite is an issue. Did you clean the pockets of the shcs first so you allen key is getting a good grip? (shcs=socket head cap screw aka allen head bolt). The fasterns on the saw are metric......do you have metric allen keys?.... there is a difference!

I have been using 4mm wrenches but not soaking in penetrating oil. Did not think about that since there is no rust but did not realize that the penetrating oil might break down loctite.

 

[Axlerod74]

Soak bolts with a high quality rust penetrator. With a long narrow screw driver clean out the hex cap head...alot of crap can build up in the caps. Pound in a tight 3/8 in. hex drive try by rachet 1st (I wouldn't try a breaker bar since you may snap the bolt). No movement try hand impact and apply heat. I have had good luck with a rust penetrator. I believe it breaks down the lock-tite and adds lube. Oh...also, the right $%#^ words seem to help!

Two consistent recomendations seem to be sharp impact and penetrating oil. I think I will start there........Thanks.

 

[timistall]

PB blaster oil

 

[briantutt]

Worst case scenario- you can take a die grinder with a long-reach cobalt bit and grind the head(s) off the offending screws. Then after you remove the cylinder you can remove the threaded portion with vise grips and heat. I had to do this once on an 090.

I did something similar with a dremel and a carbide bit. Ground the entire head of the bolt and then after the mating part (cylinder in this case) is removed you can go after the top of the bolt with the vise grips like Jacob said.

 

[Axlerod74]

As SawDr. and others noted, a rap on the end of the bolt often works wonders. If you do want to try alternating heat and lube, you might try substituting a 50:50 mix of ATF and acetone for WD40.

Hats off to you Edisto!! Soaking in 50:50 mixture of ATF and acetone worked like a charm! I definately learned something new. Soaked for about 3-4 hours (dripped mixture on with an eye dropper and re-applied a couple hours later) and the 3 good bolts popped loose with a good firm twist. The one bolt that was rounding off even broke loose (I drove a T-27 torques head wrench into it and got it to bite). That's why I keep coming back to Arborist site!

 

[edisto]

Hats off to you Edisto!! Soaking in 50:50 mixture of ATF and acetone worked like a charm! I definately learned something new. Soaked for about 3-4 hours (dripped mixture on with an eye dropper and re-applied a couple hours later) and the 3 good bolts popped loose with a good firm twist. The one bolt that was rounding off even broke loose (I drove a T-27 torques head wrench into it and got it to bite). That's why I keep coming back to Arborist site!

I first heard about it on this site too, and it has worked wonders for me.

I first tested it on a muffler clamp nut on my '78 Ford, just for giggles, because the clamp was going in the trash anyway. Then I used it (and a little heat) to free a stud from the exhaust manifold on the same truck. I thought for sure it was never coming out, but a couple of cycles of heat and the ATF/acetone mixture got it free.

About 8 years ago, I replaced the whole manifold on the other side because i couldn't get the stud out with heat and WD40. I'd heat the base of the stud red hot, then "cool" it down with a steady stream of WD40. I was "careful" and moved the torch as far away as I could reach before spraying, but on the 3rd or 4th cycle I wound up generating a big enough cloud of WD40 vapor (I was in an enclosed carport) that it reached the torch.

I always wondered what that fireball looked like from the outside. Burned so fast, I didn't even lose any hair...guess Darwin can't be right all the time!

 

[briantutt]

Well now I got a trick to tell my dad about his Ford 9N carb that we cannot get opened.

 

[Axlerod74]

Well now I got a trick to tell my dad about his Ford 9N carb that we cannot get opened.

A good soak and a couple good raps with a hammer will work wonders.

 

[briantutt]

A good soak and a couple good raps with a hammer will work wonders.

I told him about it the next day, he said "I just happen to have a gallon of acetone and 5 gallons of ATF"

I bet it's soaking right now...