Vise Grips and Kroil

[Cruiser808]

Sometimes you just have to get medieval on stubborn fixtures and machinery. Recently, I had to replace a broken throttle cable. The linkage ends were rusted solid from years of misuse. The cable was connected by a pin and ring. Well, it took a week of soaking in Kroil and two Vise Grips in order to remove the pin. Saved me from having to destroy and replace the expensive throttle levers. In situations like this, only locking pliers like Peterson Vise Grips will get the job done.

[gtermini]

On bigger stuck pins, my first course of action is to take a flat pad air hammer and abuse the end of the pin. 83.7% of the time that will break the rust free enough to pull the pin no problem. The procedure works for most sizes.

If the above doesn't work. the hollow cylinder porta power, gas ax, and welder come out.  And the final resort is reserved for the Broco torch.

1+ on Kroil. Some of the best stuff on earth. Good air tool lube too.

The new visegrips are the most disappointing thing. The jaws crumble like coffee cake when you really clamp down on something. I've thrown a few in the scrap bin in anger, mid-job.

Greyson

[Cruiser808]

Hi Greyson - you're spot on with those methods for removing stubborn pins. Any one of those would have been better choices.
 Unfortunately for me, the cable was on a fiberglass boat stored in a private marina 13 miles from my garage. In addition, the linkage is located in a small bulkhead with very limited maneuvering room.  Given the circumstances, it was the best I could do.

[gtermini]

Getting it out was all that mattered, and you succeeded, so you obviously took the right path. Everything is fair in love, war, and wrenching.

That looks like a place one of those visegrip slide hammer deals whould have been handy. I haven't tried one, so I can't tell if they're gimmick or useful. I suppose they're no better than the visegrips the hammer is welded to...

Greyson

[bonneyman]

Throw in a roll of duct tape and steel wire and you'd have my Macgyver bag! 

[Cruiser808]

 

[J.A.F.E.]

I know I keep pounding this drum but 50/50 acetone and ATF makes a great penetrating oil. The biggest issue is it doesn't stay mixed and settles out but it is very effective and you can use used ATF.

[slip knot]

JAFE what do you keep it in? Everything I've mixed it in, the acetone has evaporated out. I've got a small glass canning jar now and it eating the seal ring out of it. one plastic squirt bottle dissolved. the other one winds up being straight ATF after a day or two.

[J.A.F.E.]

They do like to separate out and the acetone can be hard on some rubbers. For stuff I soak in it I keep it in a metal coffee can and the plastic lids seem to hold up. For stuff I apply I either use an oil can or a spray bottle but I don't store it in the spray bottles.

Straight ATF can be quite effective as well but it takes longer than the mixture.