Gouging Rods

[ross1993]

Mate of mine wants some bolts cut off from under his car , haven't really got the room for a grinder so i thought about gouging rods. Anybody got experience with the gouging rods (not arc air gouging)
just testing the water

cheers

 

[brightspark]

use a 180 amp oilcooled welder crank it up to 180 amp stick a large rod in and it will burn it off no problem

 

[the snooper]

bit of a messy way to get rid of bolts without damaging anything else on the car

 

[ross1993]

think thats far beyond the capabilities of my machine

 

[the snooper]

are the bolts seized ? if so get the mig out and weld a bigger nut on to the seized bolt the intense heat often frees the offending bolt

 

[PTvor]

A nut splitter depending if there's room. Get a good quality one.

Oxy-acetylene?

Drill them and collapse them?

There are sockets specially made for hard to undo nuts.

Leave a cellulosic rod in water for a good half hour and go at it with that.

Weld a big new nut to each old one and have at it with a socket and flex handle.

If they were in a reasonable state, I think the first thing I'd try is heating them a bit then painting diesel on, then trying with a spanner or socket that really fitted.

 

[ross1993]

are the bolts seized ? if so get the mig out and weld a bigger nut on to the seized bolt the intense heat often frees the offending bolt

never would have thought about doing that , cheers

 

[doubleboost]

This is what happens to a 15 mill nut



There is only one releasing method
white hot & hammer a socket on to it lol
It came apart
A new cat would have ment scrapping the car

 

[brightspark]

using oxy acetylene it cant be beaten very local heating and fast

 

[doubleboost]

they ended up 11 mill single hex socket (10 mm stud)
the studs were fine under the nuts

 

[PTvor]

Oxy-acetylene for work on a car in the hands of someone who know what they are doing just has to seen. The lamp's incredibly versatile.

Mind you, I knew a full-time welder who made a nice little side line out of welding cars, who managed to set fire to his own car when he welded it.

 

[pedrobedro]

When I get them hot enough with the oxy-acetylene they usually come off with a pair of grips.

 

[rich r]

If access it tight preventing larger tools from getting at it and you don't have oxy-acetylene (or can't use heat because it's close to something flammable or meltable) then there's always the option of something small like a Dremel type tool with a cutoff disc. Often you just need to put a slit in one side of the nut to allow it to open up away from the thread then it'll undo easily. It's not as quick, but you have more control and are less likely to damage things around the nut.

I've used an engraving type bit to cut through the side of a rusted wingnut on a toilet tank like this - can't use a socket due to the shape, can't use heat because of the rubber washers, can't use molegrips because it's too close to the wall, couldn't even use a 20mm cutting disc due to the proximity of the ceramic tank. Replaced with stainless nut and bolt...

 

[Richard.]

If all you've got is an arc welder then just do what was advised in the first post and burn them off. You won't need high current 100 amps with a 2.5 just keep a long arc length so you cut away at it rather than weld on it. Snoopers idea is also a good one IF you can actually get a weld on it. Some of the nuts and bolts I've come across under a car are so corroded you'd never a weld to stick. If you have OA that is the best solution for warming or cutting but if you haven't just burn em off with a 2.5. 2mins work.

 

[roofman]

in a world full of money ide love an inductive heater for stubbon fixings

 

[zzr1200]

Universal Hot Spanner is the way to go....IMO...

Gouging rods are messy and will do more damage, certainly not for use on a car.

OK for taking out a weld or burning a hole if nothing else is available on 6 mm + material...

 

[Welderpaul]

Let someone else do it! ;-)

 

[Bradley fish]

Can You Fit A Spanner In There ? If You Can Try Getting A Spanner On It With A Cheater Bar (A LONG ONE) And Snap The Things Off. Done This Once Before And Works Surprisingly Well... Given That You Can Get Enough Umph On The Bar