Help - aluminum, stuck to steel, how to seperate?

[Speedo]

Jagir - Heat is good but a little tricky. As said earlier, you need to try to heat only the part you want to expand (due to the heat), but when things are this "friendly" (ie fused together), not gonna work too well.

I like the double nut and/or puller idea. Pullers are awesome things (you can get a decent one for about 20$ that should work). Don't forget the power of vibration (ie bang on it like a cowbell...ever see your mom tap around a jar lid lightly and repeatedly to loosen/get it open? It works I tell ya). Penetrating oil/PB Blaster works too but needs a way in there to work between frozen parts....hence tapping helps here too. Double nuts with no thread showing has added bonus of allowing you to tap/bang on the nut w/o destroying threads.

Acid is evil stuff in general and will make things worse if you don't know what you're doing. Don't do it.

Summary: PBBlaster/vibration/puller.

Don't forget to add love, beer, and plenty of cursing....let us know

[Don-lo]

Some of these exhaust collars were made of steel. Did you try a magnet on it?

[Macguyver]

My preferred method

I have had to deal with stuck stuff now and then, and I find the best way to deal with it is with a mig welder. Hear me out now, if you can access the end of the bolt enough to get a couple nuts on it, then this should work for you.

Start off by wire brushing the area to clean any debris from the area, then douse the area with PBlaster/oil/penetrating fluid of your choice.
Double nut the bolt so the last nut is flush with the end of the stud, making sure the nuts align themselves so a socket will fit right over them, weld the last nut onto the stud. Make sure you get a good amount of heat onto it, and keep someone handy with your preferred fire extinguishing device since the PBlaster/oil/penetrating fluid will burn. This method mainly heats the stuck stud, and only other parts by contact with the stud.

Once done welding, immediately put a socket over the end and give it a good, sharp hit with a good sized hammer. Remember to hit it squarely on the top of the socket/extension so the force is translated directly down the length of the stuck stud. Spray down with PBlaster/oil/penetrating fluid and hit it a couple more times.

Grab your johnson bar (or slip a short length of pipe over the end of a ratchet if you must) and tighten the stud in an eighth of a turn, and then twist the wee bast@rd out.

Hope this helps,

[tone]

Tried it X 10. no luck.

Try harder nobody said it was easy

[first timer]

you have access to to air hammer? if you do try a blunt bit with the air hammer, that should vibrate the hell out of it. Heat and penatrating oil are your friends too.

[Jagir]

Alright,

I just tried the double nut deal. Had to go out and get some narrower wrenches to reach in there.

[Jagir]

the outer nut was torn a new a-hole! It was pushed off the post!

I was being gentle and easy and all that. i even tried pulling out some other ones to see how hard it should feel (and to get better access). That thing is stuck!
Gotta drop it for the moment - more suggestions please.

(no access to a welder)
(don't like acid around - have a kid in the house)

I've tapped it alot over the last month.

[Jagir]

Some of these exhaust collars were made of steel. Did you try a magnet on it?

Just did it. It's aluminum, but thanks for thinking outside the box.

[Jagir]

time is on my side with this one so any and all suggestions are welcome. The rest of the bike is still getting love in many ways - degreasing and cleaning mostly. Found some sweet nests behind the front sprocket.

I just stuck the front wheel back on and spun the bike 180 to get a different angle and perspective on it.

[first timer]

get forceful, take a 2lb mallot and a punch or socket extention and really wack the collar a bit, try to get it to move some. You can always get a new collar if you mess this one up.

[Jagir]

S u c c e s s !

I whacked it like crazy with a long brass 'punch' with a hole in it. Here's what it looked like in there.

[Jagir]

here's what damage was done.
Notice the 2 cracks.
Its still totally usable.

Thanks for the encouragement and ideas.

[Guest]

Congrads
I love a happy ending

[Speedo]

Way to go. Isn't it great when whacking the everlivingshiite out of something actually fixes it?

[first timer]

now get some kerosene and toothbrushes and clean the hell out of that motor. Use the kerosene to cut and break down the grime, then spray it with some super purple to remove the kerosene and hose off.