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

[Jagir]

Hi, I've been trying to remove this exhaust bracket for a few weeks now. It is stuck to the bolt on the left side of the picture. You can see the screwdriver on the right side where I have been trying to pry at it a bit.

The other 2 brackets fell off as they should (It's on a Kawi triple)

So far I've tried:
gentle banging with a hammer and a brass punch from every angle
hard banging from a hammer from the same angles.
at least 30 applications of penetrating oil (over a month)
torching the bracket 5 or 10 times
Lots of prying and tapping
cussin at it

The last thing I can think of is cutting the bracket off. I don't want it to come to that.

help

 

[kinnet]

Muratic acid..?

 

[Guest]

Double or triple up some nuts on the stud and try to remove it. The turning action will break it free.

 

[Guest]

Muratic acid..?

Jeffery Dahmer may have some left over.

 

[Big T]

Something in the holes, like a ridge, is sticking it to the threads

Put nuts on each stud, tighten, then slowly loosed each about a turn, then repeat

OR, put a nut on the stud and use a small 2 jaw puller

 

[ramrod400]

had a dodge van one of the back wheels was stuck, with all lug nuts off I drove it around the block a few time just to show friends how bad it was they too said to do the acid trick,and it work along with big hammer and torch

 

[reddirtrider]

Doubling the nuts is a good idea if you have room, but there might not be enough stud showing.

Try prying on both sides at the same time, then beat the collar back down and try prying again. Repeat as necessary.

 

[GregT]

That's the clamp holding the exhaust to the cylinder. Try loosening the exhaust at the other end and move the pipe around - this may break the bond between clamp and whatever is holding it. It may actually be free on the studs but bonded to the pipe flange.
If all else fails, yes, stud removal will get it off - there should be enough stud showing to double nut them as has been suggested.

Greg T

 

[Guest]

Muratic acid..?

Probably what is happening is that the aluminum is corroding electrolytically instead of the steel bolts that it is touching. Muriatic acid (industrial grade HCl) is only likely to make the problem worse.

To remove corrosion on steel, use phosphoric acid. heat and motion are more likely to get if off. Others have given good suggestions.

 

[tone]

Heat the ally bracket with a blow lamp while trying not to get too much heat into the studs, then jiggle it untill it comes free

 

[Don-lo]

Did you get it loose yet? It sounds like you've tried all the normal techniques. It sounds like the bracket is bonded to the studs. I would use a dremel cutoff to cut the studs behind the bracket, trying to leave enough stud to grip for replacement. This way you would save the original bracket.

had a dodge van one of the back wheels was stuck, with all lug nuts off I drove it around the block a few time just to show friends how bad it was they too said to do the acid trick,and it work along with big hammer and torch

lol, I think I would have left the nuts partially on, just in case....

 

[posplayr]

Did you get it loose yet? It sounds like you've tried all the normal techniques. It sounds like the bracket is bonded to the studs. I would use a dremel cutoff to cut the studs behind the bracket, trying to leave enough stud to grip for replacement. This way you would save the original bracket.





lol, I think I would have left the nuts partially on, just in case....

OK my solution is to dremel the bracket (collars) along the bolt at opposite sides. You can then get access to the corroded bolt really douse it with PB blaster of the like and probably use a screw driver to prise it open a little an break the bond between bolt and collar. The collar will still be functional; maybe add a washer is all.

 

[Jagir]

haven't gotten to it yet, school taking me over (and the rain doesn't actually inspire me to get on it). Final exam tomorrow, so priorities change tomorrow afternoon.
Going to try the double nut thing and pull the stud right out. Will photograph the process and update in the next few days.

 

[Jagir]

Heat the ally bracket with a blow lamp while trying not to get too much heat into the studs, then jiggle it untill it comes free

Tried it X 10. no luck.

 

[Nessism]

Ammonia is the stuff to break down aluminum corrosion. Please, please, please, keep the muratic acid away from your bike other than inside the battery maybe.

 

[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

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.