tough nuts

[Johnneypopper]

Hey all
Just started tearing my 420 down and quickly found the bolts dont want to move some nuts and bolts i was able to cut but the bolts that hold the track frame to the cross members i cant budge there hard to heat as well any advice would sure be helpfull

[Lavoy]

Heat the casting on the trackframe that surrounds the bolt, and use an impact wrench at the same time. I have had very few that would not succomb to that treatment in time.
Lavoy

[carolina crawler]

Air Tools are the saving grace for old machines, have at least a 60 gallon air tank, 5/8 hose with the same for the fittings..3/8 works , but that extra volume does wounders....use a good quality impact gun, ingersole/snap on/or one made for commerical /industrial use,no tawainy stuff... and a pair of gloves to protect your hands.lots of heat and air pressure, along with a strong forearm, will slove your problems, if that dont work, have a cool drink, let your arms chill, and do it again.....until IT breaks.....if Man built it, man can break it.......good Luck.....Mark Cc

[Eric.MacLeod]

the bolts on my track frame are rusted bad, no doubt that they will break off easily if turned , should i break them all off ,then try to get out, or just leave them alone and hope they dont break while playing around with it?

[Johnneypopper]

Are those bolts hardened steel or what I would have thought they would be hard to twist off I put asnipe on them and reefed pretty good nothin doin ill try Lavoys trick I sure enjoy working on that thing in thr evening Iredid a model D last year it was a breeze compared to what this will be

[jdemaris]

Are those bolts hardened steel or what I would have thought they would be hard to twist off

Such bolts are easy to snap off big wrenches - even grade 9 or better which you won't find in that crawler. Getting a bolt out in one piece is much better that breaking one off and then trying to drill it out later.

Try the heat as Lavoy mentioned. If no go - get a rosebud on your torch - get the area hot enough that it glows a little -and then hit it with cold water. Repeat is necessary. Then, after it's cool - try removing the bolts.

[stmftr395]

Only problem with heating and quick quenching is that it will harden the materials, which in turn makes them more brittle or apt to crack in future service. How brittle depends on how hot the piece has gotten, how quickly it was cooled, and how many times the cycle was repeated. No problem with a spoon full of this medicine, but to much may hurt you. Just my two cents worth. Mark

[Lavoy]

I never quench the bolt when I do it. Get the area surrounding the offending bolt glowing red, then try removing the bolt while it is still hot. The key is to get it hot quickly, and when dealing with a larger area, this is tough if you do not have a rosebud.
Lavoy

[Lu47Dan]

Heat the nut and then apply candle wax ,paraffin wax not bee's wax , has worked for me on other nuts , bolts and a few sleeves over the years .
Dan