A stuck bolt on a Ford in Phoenix taught me a new trick

I was working on a 2014 Ford F-150 in Phoenix last summer, trying to get a seized caliper bracket bolt out. It was about 110 degrees in the shop and I was getting nowhere with my impact. My mentor, an old timer named Carl, walked over and told me to stop. He grabbed my propane torch, heated the bolt head for maybe 30 seconds, and then immediately sprayed it with a can of brake cleaner from the parts store. The quick cooling made it contract. He said, 'The shock is what breaks it free, not just the heat.' I tried it and the bolt came right out. I've used that heat-and-quick-cool method a dozen times since on exhaust and suspension parts. Has anyone else found a different spray works better than brake cleaner for this?

2 comments

2 Comments

tara7006d ago

Carl's right about the shock being key. I've found the spray can temperature matters more than what's in it. A fresh can of anything cold from the fridge works way faster than a warm one sitting in the sun, it makes that contraction more violent. Brake cleaner works fine but sometimes I'll use a can of compressed air duster turned upside down if it's handy.

janac596d ago

Wait, you keep compressed air in the fridge? I guess that makes sense for the cold shock, but doesn't that mess with the pressure or something? Just seems like a risky move to have a can that cold.