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A simple bolt job on a barge in Galveston turned into a two day fight
Had to replace a worn out flange bolt on a pump housing 90 feet down. The old one was seized solid from salt water, and my impact wrench just spun on it. Ended up having to surface, get a torch kit sent down, heat the thing for twenty minutes, then hammer a smaller socket onto it. What should have been a 45 minute job took two full shifts. Anyone ever find a better way to deal with a truly frozen bolt down there?
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harperwright2mo ago
Heard about a buddy who had a similar nightmare on a rig. He ended up mixing up a paste from some old diesel and ATF, packed it around the bolt and let it sit overnight. Said it seeped in enough that he could crack it with a breaker bar and a cheater pipe the next day. Still took forever, but at least he didn't need a torch.
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knight.diana1mo ago
That sounds like a lot of work for a stuck bolt. Sometimes a good whack with a hammer on the head and a solid six-point socket is all it really needs. People make these big plans with special mixes, but half the time it's just about having the right tool and a bit of force. Not every frozen bolt needs an overnight science project to fix it.
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baker.betty2mo ago
Man, that diesel and ATF trick @harperwright mentioned is solid. I mean, if you know you're going into a job like that, maybe mixing up a proper penetrating oil with some acetone and transmission fluid is the move. Let that soak in for a few hours if you can. I've also seen guys use an induction heater on deck for smaller stuff before sending it down, but that's a whole other piece of gear. Sometimes it feels like half the job is just fighting one stupid bolt.
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