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Seized bolt on gascolator-how get off?

danielabernath

Well Known Member
I've squirted dw40 on it. Also a thing called penetrating oil for locks.
The boys at the airport suggest this could be a three man job.
a. One or two men keep the blade inside the slot of the bolt and
b. one or two men, turning the screwdriver with a vice grip attached (for torgue leverage).
What do you do when you have a bolt that has no doubt been there since 2009?
IMG_3911%20%282%29.JPG
By the way the contamination continues to evidence itself. Here is a picture of what the sump revealed this morning.
IMG_3906.JPG

a and p man says that he is "sure" that the screen on the gascolator is probably nearly totally blocked with the substance.
I will drain it all out and also clean the screen coming from the gas tank on the rv 12.
 
My vote is continue to use penetrating oil, spray it about every hour for 3 or 4 hours, that stuff works. You just gotta let it do its thing for a while.
 
If you suspect that it's the screw that's rusted, try a 50/50 mix of acetone & automatic transmission fluid.
 
I would remove the unit from the AC. It's amazing how much more force you can put on something when you can get at it properly.
 
The proper size Snap-on screw driver might work.I would pull the unit off the plane for overhaul myself.IMHO
RHill
 
I would want it on the bench, as I would want to clean and inspect it thoroughly. As others have said it will be easier to do the work there. I would put a vice grip on the screw head and hold the gascolator in a vice. You want to progress slowly and work back and forth, like using a tap. That will help save your aluminum threads.

Larry
 
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I sprayed a substance called LOCK oil on the nut let is sit overnight.
Then I took screw driver up against the nut and hit the end of screw driver with hammer to make the connections break.
Then I reapplied screw driver and the nut "Open up to me like a beautiful flower".
NEWS-I pulled off the gascolator and I can find NO screen to clean.

El Guapo and the stubborn gascolator nut



El Guapo: Jefe, you do not understand gascolator screws. You cannot force open the petals of a flower. When the flower is ready, it opens itself up to you.

Jefe: So when do you think Gascolator will open up her flower to you?

El Guapo: Tonight, or I will kill her!
 
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Sometimes you can start a stuck screw bu placing the screwdriver in the slot, and then lightly tapping on the end of the screwdriver
 
An old trick I use (sometimes) if it is in aluminum, tighten it first a tad to break it loose, then remove
 
Get it hot with a heat gun. A gascolator full of fuel might not appreciate a torch. But heating a cooling cycles of disimilar materials are very effectiv at loosening things up. Also, manytimes it is just simpler and quicker to drill the fasteners out.

I would certainly remove from the airplane. Also, after heating, try an impact driver.
 
Get it hot with a heat gun. A gascolator full of fuel might not appreciate a torch. But heating a cooling cycles of disimilar materials are very effectiv at loosening things up. Also, manytimes it is just simpler and quicker to drill the fasteners out.

I would certainly remove from the airplane. Also, after heating, try an impact driver.

If you get it hot, try holding a candle on it. The melted wax is sucked into the threads and most times it will come lose.
 
I think this is the most humerous and dysfunctional thread I have seen in a long time. Yes, El Guapo, you are funny.

There are certainly times when the dang part will surrender its secrets, either willingly or by autopsy.


Thanks for the smile. ;)
 
Ummm....

A candle around a gascolator? I think you might want to rethink that suggestion.

Aww, c'mon. Where's your sense of adventure? :)


(PS- I think he meant an unlit candle on a part heated with a heat gun.)
 
(PS- I think he meant an unlit candle on a part heated with a heat gun.)[/QUOTE]

Yes, that's what I meant, assuming you take it out of the plane before heating. I've gotten stuck screws out of motorcycle carbs like that.
 
I was asked a question as to how to reach the firewall inboard screw as there is a support triangle blocking you for reaching the screw's slot.
The triangle has a hole in it so you can stick a long screw driver up through it to reach the firewall inboard screw of the gascolator.
 
Get a long drill bit and open up that safety hole then insert an allen wrench that will fit in the hole. Push on that at the same time you are turning the screw driver to break it loose.
Ryan
 
FYI - DW40 is not a lubricant and not a bolt release. IMNSHO, It is probably the worst thing you can use around and airplane.
One a and p man told me that dw40 is water soluble so that the first time the rain hits it DW40 disappears from your airplane.

I used a $3 can of something called Lock penatrating oil. Sprayed it on nut then let is sit overnight. I then hit the nut with the end of a screwdriver and hammer and put the blade into the nut again and I heard CRACK and the nut was released!
 
Speaking of gascolators, I've been looking to buy just the bowl of an Andair gsascolator to experiment with. Doesn't seem to be available.

Anyone have a source?
 
the final solution......

.....and then, find the guy(s) who decided to use a tiny slotted screw on a mechanical dewice!....

....and KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL ZEM! :eek:

but seriously folks, I like the heat idea, only because I use lock-tite blue on mine, since the back ones take an hour to safety-wire!...and it seems to congeal over time, gluing the screw in place.
 
but seriously folks, I like the heat idea, only because I use lock-tite blue on mine, since the back ones take an hour to safety-wire!...and it seems to congeal over time, gluing the screw in place.
ummmmmmm... isn't that kind of the whole point of Loctite thread lockers?
 
An alternate view regarding negative comments about standard screw heads.

The majority of the problems people have removing screws (philips or flat blade) is caused by one of two things (probably both actually)

1. - Using a junky old screw driver that should have been thrown out years ago (or a very low quality one that should have never been purchased in the first place).

2. - Using the wrong size screw driver for the screw fastener being worked on. (note that I said screw.... in fastener terminology if you use a screw driver, it is a screw, not referred to as a bolt or nut....)

With a slotted screw (such as on the gascolator) the screw driver being used should fully fill the slot and be the full width of the screw slot. Anything less, and the amount of turning force that can be induced is reduced. If the fastener is being very stubborn to remove the outcome is usually a damaged screw.

This may all seem very elementary to many, but from my experience it is not to everyone.
 
Roger all that regarding the use of proper screwdriver, applicable only to screws on the gascolator that has been removed from the firewall. We used a flat blade insert with 1/4" drive to remove the least accessible screw, and a long screwdriver to remove the next least accessible one, allowing us to leave the gascolator in place. After successful removal of the screws and cleaning of the screen, only minimal tightening of the screws before safetying seems warranted, as the bowl fit is so snug anyway.
 
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