looking for a good way to loosen iron pipe fittings

WAYNE PEINE_2 · November 2005

ANYONE HAVE A BETTER WAY OF GETTING OLD PIPES TO BREAK APART EASIER THAN JUST USING BRUTE FORCE! MAYBE SOME MAGIC PENERTATING COMPOUNDS?

Timco · November 2005

I use 'pipe break'...comes in a green can...spray type. Works great!

T

joel_19 · November 2005

pipes

choose the blue wrench my son .

rick_31 · November 2005

heat and the co-worker I work with .If it doesnt break lose cut it out.

Tony_23 · November 2005

wrenches

The LONG blue wrench

Remember, Mr Sawzall is your friend.

NEVER seen any magical substance in a can work worth a s*&% in the time a customer's wanting to pay for

Roy Scott · November 2005

Tough Joints

By the term "blue wrench" I assume he means torch it, burn it with a torch, heat it to such a high temperature that it breaks down the rusty oxide buildup that has caused such a tight bind on the threads. "Heat, Cool & Soak" can also help, .... heat & burn the Hell out of it with a torch, let it cool to finger touch, then soak with WD40. Then heat, cool & soak again. And again. For big problem joints and a lot of age or oxidation repeat the above many, many times. Many times can mean a day or two, especially on pipes bigger than 6" pipe size. The expansion & contraction caused by the repetitive heating & cooling can eventually break the oxidation hold on the threads. Then use a good griping wrench, ample "cheater" and a heavy single jack (big hammer). A good wack with the hammer prior to wrenching can make sometimes make the difference. I said a "good" wack, experience will show a ill placed wack on a cast iron part will yield undesireable results.

Patchogue Phil_30 · November 2005

crack em

Now, I do not know if this is a "good" way, nor do I know if it works. Once I was told to smack the coupler/elbow with 2 ball peen hammers at the same time. Supposedly cracks the coupler/elbow and does so faster than a sawzall.

Anyone ever try it or seen it done? Does it make schrapnel?

Timco · November 2005

If sawzall is your friend then the portaban saw is your brother.

T

Sean_11 · November 2005

if you hold hammers (fairly large) on either side of fitting, using one as anvil, while swinging the other, and take a well aimed STRONG swing, you can do it...

Dave Bush · November 2005

I use Oxy acetylene

And chain wrenches.

Two BFH's work well, also, but can be destructive.

If John is reading this, and rolling his eyes, Later on I'll type "I promise to back up my pipe wrenches" a hundred times on the blackboard .

Weezbo · November 2005

Set up a Rhythm...

spray liquid fire on the threads, smack them a lick with a hammer,about 3 times...leave them alone, hook the 4 ' on the fitting or pipe, smack the fitting a few more licks with the torque on it..done deal:) if that method doesnt appeal to you cook it hot, smack it with the hammer throw the wrench on it, smack the handle of the wrench a few licks and away she goes...big heavy valves that you want bust out the Iron 4 'er and a heavy cheater bar smack the bar with the sledge hammer and throw your back into it man

i think my old man called it elbow grease:)

band saws shave the threads in a flash...

fire and ice zap the stuff too:) we got Plent Ice:)

ScottMP · November 2005

Smack it

with a 2lb hand sledge.

I always hit the fitting right on the seam. All it takes is a crack, you don't have to break the fitting. Never, ever look up as the ftiing is broken, unless you like a Harry Potter type thread cut on your forehead.

Heat the fitting nice and hot and then wrap a cold towel around the pipe. Then go at it with the BMFW.

Scott

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thfurnitureguy_4 · November 2005

Heat it till you hear it popping inside all around the fitting, also heat the pipe as it enters the fitting. Let it cool and than heat just the fitting. Wrench it while its hot. This will teach you the difference between wrenches made in china and the good ones! HEAT!

sg · November 2005

i've only had this work with fitting on ground...

i never had the guts (or maybe i had more common sense than i thought) to do this to fitting in place...that's why i called the non-moving hammer an anvil, it would be against the floor.

flame wrench is the way to go.

Paul Rohrs_4 · November 2005

Heat

Heat is it.

With really difficult fittings we take another step. After heating, touch the area with a small block of paraffin wax. The wax will melt and be drawn into the threads which then acts as a lubricant and the fittings come apart no problem.

Regards,

PR

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Paul C. · November 2005

Penetrating Liquid

There are no "magic" liquids, however I have had good success with a product called PB Blaster. Spray it on, let soak, keep working the joint. Used this stuff when repiping my returns, didn't have to cut anything, just took time. Used this stuff to remove 30 year old manifold nuts w/o breaking the studs!

Kevin O. Pulver · November 2005

Years ago

a man at the junk-yard taught me to extract studs/bolts from an exhaust manifold. It had been laying around for ages, and the stud was nearly rusted off. I told him it would never come out. But he got it RED hot, and with a vise-grips wiggled it back and forth just one or two degrees. He had to re-heat it when it began to cool and locked up tight. upon reheating he wiggled some more and it quickly had more range of motion until it turned right out.
I've never forgotten it, and used it many times. RED hot isn't always possible or practical, but the 4 helpers are always, Heat, Impact, Torque, and Lubrication. Kevin

Anthony Menafro · November 2005

Chisel

If you use a hammer and chisel at where the fitting and pipe meet, you can normally remove nearly any size pipe or fitting. You have to not be afraid to hit it though. Also, I've hammered to crack many fitting over the years. Isn't that why the Dead Men used cast iron over mallable?

Anthony

Al Corelli · November 2005

I was waiting for someone to mention the wax trick. We use it on old cars all the time (In my other life, I collect old cars.)

[Deleted User] · November 2005

Wayne...

Find your CAPS LOCK key. Using all caps is the equal to YELLING, and my eyes and ears are hurting.. Also, see if you can find a compound pipe wrench.

Like this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ridgid-Super-Six-6-Compound-Pipe-Wrench_W0QQitemZ7555168341QQcategoryZ58154QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

G'Luck!

ME

joel_19 · November 2005

blue wrench

Yes my son the Blue wrench is the heat , the fire in a can ,the lite at the end of a hose , and the Lite Saber of the black pipe Jedi Warrior . An elegant weapon for a more civilised time .

Burnerman · November 2005

Two 2# hammers will pop an ell or tee real quick up to 3" have NO fear of hitting it, pretend it's the Boss. Wear protective Equipment! I heard of a guy that heated things to cherry red and the shot it with a CO2 fire extinguser. THATS SHRAPNEL! Sawzalls work just fine with lots of blades. PB Blaster is the best but only if you got lots of time...

looking for a good way to loosen iron pipe fittings

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