I hope the TFer replacing his exhaust elbow is following this thread.
It`s "rotten exhaust outlet", I put a post on it he should get.Didnt know there was one. I'd be happy to pass it along. Anyone have a guess on the thread title?
Thanks for replies. Yes, that's the stuff. I was once told that heating the bolt (which I have done many times) expands it, crushing the rust, and as it cools it can be removed. I don't know if this is correct b/c I usually find it turns easy while still hotist. Anyway cooling should be less damaging to everything involved.
Often all it takes is a couple of counter-intuitive measures: a gentle tap or two with a hammer, then tighten the bolt before going counter clockwise.
True John, there is an "art" to it, which is why I would not tackle a job like that, too much can go wrong removing old bolts in that situation.I'm not at all a mechanic (or even mechanically inclined), but did watch a good mechanic in a boatyard work on an old Westerbeke that had rusted bolts. He squirted penetrating oil on them, gave gentle taps with a hammer, and then went off and did other stuff. Every now and then he would come back and repeat that process. Finally he took a wrench to it, and just went back and forth, loosening it just a tad, tightening it just a tad, but always the loosening would be a little more than the tightening. A lot of squealing from the bolts, but they all came out intact. I was impressed.