Seized Stainless Nuts - Nut Splitter?

Sailing Steve · August 17, 2016, 10:44:18 AM

I've been trying to remove a seized stainless steel acorn nut using various penetrating oil/concoctions (please don't recommend any more, I've tried so many, "guaranteed to work"), controlled application of heat, impact wrenches, and all combinations thereof without any success. Angle grinders/sawing won't work in this situation unfortunately.

Somehow I've been living in cave and just learned about nut splitters, which I believe would be the answer to my prayers. My question is does anyone have experience with these and in particular with stainless steel acorn nuts? Lots of stuff on youtube, but nothing for stainless that I could find. What I have learned is the cheap brands have a high failure rate, but I'm reluctant to drop money on a quality nut splitter only to not have it work.

Comments on nut splitters vs stainless?

Jim Hardesty · August 17, 2016, 11:46:25 AM

Steve,
I've used nut splitters before. Never on a stainless acorn nut. They do work well, if you can get them on the nut right. My guess is what you have is an acorn nut that was bottomed out on the bolt or screw then tightened and mushroomed the thread end. If you have a dremel tool (IMHO a must have tool) you could cut off the rounded end of the nut and work down from there. Or if you don't need to save the screw or bolt just cut the whole thing off.
Hope this helps,
Jim

britinusa · August 17, 2016, 02:12:22 PM

Can you get to it with a Dremel cutting wheel?

That's my 2nd goto tool when something won't come off.

1st is a 4 1/2" Angle grinder but it's often too big

Paul

KWKloeber · August 17, 2016, 03:15:14 PM

Steve what size nut and on what? Accessibility, etc.?

-ken

lazybone · August 17, 2016, 06:27:10 PM

Buy American or German. The Chinese nut splitters are made of compressed oatmeal.

Sailing Steve · August 17, 2016, 08:52:29 PM

Thanks everyone who's chimed in so far.

1) It is an acorn nut on one of my chainplates, I don't recall the actual size but they're not trivial.

2) Because of the bolts passing through the deck, I'm reluctant to go with any cutting such as an angle grinder or Dremel as I know fiberglass is not very heat tolerant. That being said, I guy could cut a bit, rest a bit, to control the heat build-up. I'm not very experienced with cutting heavy metal with a Dremel though, angle grinder won't fit. Tried trimming my HX zincs once, didn't work very well - slow cuts with a chop saw did though ;-)

3) I don't mind spending more for quality tools, and agree the lower cost import tools tend fail under real use, but I'm concerned with the performance of a nut splitter vs. stainless.

Noah · August 17, 2016, 09:47:32 PM

Not familiar with the nut splitter-- other than my boss!

The Dremel sounds like the right tool to use for this, but unless you are a skilled dentist, it can be a bit tricky to use and can slip out of control. It has happened to me. If you opt for the Dremel, I suggest you make a shield out of a thin piece of (stainless) with a hole drilled in it large enough to slide over the acorn nut -- and tape it to the fiberglas. That way if/when you slip, the cutting wheel will hit the shield and not cut into anything "pretty".

Stu Jackson · August 18, 2016, 08:39:58 AM

Steve,

Noah's advice is very good.

I'm sitting here looking at one of my chainplates, and the acorn nut is below the big stainless plate. I don't understand your concern about the fiberglass. You could hack away at it all day and still not damage anything.

More importantly, if you decide on something mechanical, you'll need someone "upstairs" (or an open port (!!!

) to hold the top of the screw/bolt on deck.

Good luck, Dremel is what I'd start off with. Then once the first cut is made, whack it with a cold chisel.

KWKloeber · August 18, 2016, 09:29:10 AM

What about more heft? ie, a long breaker bar? either home made (pipe extension) or HF 25" breaker bar?

Or see
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,7265.msg49667.html#msg49667 m - used an angle grinder (I picked up a very thin 'cutting' (rather than grinding) blade for stainless for mine at ACE hdwre - same approach as a Dremel. Hit the nut from the acorn, not horizontal, and peel it off. Either tool would be a valuable investment if you don't already have them. There's enough metal in contact therre to act as a heat sink unless you go crazy and burn through the top of the nut with glowing red speed.

-kk

Sailing Steve · August 18, 2016, 01:00:08 PM

Great responses everyone.

1) I fear the heat created by cutting will transfer into the bolt and the rest of chainplate, therefore heating the fiberglass where it contacts. I read somewhere, but I'm unable to relocate the info, that fiberglass/resin breaks down around 250F - It's not so much the cloth, but the resin that fails.

2) Breaker/torque wrench etc. fail because the person in the topside with the worlds biggest flathead screwdriver, is unable to keep the screwdriver blade in the round bolt head - screwdriver jumps out not matter how much weight is applied to the screwdriver.

Here's the plan... I'm going to buy a nut splitter and try it first - too easy IF it works. Failing that, I'll go the Dremel route, although I have to research cutting blades as I have no experience with same. I'll update the results.

Thanks again.

KWKloeber · August 18, 2016, 01:55:44 PM

Quote from: CFSA Steve on August 18, 2016, 01:00:08 PM
Great responses everyone.

1) I fear the heat created by cutting will transfer into the bolt and the rest of chainplate, therefore heating the fiberglass where it contacts. I read somewhere, but I'm unable to relocate the info, that fiberglass/resin breaks down around 250F - It's not so much the cloth, but the resin that fails.

2) Breaker/torque wrench etc. fail because the person in the topside with the worlds biggest flathead screwdriver, is unable to keep the screwdriver blade in the round bolt head - screwdriver jumps out not matter how much weight is applied to the screwdriver.

Here's the plan... I'm going to buy a nut splitter and try it first - too easy IF it works. Failing that, I'll go the Dremel route, although I have to research cutting blades as I have no experience with same. I'll update the results.

Thanks again.

Gotcha on the machine screw head. Sure that would be an issue. A tight-fitting straight blade socket (available in larger sizes than is a screwdriver) might work better. That said, you're making way more of the heat than needed. You're not going to melt your boat by cutting off a nut using a Dremel and a cut off wheel. With the available power it's difficult to even possibly cut fast enough on a nut that hefty to harm anything (except your fingers if you grab the nut.) I've cut off dozens of stainless items and just go slow. Keep a wet rag handy and douse it every 30 seconds if you feel leery -- or keep a hose spraying on the deckside if you want to totally overkill this. You'll get a whole lot more future mileage out of a Dremel than a nut splitter. They'll be projects that you have never before thought of using it. Trust us (Stu, Jim, Paul, me) on this one. The Coast Guard is proposing rules that no boat be sold without a Dremel and a tube of SuperLube PTFE - they'll get you out of trouble as well as a chart and a PFD.

Good luck anyway though.

-kk

KWKloeber · August 19, 2016, 01:33:17 PM

P.S., what you are probably looking at is, the stainless nut was over tightened and the threads are galled. Use a touch of Never Seize when reassembling stainless to stainless (3rd on the list of most required item on a sailing vessel, right above Thread Lock.)

-ken

J_Sail · August 20, 2016, 01:36:55 PM

Don't know if you want to go this way (or even if it's appropriate for your circumstances), but it is possible to drill the bolt from topsides, and if you pick the right sized bit and stay centered you will cause the head to pop off the bolt with no damage to anything else. I have done it before on automotive applications, but one has to be careful. Typically you center punch the bolt head dead center, use a drill bit that's slightly smaller than the diameter of the bolt and drill just slightly deeper than the bottom of the bolt head. You then try to unscrew the nut and the bolt should shear off just below the head. If not, then you increase the drill size slightly and repeat.

Ken Juul · August 20, 2016, 07:00:14 PM

j sail, easier said than done. I have tried that approach several times on various cars. On steel easy to over drill and re tap. Stainless is much harder. I vote for the dremel option, especially if worried about too much heat.

Indian Falls · August 21, 2016, 08:14:45 AM

My opinion is I'd grind the head of the bolt off from the top with a 4" angle grinder. Keep a wet rag to control heat. All mess and filings will be on the top side not the inside. The washer will be sacrificed as it will keep you off the fiberglass. A nut splitter big enough will not fit next to the chain plate. Stainless is so much harder and resilient than low carbon steel nuts such as what nut splitters were made for. I wouldn't waste the time and money on the nut splitter.