Stuck Parts Removal Tip

This may have been posted elsewhere, althought I haven't seen it so I thought I'd go ahead. Passed on to me by an old hot rodder friend.

Works amazingly well to remove a VERY stuck, and often rusty part, pulley, head bolts, studs, pins, etc. even where penetrating oils, mechanical shock, heating, cooling and all the other techniques fail.

Very useful for rusted and fragile parts which can easily be broken off or damaged while trying to get them unstuck.

GENTLY heat the part and surrounding area with a propane torch or rosebud tip on an oxy-acetelyene torch to somewhere around 150 degrees F...temp is not critical but do not overdo.

Immediately light a clear common household candle and drip the molten wax at and around the junction of the stuck part and the mating area. The heated parts will further warm the wax and cause it to wick into the junction of the stuck parts.

Now, apply the extraction/loosening force to the stuck part via a wrench, punch, puller, hammer, etc. and the parts will start to move or completely separate.

Sometimes it takes a couple applications depending on the severity, but it always has worked for me.

Good Luck....hopes this helps someone out!!

sounds like a perfectly logical solution to a recurring problem. My brother used to heat his bike chains in parrafin. Heat the chain and parrafin in a coffee can on the stove. When the parrafin was liquid, lift the chain by a wire and hang to cool. After cooling the chain would be constantly lubricated but not collect dust/grit or other particulate. He said it worked well for quite a while.

Pretty cool trick, and candles are cheap.

Thanks for the tip. I've heard of it but have yet to try it. My dad says his grandfather swore by this method......so I reckon it's been around for a while and works.

i will have to give this a try now if i can find a rusty stuck part.......oh wait thats all i have is rusty stuck parts

thanks for the tip