Stubborn nuts

[Wetweasel]

My guess is there's no easy answer to this but figured I'd try in case anyone knew some tricks I don't. This weekend I went to take out the seats and thwarts. I soaked the nuts and bolts down with liquid wrench but I still couldn't get them to budge. This was complicated by the fact I couldn't get a grip on the diamond head bolts without tearing up the inwhales which do not need to be replaced. I would leave it alone, but the front seat is loose and it would be nice to get the wingnuts free on the center thwart. I've seen from another thread here that they are hard to come by.It looks like my best bet is to hacksaw and replace the loose ones and leave the rest unless anyone has suggestions.

 

[mark wismer]

P. B. Blaster is the best, Liquid Wrench & WD40 won't do it.

If the bolt protrudes, a small vise grip might hold the bolt enough to break the nut loose w/ a wrench. New bolts are available, If you have the space, compress everything and hacksaw [blade only] the bolt next to the nut. You might be able to salvage the nut & thumb screws in a vise after a prolonged soaking...

 

[Wetweasel]

Thanks Mark. By now I should know not to underestimate the resourcefulness of people here, especially those New Jersey types. I grew up in S.Plainfield and spent all my summers in Sussex county. Hadn't heard of PB Blaster before but will look for it.

 

[Michael Grace]

If the stubborn nuts on your seat bolts are run through dowels that drop the seat from the gunwale, you can use a chisel to break away the dowel. Then use vise grips to grab the shaft of the bolt. For other bolts, such as in thwarts and the forward edge of the stern seat, if you can't reach the head at all (if it has been pulled into the surface if the inwale), you can drive a finishing nail into the inwale adjacent to one or both sides of the diamond head. This will keep it from turning. Hopefully this produces only a small nail hole that can be filled later.

After getting the nuts off, you might have a problem getting the bolts out, particularly if they are sunken into the surface of the inwale. Turning will damage wood. Hammering them up will damage the ends of the threads and puts shock stress on that whole area of the canoe. One way to solve this problem is to thread on a steel nut of appropriate size, hammer the bolt up, then run the steel nut off to re-shape the threads. Alternatively, make a hardwood block with a slot in it, the size of the slot made to span the dimensions of the diamong head. Place this over the bolt head, then put a block of wood under the end of the bolt and use a bar clamp or similar, spanning these two wooden blocks, to drive the bolt up out of its seated position. After that, just screw it out.

Michael

 

[mark wismer]

I was lucky, all of mine were a little more than hand tight, the dimond heads were just starting to sink in. I worked each one out, one at a time w/ my dad's help & we took some .005" brass shim stock and cut some a little wider than the width of the in-rail & wrapped a turn around the bolt to make a brass tube that stood a little proud, top and bottom, when inserted in the in-rail. Working w/ dad we took two center punches & small hammers & flared this tube to cinch it in place. Then I re-inserted the bolt w/ a little never seize compound. I was able to tighten it up and it stays tight.

I used 'Neculear' grade never-seize good for -250 to +2600 degrees. I expect this will protect it.