Freeing a frozen bolt (lawnmower blade)

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SR99

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Servicing my mower and trying to remove the blade to sharpen it. The bolts are frozen; can't get them to budge.

I tried some WD40 but there's not really a path to get into the threads so that didn't work.

I've seen on car shows they heat frozen bolts with a torch. All I have is a propane torch (the type used for plumbing). Will that work or not hot enough?
Do you need to get the bolt red hot, and if so, is there any chance the heat transfer might damage some seal or other part, further up the shaft?

Any other ideas besides the torch (short of drilling out the bolts)?
 
pb blaster and a BFH? (big f'''' hammer) I've had front brake rotors 'fused' to the wheel hub.. pb blaster, spray and let dwell for a minute, spray again, and a little 'convincing' worked the rotors loose.
 
Your propane torch should provide sufficient heat, just be sure to get it really hot first, use a wrench carefully and please, please don't accidentally touch it lol.
 
I would use a six point socket with a long breaker bar if you don't have an impact. The bolts head gets rounded from debris under the deck sandblasting the edges making a six point socket a must.
 
PB Blaster. Apply it several times then get a good breaker bar.

Any of the above should work also.
 
I tried my Makita 18V impact driver and it didn't work. It's rated about 1300 in-lbs (and that's probably overstated since most electric tools are). Do you guys think if I picked up an inexpensive air impact wrench, rated a few hundred ft-lbs, that I might have better luck breaking it loose? Good excuse to buy I new tool I suppose ;o)
 
Whatever you end up doing, be careful. My buddy sliced the back of his hand open reinstalling his sharpened blades this weekend and left the hospital with 28 stitches. Needless to say, they still haven't been completely torqued down. :D
 
I'm sure you've disconnected the plug wire.
Reapplications of PB Blaster plus a combination of the aforementioned breaker bar and BFH.
 
First off, are you sure you are turning in the right driection? Not two weeks ago I had a good friend call me up to borrow my big breaker bar and socket. He had similar issue, this was a semi-commercial mower. Both blades were so tight, could not get them. Used Pneumatic impact, 750ft-lbs, no go, WD40, no go, Kroil, no go, then heated, again no go. Called me I took wrench and socket over, turned in the correct way and it came right out. He felt like a an idiot. Also, make sure to block your blade so that it does not turn and you get hurt as previously stated.
Do't forget a little anti-seize when you put it back together, will help next time your taking blade off.
One last thing if your going to heat it, get yourself a stick of bees wax, heat the bolt, red hot works best, then put the bees wax as close as you can to the threads. This is an old tool and die makers trick, it works well when you can get to the threads.
Hope this helps and good luck.
 
My first thought was "is he turning the right direction". I chock it with wood, put a breaker bar and a cheater pipe on it. If that doesn't work, hit the pipe with a BFH as stated above. Don't go buy a tool. If you're not bleeding down at least one leg you aren't pulling hard enough. Kidding...


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SR99 said:
Servicing my mower and trying to remove the blade to sharpen it. The bolts are frozen; can't get them to budge.

I tried some WD40 but there's not really a path to get into the threads so that didn't work.

I've seen on car shows they heat frozen bolts with a torch. All I have is a propane torch (the type used for plumbing). Will that work or not hot enough?
Do you need to get the bolt red hot, and if so, is there any chance the heat transfer might damage some seal or other part, further up the shaft?

Any other ideas besides the torch (short of drilling out the bolts)?
Click to expand...

Don't drill um'! Make sure you have a 6 point socket and use LOTS of PB blaster, WD40, let is soak. Heat it a lot and use that BFH and hit the 'head' of the bolt. Get a 2x4 and wedge the blade and use as long of a breaker bar as you can get.

I had this EXACT problem last year on my John Deere (48"). I take the blades of every year to sharpen and balance them too. I started one weekend on them and didn't finish it till the next weekend. Every day I went down to the shop and whacked them with a 5lb mini-sledge hammer, heated them and tried to pull them loose. The followed that by even more PB, every day for a week!

During the week I just went to John Deere and got new bolts and grabbed new blades while I was there. (One came right off, the other was fighting me but I got it finally and the third.... I was thinking I may end up rounding off I was pulling so hard on it.) I ended up borrowing a 48" pull bar to get the stupid thing off!

At least by that time I had everything else serviced just perfectly. Greased, oil changed, plugs, filters, washed and waxed, you name it. :D
 
Any ideas for freeing a hose nozzle frozen to the hose? I have tried wd40 at high temps with some luck. Still looking for ideas
 
Bill1234 said:
Any ideas for freeing a hose nozzle frozen to the hose? I have tried wd40 at high temps with some luck. Still looking for ideas
Click to expand...

Ever try pipe wrenches and cheater bars ?


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Wow! PB Blaster for the win!
I had never tried this stuff before, but I soaked both bolts, waited 5 minutes, sprayed them both again, got distracted and came back about a half hour later, and they both came loose with a ratchet, without a struggle.

That PB Blaster is some good stuff, and thanks for the tip (and all the other suggestions too).
 
Air impact gun. Be sure you pull plug wire. If that doesn't do it, use a cold chisel and hammer and knock it loose and the use pipe wrench and replace with new bolt with anti- seize on it. Wear heavy work gloves.
 
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