[A8] Total defeat... RE: [Fwd: Re: [V8] steel bolt in aluminum]

[Rich, Jack]

I used a propane torch.  The earlier suggestion was a map torch, but I didn't trust myself with that kind of heat near the boots of the upper control arms.  Sure enough, I nearly melted them with the propane, but I think they are OK.  I think the melting point of aluminum is below that of the vaporization of steel.

As the last link indicates, heating the wheel bearing housing while leaving the inner bolt cool would have been best, but that didn't work so well.  I think that's how the boots nearly melted.

Thanks,
Jack

________________________________________
From: a8-bounces at audifans.com [a8-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Kent McLean [kentmclean at comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 3:07 PM
To: a8 at audifans.com; v8-list
Subject: Re: [A8] Total defeat... RE: [Fwd: Re: [V8] steel bolt in aluminum]

Rich, Jack wrote:
> Only question is, I can imagine that a "snap on air hammer" is a special air hammer...
>
> I'm now wandering around at a loss with no car project to work on, waiting to call
> my mechanic in the morning.  I wonder how the hell they are going to get it out?
> I bet they have the expensive air hammer.

My guess is that "snap on" is Snap-On, and that the better (professional)
quality of the tool might have had the cajones to undo the bolt. But that was
then, and this is now.

I've seen a video of a talented welder somehow heating up the bolt, then hitting
the hot bolt with pure oxygen? or acetylene? and the bolt just vaporizes,
leaving behind untouched threads.  It may have been a MIG welder, and the arc of
the rod vaporizes it. I tried Goolging for it but came up empty.

Here's a few more interesting examples...

Here's one using a candle; I don't think the nut was that rusted.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwKHSvKfnHI>

Heat, and lots of it:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYSZncjnzVs&feature=related>

Magnetic induction:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM6pkdl0JhM>

I did find a lot of videos for something called an herbal vaporizer, which
doesn't apply.

--
Kent McLean
1990 V8 w/5-speed and other mods
1991 200 TQA #3, with mods
1999 A4 Avant, V6 Tiptronic
gone: '91 200 TQA x2, '94 100 S Avant, '89 200 TQ "Bad Puppy"

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