Taking Sections Out of Steam Radiators

Stewart Terrien

Has anyone had any experience taking sections out of old steam radiators? I have a 22 section under the window radiator that I want to reduce to 16 sections so it matches the other one I have at the opposite end of my living room. I know I should take the nuts off the rods at the top but should I heat the lower push nipple section with an oxygen/acetelyne torch before hardwood wedges are inserted between the sections to split them? Or can this be done without the heat? Any help will be greatly appreciated as I cannot find another radiator to match the existing one I have installed. Thanks.

bill nye_3

No heat

I have never used the heat. I think it may do more harm than good.

And yes, I have had good luck with oak wedges. Take your time, drive them in evenly. Top, bottom, etc.

The hardest part is recovering a "good" push nipple. You shouldn't have a problem as you will 5 or 6 spare sections.

The cruddy nipples you can remove by twisting with a small pipe wrench. The "good" push nipples I would try to drive out with a blunt drift. I had a brass one.

mtfallsmikey

Ditto the no heat

Might crack the CI..Been awhile since I took some rads apart, but eiether the oak wedges or the plastic wood splitting wedges work well. Just make sure you do this evenly from side to side, and top to bottom as Bill says. It is not a speedy process! We used to use Indian Head gasket shellac on the push nipples when reassembling to get a good watertight seal.

Stewart Terrien

No Heat

Thanks for your help.

Stewart Terrien

Where can I get Indian Head gasket shellac or something suitable for the push nipples?

mtfallsmikey

Try..

Autozone / Pep boys /Advance Auto...i get mine from Carquest.

Unknown

hey...

I used Indian Head myself just off the top of my head one time. Dang I'm good!

john_171

I usually just

use a prybar between the sections to pry them apart once the tie rods have all been removed. You won't need any heat at all for this job-the sections will come apart surprisingly easily. I've changed, reduced, or increased the number of sections in many, many radiators! Just make sure that your radiator is not connected with THREADED nipples! You'll have little luck getting them out if it is, but from your picture, I don't think you've got one of those radiators. You'll probably not get lucky enough to have the sections come apart so that the push nipples come out on top and bottom in a way so that the nipples will be in the correct positions to re-assemble the radiator on the first try. That's alright, you'll have a bunch of excess sections that you can use for that. Just pull them apart one at a time until you get a good match!
That sure is a nice looking rad in the second picture--Good Luck!!!

Stewart Terrien

Thanks for your input and encouragement, John.