help removing bushing from radiator

bosshog23

I am trying to removing a 3/4 inch bushing from a radiator so I can hook it to a 1 and 1/4. The bushing has been attached for who knows how many decades. I can not budge it with my wrench Do I use penetrating oil? any tricks of the trade or other advice would be helpful. Thank you for you time.

 

Rod

Use a Sawsall.

Hi- Use a sawsall and make several cuts around the bushing from inside ( Be careful not cut into the threads) and then using a hammer and chisel and collapse the bushing inward. You may have to make some "V" cuts in the face of the bushing to help with the collapse.

- Rod

Hap_Hazzard

Know any tractor mechanics?

I use an impact wrench for plugs and bushings, but you'd need a biiiig socket for that one.



The next best thing would be to take a cold chisel and a big hammer and drive the chisel into each flank of the bushing, as close to the apex as you can get without just knocking a chip out of it, driving it counter-clockwise. If you can get it to move just a little, then put a wrench on and twist it out.



Penetrating oil won't help because pipes and fittings are assembled with pipe joint compound, which seals the threads and hardens like glue. Applying heat can sometimes soften the compound, but it doesn't do much else because the bushing and the fitting both expand at the same rate.

Big-Al_2

Long Wrench

I've done a few.  I start by laying the radiator down and trying to unscrew the bushing with a pipe wrench and a long cheater pipe.  That worked for me . . . once.  On the others, I used a sawzall to make radial cuts outward through the bushing, stopping just short of the threads in the radiator.   With a couple of cuts most of the way through, the bushing might collapse a little when wrenched upon and unscrew nicely . . . or you might have to chisel it out in pieces. 



On my first try with the Sawzall, I actually damaged the radiator threads somewhat.  I had to bush it back down from 2" to 1.5" anyway, so I just used a little J-B Weld as pipe dope when I installed the new bushing.  If I thought I ever needed to remove that bushing again, I would have tried high-temp RTV silicone gasket sealer instead.  If the threads are OK, then regular tape or dope should work fine.



You know . . . fifty years from now, somebody will probably try to remove that bushing I glued in.  He may have some very unkind things to say about me.

icesailor

Removing things from radiators:

If it's an old radiator, I'll try a pipe wrench. If it doesn't come out with a 2' pipe wrench, I cut it out. I only make three cuts. One at 12 O'clock and the other two at 5 O'clock and 7 O'clock. The cuts rotate so that the small cut is facing up so I can whack it down with a junk screw driver or a chisel, I whack the small piece and it usually falls out. Then, hitting one of the longer pieces will come loose and I just unscrew the nipple or bushing. Whatever goes back has a minimum of three properly applied wraps of Teflon Pipe Tape, and Rectorseal #100. Rectorseal #5 if I'm in the mood. Even if I nick the threads with the saw blade, it has never leaked on me, ever.