Loosening a stuck radiator vent

Bob_57-2

What's the best way to loosen a stuck radiator vent on a one-pipe steam system radiator and not snap it? I've tried WD-40 and some heat.



thanks



Bob

nicholas bonham-carter

stuck vent

what's wrong with the old one? radiator vents are less likely to need replacement than the main vents which do all the work.

sometimes they yield to tapping on a wrench, as if it were an impact wrench. when you exert force on the wrench, if that doesn't work, always counter the force by supporting the jaws of the wrench as you turn it. the result should be a turning force on the joint, instead of an angled shearing force.

if it breaks, then the stub can be drilled out with whatever drill bit is sized for a 1/8 in. npt tap. even if it doesn't break, i would clean the threads with such a tap, and use teflon tape on the threads of the replacement.--nbc

Rod

Use a penetrating oil.

What you need is a penetrating oil. WD-40 is really a water dispersant (that's the WD) and doesn't really do as good a job as a penetrating oil. Try Liquid Wrench or Permatex Fast Break, or one of the Kano products like AeroKroil (expensive)  Put a small amount on the threads where they go into the radiator and reapply about 30 minutes later and at the end of the hour try to remove it. Overnight works even better, No heat is necessary, any iof these should be available in you local autoparts store.  If worse comes to worse, you can always use an easy out or as mentioned drill out and retap the hole. Patience and a day or two of penetrating oil is a good bet.

- Rod

Long Beach Ed

If you do this work...

You need Kroil.  It's taken everything apart for us.  Fantastic stuff.



Just don't expect to find it locally.