What is the best wrench for removing 1" plug?

HarryL

I'd like to skim, but the skim tapping is still plugged from the factory. In another thread the suggestion was to remove the bushing on the pressurtrol tapping. The jacket is in the way with lots of other things that have to move to get the jacket to move, so I'm thinking of returning to the 1" tapping on the back of the boiler. I tried a tall 12-point 15/16" socket. I got some PB blaster on the plug threads and gave it a go. Unfortunately, the 12-point did not have enough grip and I think I rounded off the corners a bit. What should I be using and where would I find one? I looked for 8-point sockets but couldn't find any other than perhaps for an impact driver which I don't have. I had even less success finding a 4-point set. Should I take the jacket off this side (easier that the pressuretrol) and put a pipe wrench with an extension on it?

Bug512

I have used a 8 point socket in the past with a breaker bar.

What is the size of the plug ? Not the thread size but the size of the square head ?

Fred

You might try putting a heavy open end wrench on it and tap it with a hammer. That kind of works like an impact wrench and should do it. Spray it with some more PB Blaster. An 18" pipe wrench should work too, if you can get it on there without taking the cabinet panel off.

HarryL

@Hatterasguy - Just a small propane torch for soldering.

@bug512 - I think 3/4". I removed the knockout, but until I get the jacket off, I can't really get in a position to measure it. By then I suppose the pipe wrench will be good.

I suppose I could also remove the relief valve and use the elbow coming off that tapping. It is in an even less convenient location though. How fragile is a brass relief valves trying to back it out after 10 years?

Paul48

Call some rental places.

Bug512

Here is a link to McMaster for a 8 Point Socket. I'm sure Craftsman will also have one at their store.

Link

JUGHNE

I had the same situation to remove a 1/2" IPS plug. An old timer was asked and he said "heat the plug to almost dull red and then throw cold water on it and you can unscrew it easily."
I was afraid to try that so repeated PB soakings and tapping with small hammer, then the 8 point socket with breaker bar moved it. This is before I had a 1/2" impact wrench. BTY craftmans sockets and breaker bars are replaced free if broken.
Also has anyone (braver than me) tried the old timer's idea??

KC_Jones

JUGHNE said:

Also has anyone (braver than me) tried the old timer's idea??

That sounds like an excellent way to crack some metal...especially working around cast iron. I had a friend many years ago that had his car overheat because it ran low on coolant. We pulled over and he turned the engine off, opened the hood and poured a bunch of cold water into the radiator. He then got into start the engine and I yelled at him not to do it, he ignored me started the engine and proceeded to crack his engine block. He should have left the engine running a slowly trickled the water in OR let the engine cool completely then started it up. Metal does not like thermal shocks like that. I have heard a lot of "old timer" tricks and I have concluded there are a lot of lucky people out there. I have also encountered a lot of people that their "tricks" work most of the time and they don't care about the times it doesn't work as long as it works more than half the time they are happy. I have done more than a few stupid things in my life and I learn from them, I don't say "well next time it will work" or "that only happens sometimes".

JUGHNE

The last plug I did was 2 1/2" buried into the skimming TEE, It was only 12 years old, no threads showing. PB soaking for 2 days, tapping, grunts on a 5' wrench would not move. So B tank torch heated plug hot (not red hot) and then pushed a soaking wet rag against the plug, some hammer wracks and it unscrewed with the 5'. This was not into the CI boiler mind you. So I was braver. And the skimming process was seriously needed for this boiler. Getting something like this out without damage seems to make the rest of the day easy.
Now what could I do with a 1 1/2" plug in a 30 year old boiler that the square head broke off?? It is the only skimmer port available on the boiler. Any ideas for this situation?? Thanks

icesailor

Here's the same method, streamlined. Go get a 1" hole saw. Any brand will do. Milwaukee or the ones all the wholesalers are selling, the white ones. Greenlee's work well. Whatever fits your mandrels. Drill a hole in the middle of the broken off plug. Being exactly centered isn't important. As long as you are well away from the threads. If you drill a smaller pilot hole, drill the new or next hole the same size as the pilot bit as the one in the hole saw mandrel. Put the 1" hole saw or whatever size you have chosen on the mandrel, put it in a drill (battery drills will work) and start drilling. Slowly and easily. If anyone tells you need a special hole saw bit, tell them they are full of it. They drill through nails like the Eveready bunny goes through batteries. Take your Sawzall with a metal cutting blade. 8 to 14 TPI blades work the best. Really fine blades plug up. Cut three slots at 12 O'clock, 4 and 8 O'clock. Make a 4th slot at 2 O'clock if you are right handed and have room. Make the cuts just short of the threads. Try not to cut into them. It isn't the end of the world if you scratch them. Teflon Tape is a wonderful product. Take an old beater heavy screwdriver and beat one of the smaller exposed plug pieces. Cast iron is very soft. It will crack and fall into itself. Once one is broken, you can usually manipulate it out with a screwdriver or needle nose pliers. I often would put a rag into the 1" hole to help keep anything from falling in to where I didn't want it. I had pipe taps up to 2" IPS so I always ran a tap into the threads.
Goop up the newly exposed threads with some compound and do your thing, whatever that may be.

There is no limit as to what you can do or drill with a hole saw. Carbide tipped ones cost up to 3X more than a standard one cost and they don't cut better or last longer than the standard ones.

The plug or pipe is held tight in the hole through compression. Overcoming the compression is what makes it hard when tight. Cutting the slots relieves the compression.

JStar

You can also use a smaller drill bit and make a line of holes in the center of the plug. Use the sawzall to cut through the threads. Once the tension/bond is broken, it should come out.

Fred

The Brass Pressure Relief Valve will turn off very, Very easily. As I said way earlier, take that off, take the elbow off, put a Tee on there, remount the Relief Valve upright on top and put a 3/4 inch plug in the end to use for skimming. Sometimes we get engrossed in defeating the beast and we forget our original goal (which is an acceptable way to skim this boiler).

Roohollah

Dear Colleague ,

As the situation indicates , the job is need an other trick to unscrow it .If the clogged bolt is metal and you access to portable welding machine (shielded metal arc welding ) ,this procedure may work .We always do it for those rusted bolt or threaded pipes or fittings that super heavy spanner does not work .You shall put tack welding the top of the bolt to be flat and when you tack weld it softly hammer it ,and then weld an other new bolt to the old one just by tack welding ,finally you shall unscrow the bolt by proper spanner .Certainly , you must quench the other parts it their temperature go up due to welding .I wish I could write the comment clearly .


Thank you for your time ,and wishing you bring the problem into its knee .



Sincerely,

Roohollah

archibald tuttle

so drill and sawzall is a time proven method. i stay away from the massive heating and cooling is I believe I might not get it and I will have to drill it out because this will harden the thing frightfully.

and i still put plenty of pb blaster to use (as cutting fluid). It's very convenient and has a good blend of modest lubricity and and cooling while providing a decent bite for the cutting edge.

i always have to undertake the sawzall method if some 2 and 1/2 or 3 inch short nipple is stuck in something where i can't get a decent bite on it it, but sometimes i drill the plug out to the tap size for a size down pipe thread. so the guy who started this whole adventure could have worked up to a 15/16" drill and then tapped it at 3/4".

even though larger plugs tend to be hollow once you get out the size below there is almost always enough steel or cast for full depth pipe thread.

i start off retentive about wanting to make a perfect thread or if i'm cutting with sawzall to always stop just short of scoring the thread but, in most cases here we're talking about fittings on steam boilers that are going to see 1 lbs of pressure if that if they are operated well and you can get away with murder and a little setting joint compound when you're dealing with those low pressures.

archibald tuttle

PS - drill or cut at as slow a speed as possible. this can be tough on drills that don't cool well at slow speeds or trying to keep the sawzall running slow with their hair triggers, but slow and steady wins the race with this stuff. hole saws are acceptable alternative to full drilling and as our reigning nonconformist icesailor says, any decent hole saw will do. but it's the same deal. go real slow with lot of direct pressure and plenty of cutting fluid but avoid making a muddy paste that binds up the cutting tool.

archibald tuttle

and as addendum to the earliest comments on the thred, you really can't get by, in my opinion, without a set of 4 or 8 point sockets. the 8's are easier to come by, e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Sunex-2858-2-Inch-8-Point-13-Piece/dp/B003XIJ82M/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1417649071&sr=8-9&keywords="8+point+socket"

I use these things all the time. among other things to drive taps where i don't have room to turn a traditional wing handled tap wrench.

icesailor

archibald tuttle said:

and as addendum to the earliest comments on the thred, you really can't get by, in my opinion, without a set of 4 or 8 point sockets. the 8's are easier to come by, e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Sunex-2858-2-Inch-8-Point-13-Piece/dp/B003XIJ82M/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1417649071&sr=8-9&keywords="8+point+socket"

I use these things all the time. among other things to drive taps where i don't have room to turn a traditional wing handled tap wrench.

6 point sockets are just as important.

icesailor

JStar said:

You can also use a smaller drill bit and make a line of holes in the center of the plug. Use the sawzall to cut through the threads. Once the tension/bond is broken, it should come out.

@JStar:

Try my way once. You'll be using it for all your extractions.

I once drilled 8 - 2 3/4" holes in steel I-Beams to run 2" PVC roof drains. I bought 3 hole saws figuring I would need to buy more. I drilled all 8 holes with the same hole saw, and continued to use it for wood holes. Oil is not required, but doesn't hurt.

Run it on high speed in a Hole Hawg, and you'll never blow the transmission. And it won't throw you for a loop (off a ladder) like Low Speed will do.

icesailor

"" and as our reigning nonconformist icesailor says, any decent hole saw will do. but it's the same deal. go real slow with lot of direct pressure and plenty of cutting fluid ""

As the "resident Non-Conformist", I've been in more situations where I was the person of last resort. When "someone else" has been called and thrown up their hands in desperation, you call me. If my wife asks me to fix something and I tell her that it can't be fixed, she just gives me that wifely stare. So I fix it.

If its 10 degrees outside and you go on a call where there is water running out of the relief valve, and you just KNOW that the nipple is going to break off from rust, and if you don't get it out, does the customer and family go cold while you get a new boiler to install when they don't have money for a new one because of a serious illness in the family? You figure out a way. Ever break off a head bolt or an exhaust manifold bolt? Guys at auto garages do it all the time and get them out.

Its called EXPERIENCE.

Dremel even makes a Tungsten Carbide cutter bit that fits in their Dremel tools (and other like high speed tools) that will cut through a broken off piece of pipe in a fitting like a hot knife through a stick of frozen butter.

Dremel # 9901. Says to "Use on hardened steel, stainless steel, cast iron, ceramics and other hard materials. NOT for drilling".

Necessity is the Mother of invention.