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removing old leg levellers from legs - stuck fast

AlanJ

AlanJ

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5Years
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Dec 27, 2017
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Leeds, West Yorkshire
I've got 2 front legs, where the leveller bolt has been screwed right down, rusted in place and I can't get them to move at all. Tried wd40, rust treatment, heating up the metal, hammering to loosen, plus lots of brute force. The rear two legs unscrewed eventually with theses methods, but I just cant get these front ones to budge.

Any other suggestions please?
 
saw off the bottom leveller part with a hacksaw as close to the leg as you can,then grab the bolt thread with mole grips from inside the leg and remove that way,is a method that's worked for me in the past
 
If you've got a machine tombstoned then bolt the leg on as normal (!) and then work on the leveller. Try using a slim nosed plumber adjustable spanner to access the bottom of the thread like this:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bahco-adjustable-slim-wide-jaw-wrench-6/5679f

Although I've always managed it with a normal sized adjustable, it's bolting the leg on to the machine that makes all the difference.
 
AlanJ said:
I've got 2 front legs, where the leveller bolt has been screwed right down, rusted in place and I can't get them to move at all. Tried wd40, rust treatment, heating up the metal, hammering to loosen, plus lots of brute force. The rear two legs unscrewed eventually with theses methods, but I just cant get these front ones to budge.

Any other suggestions please?
Click to expand...
I just received a set of very rusty legs, some with, some without levellers.

The threads all needed cleaning up - which I did with an old bolt, as I didn't have a die of the right size in all my toolsets.

The leveller that didn't move...
Made solid onto a table with vice grips...
I put so much leverage onto the bolt that I sheared the metal - or one could carefully hacksaw perhaps.

I then centerpunched and drilled out the remaining bolt, slightly smaller to preserve the thread and then drifted the remaining 'rings' of thread out with an old screwdriver and hammer..

Old school, but once threads were cleaned up, all new levellers in and Bob's your proverbial...

More brute force than finesse I guess, but years of motorbike maintainable equips with such a mentality!

Best of..

Sent from my FP3 using Tapatalk
 
Ive taken the metal foot off, so can get a good grip on the square end of the threaded bolt, mole grip is firmly on - I'll screw the leg back onto a machine to see if that gives extra leverage.
 
Leave for 24 hrs, soaking in evapo-rust and they will just undo with minimum effort. Just done two today......
Third gone in this morning......😎
Please note. Soaking in wd40 will not cut the mustard.
image.jpg
 
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AlanJ said:
"..heating up the metal"
Click to expand...
Make sure, if it's still in 1 piece at this moment, heat and expand the leg thread, not the bolt you want to expand the threads, if you can get it silly hot without warping it then squirt WD40 down the threads.

There's the 2-nut technique (good one from my motor trade and restoration days) >

Failing that it's at stevebm1 and Phil Lee above suggested, chop off as much thread as you can, then drill the rest out and a tap. (Yuk) that will be a PITA.

Screen Shot 2021-05-08 at 13.23.25.png
 
I’ve used a grinder before to cut the foot off then used the double nut method to screw them out from the top. Grinder puts a lot of heat in there and then you’re only pulling out what should be clean thread
 
Moonraker said:
If you've got a machine tombstoned then bolt the leg on as normal (!) and then work on the leveller. Try using a slim nosed plumber adjustable spanner to access the bottom of the thread like this:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bahco-adjustable-slim-wide-jaw-wrench-6/5679f

Although I've always managed it with a normal sized adjustable, it's bolting the leg on to the machine that makes all the difference.
Click to expand...
Seems to work for me this also, but sometimes the leg starts to twist which worries me.
 
Arv said:
Seems to work for me this also, but sometimes the leg starts to twist which worries me.
Click to expand...
My thought exactly - that's why I clamp to a table to minimise the tortion. Whatever works tho! Must admit after reading this thread - need to get some evaporust stuff!

Once soaked this would mean that you'd use less torque I guess.. so bolting onto machine would be fine.

Oh to have spare tombstoned machines!

Sent from my FP3 using Tapatalk
 
Soak overnight in a decent penetrating oil (WD 40 is no good as it's a water dispersant and not intended as a lubricant) plus heat has done the trick for me with badly rusted fixings.
 
I always cut the leveller off flush, centre pop the bit that's left in as close to centre as I can estimate, drill out with 5/16 drill bit and finish with 3/8 UNC tap. 5/10 minutes and done.

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Overnight soak in evapo rust, didnt loosen them, then tried another fast acting rust remover, still stuck. Attached to cab to get some leverage, still stuck. Heated up again - still stuck. Grrrr

There is a nut on the inside of the leg, which has been screwed down to the base of the leg. Simply wont budge. I then wondered if the nut is welded to the leg, but doesnt appear to be and generally there isnt a welded nut on these bally legs.

Looks like I'll have to try some of the above methods, subject to getting the stuff I need.
 
I think the wife would divorce me,if she caught me putting pinball legs on the hob😮
 
I'm surprised that a MAP gas blow torch wouldn't budge it and never thought of an induction hob as part of my toolkit but if it works,...........
 
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