Small flame oxy acetylene tip?

[Kaizen]

I need to replace my exhaust manifold on my 5.4 ford. This time I want to heat up the nuts and remove with my victor jr setup. I don't have a lot of time on the torch and would feel better with a smaller flame. It has to be thin so rosette would be too wide. Is there such a tip that would only be a couple inches long? Map or propane torch doesn't heat it up enough

 

[slip knot]

The 0 welding tip gets pretty small @1-1 1/2 in of flame.

 

[BillK]

k,
You actually don't want too small of a tip. You need to heat the nut up to cherry red as fast as you can without getting the rest of the stud and manifold hot. I actually use a cutting torch most of the time but don't use the cutting feature.

If you don't have much time with the torch, make some time and practice with it on some old junk parts first.

By the way my experience with the 5.4 manifold nuts is that they usually come off pretty easy with my 3/8 cordless impact and no heat but maybe I have just been lucky ?

 

[Kaizen]

k,
You actually don't want too small of a tip. You need to heat the nut up to cherry red as fast as you can without getting the rest of the stud and manifold hot. I actually use a cutting torch most of the time but don't use the cutting feature.

If you don't have much time with the torch, make some time and practice with it on some old junk parts first.

By the way my experience with the 5.4 manifold nuts is that they usually come off pretty easy with my 3/8 cordless impact and no heat but maybe I have just been lucky ?

Yea you have been lucky. the other side took me about 20 hours. tried the impact and it snapped the bolts flush with the head. even tried the ratchet and same deal. feels like they are coming out and then snap. ***** drilling into your heads in the driveway. So i'm not taking the chance this time. little heat and then the impact. i'm concerned i'll light the thing on fire to be honest. I have hours cutting stuff with it but in tight quarters is my concern. you don't think the zero tip suggested will get it cherry in 30 seconds? its just a nut

 

[HSURDDY]

Zero tip would be perfect for the concentrated heat that you are trying to apply, but more importantly, it's also about the right mix and cone. 3-5 lbs of acetylene, play when th the oxygen until you get the right sized cone for the application, maybe 10-12 lbs... Heat the nut cherry red and twist off with a ratchet or impact. 30 seconds is a long time with that much heat... It'll work... Other guys swear by heat and candle wax... Works its way into the threads and acts as a lubricant...

 

[BADSIX]

HA,HA I could tell you a story about blowing the valve covers off a 440 dodge cutting headers off. be careful of gas fumes in the crankcase.
Jay D.

 

[Schurkey]

I learned from ripping the exhaust manifold off my Trailblazer 4.2L six-popper, to use a universal socket and the longest extension practical on the fasteners. That way there's no side-load on the bolts/studs.

Might also be why BillK has had success using a small impact driver--a hand ratchet without a swivel socket, or wrench side-loads the fastener.

I'm fairly convinced that it's the side-loading that typically breaks the fastener, not the actual torque applied. Of course, anything is possible.

 

[Kaizen]

Thanks everyone. gonna get a zero tip and play with it.

This head/manifold design is horrible. the exhaust studs are a double ended thread with a flat spot in the middle. So when installed the flat spot screws in and ruins the first few threads as well as bonds together (steel/aluminum) with corrosion. So after 13 years they are weak esp at that head location. once you snap it an easy out is useless as that bond is still there. so you have to drill out that corrosion. hoping this time to leave the studs there and just take off the nuts with heat. Any shop that actually will do this job is at 1000 bucks and adds if any break. most don't want to tie up a bay all day with it.

 

[lilredex]

While you are out there, check out a "000" size, the smallest and still delivers a good size flame. I added one to my arsenal just for getting into cramped areas and for welding/brazing sheet metal.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Do you have a welder ? Weld a nut onto the broken stud before you try to drill it.

 

[Nexussian]

If you are concerned about lighting things on fire, check out the new-ish induction heaters for stubborn fasteners.

I saw someone posting about it on a random, little known website you may not have heard of.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47670&showall=1

Kidding of course

I know that costs a bunch more than a torch tip, but is likely much less expensive than the damage of lighting your project on fire, even once.

 

[Kaizen]

Do you have a welder ? Weld a nut onto the broken stud before you try to drill it.

Won't work. Tried it last time. I can't convey how different this design is from any other exhaust bolt. Imagine welding around the bolt to the head. That's what the last one I did was like. I put a nut on two and just snapped it even with the block. Got a zero tip coming.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jrcampbe]

Are you pulling the head? I pulled one of the heads on my 5.4 and left the exhaust manifold attached because this is such a *****. Just disconnect at the bottom. Depending on what you're doing you may be able to leave it attached, but even if you need to take the exhaust manifold off, you can do it much easier(!) on the bench.

 

[Doozer75]

Using a TIG torch gives you about the most concentrated heat you can get in a small space.

--Doozer

 

[RidgeRunner]

I had a frozen brake line fitting near the gas tank on my truck that I had to break loose for line repair or wind up replacing everything back to the rear calipers. Didn't feel real great about waving my welding torch around in there so broke down and bought a little butane micro torch Bernzomatic ST2200T, IIRC in the $30 range at the local hardware store. Worked slick, got in there handy with a pencil flame that got the fitting hot quick and got it right back out. Fitting freed right up and came apart easy.

Found it a great investment and have used it several times since when I have needed high heat quick in a concentrated area without creating further damage and extra work.

Keeping my fingers crossed I don't have to try it out on my V-10 Triton..........

Ed

 

[Kaizen]

Well I got my zero tip in and pulled out an old intake to mess around with. felt confident to tackle the exhaust manifold although dreading it. got her up on stands and all the tools out and on a whim I wanted to verify where the noise was coming from. grabbed a piece of tubing, stuck in my ear, and was delighted to find a hole on a flat spot of the manifold. I ran down to advance auto and grabbed some liquid metal stuff. smeared it on and it sealed it. just passed inspection!! yeeha. best 8 bucks I ever spent. even if it fails now i'll drive it around with that noise for another year! Thanks for all your help. I do feel more confident with that smaller flame. less likely to burn stuff or melt the steel.

 

[rlitman]

k,
You actually don't want too small of a tip. You need to heat the nut up to cherry red as fast as you can without getting the rest of the stud and manifold hot. I actually use a cutting torch most of the time but don't use the cutting feature...

Same here. A cutting torch is like a teeny tiny rosebud. Perfect for heating small nuts and and bolts, so long as you don't use the lever.

Anyway, glad you found the issue, and enjoy your 0 tip. 0 is the size I use most.

 

[Budman01]

......... but more importantly, it's also about the right mix and cone. 3-5 lbs of acetylene, play when th the oxygen until you get the right sized cone for the application, maybe 10-12 lbs... Heat the nut cherry red and twist off with a ratchet or impact. 30 seconds is a long time with that...

In my experience with acetylene welding, for most gas welding, 5 lbs acty to 10 lbs oxy will weld anything, just change your tips. For cutting, increase your oxy. In this case of heating-to-release, a cone is too hot and is concentrated on one point, a 'feather', about 3/4" long will wrap the bolt/nut and get it hotter, faster. A 'feather' is just stop the oxy short of a cone.
Hope this helps.