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Old 09-06-2016, 07:51 PM   #1
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groco strainer lid frozen

Groco strainer lid frozen. Unable to remove with spanner wrench and reasonable muscle. I fear more muscle will tear it out of its mounting. It has been suggested to use a torch to heat it. Because the lid screws INTO the strainer body it seems heat expansion might not be the best course of action.
If anyone has faced this dilema could you please describe in detail how you resolved it. Thank you.
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-David
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Old 09-06-2016, 08:01 PM   #2
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Tap the top of the lid firmly with a hammer. Try the wrench again and have someone tap the lid firmly with the hammer while apply wrench pressure.

Ted
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Old 09-06-2016, 08:02 PM   #3
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Do please make sure the through hull is closed.
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Old 09-06-2016, 08:04 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by menzies View Post
Do please make sure the through hull is closed.
+1 and open the drain to remove the pressure.

Ted
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Old 09-06-2016, 08:14 PM   #5
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Small hammer, lots of taps, not too hard, no need to maul it. Just need to break the bond.

If it does not loosen up with moderate force on the wrench, push harder.
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Old 09-06-2016, 08:20 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by petdoc4u View Post
Groco strainer lid frozen. Unable to remove with spanner wrench and reasonable muscle. I fear more muscle will tear it out of its mounting. It has been suggested to use a torch to heat it. Because the lid screws INTO the strainer body it seems heat expansion might not be the best course of action.
If anyone has faced this dilema could you please describe in detail how you resolved it. Thank you.
Cheers,
-David
Correct. Whoever gave you that advice should be avoided the next time you are looking for advice.

There is a product available in auto parts stores that is a combination of penetrating oil and a refrigerant. It will cool (and thus shrink) parts that it is sprayed on. It works as advertised but you have to use more product than you would normally use to get enough cooling to do the job. You might use a third of the can or so.

Between the cooling and the penetrating action, you should find it easier to remove the cover with a wrench without damaging the strainer.
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Old 09-06-2016, 08:49 PM   #7
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Heat can work. Heat lid, not hot enough to melt orings, but modest heat. Spray penetrant in and tap with hammer. Go have a beer. Come back and try wrench again, maybe some more taps. Heating AND cooling tend to break the microscopic bond between the threads, and also can suck in penetrant, though not likely past the orings. Still try a little of this and a little of that. Never been denied.
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Old 09-06-2016, 11:41 PM   #8
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Here is another crazy idea. It sounds like you have a Groco ARG series strainer. First close the seacock. Then remove the plastic bowl. Now heat the bronze body, not the lid. This will cause the body to expand away from the lid. After you put out the fire and before the strainer cools, you should be able to unscrew the lid.

The right way to do this is to remove the darn thing from the boat, clamp it in a big vice and work on it there.
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Old 09-07-2016, 05:08 AM   #9
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PB Blaster, follow the directions

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Old 09-07-2016, 05:42 AM   #10
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"PB Blaster, follow the directions"

YUP! time is a help
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Old 09-07-2016, 06:25 AM   #11
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All depends if taking the strainer off and disassembling is an option.

Sounds if the lid is frozen, the whole thing could use a tune up.

If apart, lots of the suggestions will probably work.

I have found I have broken less things, such as bolts by using a very long lever arm with tiny in cements of force rather than a shorter one with more muscle. Tapping and PB Blaster to the underside with alternating heat or cold applied will probable get it.

Just the hassle of taking it out and apart is the ugly issue.
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Old 09-07-2016, 07:16 AM   #12
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I've used Deoxit to loosen stainless screws frozen to aluminum. It seems to attack the built-up oxidation. Worth a try and it's a handy product to have in your toolbox to clean up electrical connections.
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Old 09-07-2016, 07:31 AM   #13
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This is the product I mentioned above:




$5.00 at Autozone
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Old 09-07-2016, 08:08 AM   #14
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Try using the Freeze Off and a hammer and blunt-ended punch. A socket extension will work as a punch (a brass drift would be ideal). I find that using a hammer and a punch causes less damage than a hammer alone.
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Old 09-07-2016, 08:13 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by petdoc4u View Post
Groco strainer lid frozen. Unable to remove with spanner wrench and reasonable muscle. I fear more muscle will tear it out of its mounting. It has been suggested to use a torch to heat it. Because the lid screws INTO the strainer body it seems heat expansion might not be the best course of action.
If anyone has faced this dilema could you please describe in detail how you resolved it. Thank you.
Cheers,
-David
Quote:
Originally Posted by WesK View Post
Correct. Whoever gave you that advice should be avoided the next time you are looking for advice.

There is a product available in auto parts stores that is a combination of penetrating oil and a refrigerant. It will cool (and thus shrink) parts that it is sprayed on. It works as advertised but you have to use more product than you would normally use to get enough cooling to do the job. You might use a third of the can or so.

Between the cooling and the penetrating action, you should find it easier to remove the cover with a wrench without damaging the strainer.
Just an FYI here.

One the tricks I learned early in my career when I worked at a shop that specialized in the restoration of vintage Rolls Royce autos was a method of freeing stuck bolts with heat. Contrary to what one might believe, the preferred method was to heat the bolt/head itself and not the surrounding metal. This caused the bolt to expand in the hole so that once it cooled a bit, out it came.

It works like magic and I've many removed hundreds of bolts this way in my life. I used to love heading out into the shop to help a new employee with a stuck bolt, grab the torches and proceed to pull it out! You can imagine the looks I'd get...

Of course it does not always work and there are times when only a machine shop will do the trick!

By the way, I have been known to use a heat gun for the same result and I wonder if the advice given might have worked if a heat gun was used...

The small hammer trick is a good one and would probably suffice in this case.

Bruce
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Old 09-07-2016, 08:21 AM   #16
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First off it needs to be dry not wet with salt water for rust busters to work.
I would definitely use a torch to heat it, most likely off the boat. If it is all bronze parts, lots of heat wont hurt it.

Then I would spray it and whack it with hammers and punches etc...
Heating and cooling makes the metal move breaking the corrosion bonds and also then the rust busters can get in and work easier.

I suppose an antiseize would be ok to keep the threads from getting stuck again.
I have seen aluminum, copper, nickel based antiseize compounds. Or even use a marine water resistant grease.
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Old 09-07-2016, 09:44 AM   #17
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Don't be afraid to tap and wrench in the tightening direction. Not far, of course, but just if you can, but couldn't in the loosening direction. Once you break the bond, it should turn both ways.
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Old 09-07-2016, 10:10 AM   #18
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I always tap mine to get it off.

Thinking ahead, when you do get it apart, grease the threads. It will help seal it and make removal easier for next time.
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Old 09-07-2016, 03:05 PM   #19
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Thank you to everyone for your responses. By the way, I also tried reasoning, scolding and cussing which didnt work either.
Ill let you know what worked when I next attempt to break it free.
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Old 09-07-2016, 04:06 PM   #20
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jleonard, do you have a particular grease recommendation in mind?
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