How to remove steel fitting from old aluminium?

1. How would a person remove these steel fittings from this intake? I want to switch the two. They have been in there 'forever'. If it was a cast iron intake I would just heat them with oxy/acet but I'm not sure of the approach with aluminium. I'm sure if I just try and turn em out the threads will crumble out with the fittings....

 

That looks exactly identical to what I've got on the Edelbrock C3B on my daily driver. I couldn't get it out either, so I left it. But now I want to use that port for an under-seat heater. I tried heat, melting wax into the threads, penetrating oil...I was afraid I was going to break the intake trying to get it off with a breaker bar.
The next time I take the intake off, I'm going to center-punch the recess in that pipe plug, and then drill through it with a small drill. Once I'm thru, I'll use progressively larger drill bits, until most of the fitting is gone. Then I'll chip the remainder out away from the aluminum threads using a small chisel. I've done that to remove broken ch***is bolts, and it preserved the threads. That wasn't aluminum/steel electrolysis like these intakes, but I see no reason it won't work.

-Brad

 

Go ahead and heat them with the torch. The aluminum will conduct the heat away fast enough that the manifold won't be damaged. You could even blow the fitting out with the torch.

 

I have found that PB Blaster works miracles on helping get bolts out; not sure about the situation with steel in aluminum though. PB Blaster shouldn't hurt anything however.

 

PB blaster should work just fine,Spray it once a day for three or four days and it will come out with no problem....Also a little heat the first time will help it get down into the threads better..Heat it up good the first time an then spray it good ,let it stand over night and then spray it once a day for three or four more days..good luck with it !

 

I like the oil soaking method, then heat, and an air ratchet "on low"...turning by hand doesn't seem to work a good as the air i.e. vibrating/clicking it out. Don't cut the air ratchet loose...wrap your hand around the socket while making contact with the manifold...you need a little bit of pucker and dare thrown in also. Just did one successfully Friday.

 

Heat them up.They usually turn pretty easy after they cool down.

The Aluminum expands faster than the steel,breaking the bond.

 

We use a penetrant called "mouse milk" with our airplane parts. Heat it soak it heat it soak it a few days. Vibration will speed things along.

Bill

 

maap torch,beeswax and impact will get it out.

 

I've had good luck doing what Wetatt4u suggests.
Edelbrock Cleveland intake fwiw.

Patience is the key.

I used AeroKroil, but PB BLaster should work just as good.

About 4-5 days of spraying a little on every morning and evening.

Clamp the intake to the bench or kneel on it if you can find a place to put your knee on it.

Big wrench.
Br*** hammer, about 2#.
Swat it a good one.

In my case one swat started it turning and it screwed right out.

If . . . the threads should get stripped out there's always Helicoil, drillling and TIGing and drilling and tapping.


A small fwiw on cast iron and steel, I got a South Bend 10" tailstock to free up after it had been in the weather for a few years by soaking for one year in clean kerosene.
Most of the surface rust came off and every thing turns.

It was only supposed to be in the kero for a couple months, but I forgot about it.

 

Cut twice through the threads. Pop out with hammer and chisel

 

I'd use heat and an impact. The nice thing about that intake is even if the threads rip out, there is ample meat to retap it to the next pipe size and use a threaded bushing to bring it back down to size you want. You could always leave the plug. Then drill and tap the other possible hole that the factory didn't drill...right above the plug.

 

Iagree wit Farmboat. Use a hacksaw blade through the fitting cutting through it. Then hammer and chiesel Just dont saw in too deep. Four cuts if yer a chicken heart.

 

Heat the fitting with a torch untill it is red. Have a spay bottle with water in it ready to go. Cut off the torch and spray the fitting with the water untill it is cool to touch. You will see the steam fly. You may have to do the process twice heat it and then cool it right away. This breaks up the corrosion and srinks the fitting so it will come out easy.

 

you can also use a die grinder and a carbide bit to cut thru the metal and if you take it slow you will be able to see the threads when you get to them eliminating damaging them, remember patience,patience, patience.

 

You can and should buy new fittings, don't use those over. Any of the restoration shops have them. Cut them off and drill them as Brad said, save the manifold threads by sacrificing the fittings. After removed run a good tap in the threads. Then apply never sieze to the new ones.

 

i've run into this problem more than a couple times. usually soaking w/ PBblaster and heating w/ a torch will do the trick.
the last one i did like that came out, but cracked the intake. no prob i'll tig it closed, because my pal doesnt want the heater hose anyhow.

a little beside the piont, but......did the guys a couple generations before us ever hear of anti seize? or the just didnt care?
if something stuck together it was the problem of the next owner?
header bolts?
intake bolts?
any part that expands and contracts because of heating up and cooling off?
anytime dis-similar metals are affixed?

i've often been lucky w/ old stuff, but i've also had to easy out broken stuff, and tap&dye junk. that stuff is no fun, but part of the journy i guess.

 

FREON!

heat will expand the steel and contract the aluminum - making the fit tighter and ruining everything...

to remove an aluminum brake drum from a steel axle (late 80's camaro,. etc) - or to remove a steel spark plug stuck in an aluminum head - you freeze the steel part and surrounding area with freon.... get a recharge kit from auto zone or pep boys and spray it all around the fitting and manifold - when it is nice and frozen - it should crack loose...

I have removed plugs from expensive saab and volvo heads and brake drums like this and amazed the people who were struggling with torches heating it and getting nowhere...

try it!

AB

 

The aluminum expands more then steel with heat, but it also soaks it up faster. I usually get a wrench on it and keep pressure on it as I heat the aluminum. Most of the time the threads come with the plug though.

If I were you I would drill that boss right above it and tap new threads in that and leave the plug alone.
Jeff