So I had a very leaky stabilizer cylinder on my ** 50H backhoe. I wanted to have it rebuilt before spring so it is good to go when I need it. The tractor is just used on my property and not commercially so time wasn't an issue and we are still buried in snow. The pin on the tractor side (has grease fittings) came out no problem. The foot side of the stabilizer was a different story and now I know why one side of the pin had been mushroomed by the previous owner. It wouldn't budge. I tried my sledge hammer, heat and squelch with PB Blaster, and just heat. There was far too much iron for me torch set up to heat it cherry red though. I ended up needing to cut the pin in three sections, but to do this I needed a bigger grinder for the depth of the cuts. Bought myself a nice little 9" Dewalt grinder. It worked great. Using the BFH and a make shift punch guide out made from some boards I had laying around. I was able swing like a b*****d and drive the stuck pieces out. The "punch" I use is a 1" cylinder rod I pulled out of a scrap bin years ago, works Great. "It only takes one bolt to turn a 20 minute job into a 3 day project."
Well,that worked, but...when in that situation with an outrigger, and only one pin comes out, I pull the barrel pin and hoses, and leave the rod and piston attached. The pin holds the rod very well, allowing the piston nut to be removed. Unless the rod is damaged, that's how I do it.
Good job.. they can be a real PITA.. Next time> ditch the PB blaster & make your own penetrating oil.. 50/50> ATF & Acetone.. Puts PB B to shame !! There was a link I was watching YESTERDAY.. someone did a side-by side comparison w/ several different "solvents".. Torqued a nut/bolt to a specific # & then sprayed dif. solutions on it & measured the amount of force nec. to break it loose.. The "mix" won.. by a huge margin..
I had the opportunity to spend some time with a thermal lance a few years ago. Best. Thing. Ever.
Pump Guy, I'll have to try this. I have plenty of both on hand. I have a gallon of acetone left over from a fiberglass boat repair. I watched a bunch of videos on the thermal lance. I had no idea such a thing existed. It sure was entertaining to watch them walk the long lances in and send slag flying everywhere. Unfortunately they were outside of my available resources. I'm glad I was able to knock them out. I didn't want to have to try to rebuild the cylinder on the machine, as I've never had one apart before and I am glad I didn't have to take the whole stabilizer arm and cylinder to a shop and pay them to remove the pin however they felt necessary. While the cylinder is off, I'm going to have some new hoses made up and replace what is there too. I plan on replacing a few hoses here and there. The 30 or so year old tractor is starting to bleed a little all over.
Around here its common to get hydro hoses built at the parts store.. they're a lot cheaper/less expensive than a hydro shop.. I know for a fact/1st hand that the O'reilys in Charleston does it.. I priced a hose for a buddy & it was 100.00, he took it to Oreilys & it was 24.00 !!!! I couldn't believe it.. 1 problem tho, the hose OD was bigger & the hose was stiffer & it was a bit*h to snake around the bucket.. But at a 75.00 savings, it was worth the hassle..
I saw the link you were talking about pumpguy. Most of what AvE talks about goes right over my head but he is a great educator on things. Also, I think our local Napa handles hydraulic lines that size. I'm going to stop I there Monday.
Make sure they clean the lines out when they make them. It's a requirement for our hose shop to blow a foam pellet through the hose length once it's cut. You can also buy an assortment of metal caps and plugs on eBay to keep your lines clean while you have a hose off
Hey, good on you for winning. Now let me be the guy who pees on your parade. Please don't use cylinder rod or any other hardened rod for drift. It could very easily have killed you. Shards of the struck end will come off in unpredictable angles at bullet speeds. You have 3 very vulnerable points below the waist, your junk being one and the femoral arteries in each leg being the others. Get a piece of mild steel or bronze tape the heck out of the striking end. You gotta take care of you, cuz her the only you, you got.
I hadnt been thinking about the frags. After having a Doctor removed a shaving of metal after a grinding found itself around my safety glasses I am usually good with the PPE and double up on eye and ear protections now. Didn't consider the frags basically being bullets with the amount of force applied and some overalls being as useful as a tissue paper. I have an assortment of caps and plugs in hand. When I get into some of the larger hoses, I will definitely check eBay's options.
Take a look at this, a much less expensive option. https://www.broco-rankin.com/
Hit a hammer with a hammer once... just once. Almost had to stitch my free left hand index finger closed. About 6 months later the shard worked it's way out. Really good advice!
Same thing about hitting a bearing with a hammer. My dad found that out the hard way back in the late 1960's. They were working on replacing a bearing in a stone screen at the quarry and not sure if he was swinging the hammer or someone else. Results were a piece of steel in one of his eyes. Did not loose the eye but vision was never the same after that.
Black iron pipe is the standard consumable for oxygen lancing. Start it with a cutting torch and it will pierce most anything. Use at your own risk. For something like a pin, I always thought it would be practical to set up a frame support so the operator is able to stand 45 degrees off the back of the cutting action and pull the lance through without getting near the front or straight back from the action. Extreme protection would still be needed.
We set up old plywood to block the splatter and blow back from the gas lance, we've also drilled a hole in the plywood at the right height and stick the pipe through that to support it as we blow through the pin. We've also drilled a hole through the center of the pin before to help relieve the tension of the pin, heat the hole red hot and pound out the pin, but the gas lance is much faster and easier, just put enough welding blankets around the tires to keep them safe, along with he person doing the lancing. On stabilizer pins, we've also sawed of the pin on both sides of the rod and that way the pin sections are much shorter to deal with and usually easier to get out. When done, grease is usually the best fix to prevent the issue in the future. We use a stick welder to get the lance going, we just weld a tab on the pipe and stick the welder stinger to that and after its started, you can kick off the welder stinger.
Randy, Any pictures of your gas lance set up? The handle, how the consumable pipe attaches, etc? I would like to add lance setup to our torch kit at the farm w/o breaking the bank on a commercially made kit
colson04, no I don't have a picture, but I can explain it to you, its simple and cheap, I took an air blow gun, unscrewed the wand and that's 1/8 inch pipe threads, that's the nozzle you need, then take a small pipe with 1/8 inch threads and make a short piece, a foot long with threads on each end, weld a tab to it wide enough to hook the welder stinger to, that's the gun portion of the unit, then just use a pipe coupler and screw on new ends every time the lance is worn down, nothing special. I just hook the blow gun quick coupler to the oxygen tank, by unhooking the torch hose and screwing in the short hose I have made up to hook to the regulator, then crank up the regulator pressure and your done and ready to use. I use a simple blown old oxygen hose to use for this purpose, attach a quick coupler to it and quick couple the blow gun to ready to use. When using it, I hook up the hose and wand to the oxygen tank, hook the welder stinger to the short tab on the blow gun pipe, hook the welder ground clamp to the piece your lancing, turn on the welder, open the oxygen tank and crank up the regulator, the welder will provide the arc to start the oxygen burning and just hold the blow gun trigger to start the oxygen flowing, force the lance into the shaft or whatever your trying to lance out, once the arc is done, you can unhook the welder stinger its no longer needed as long as your feeding the lance into the metal. When the lance is worn down, it will burn down in length as you torch, just unscrew the worn out pipe and screw on a new piece and your ready for next time. But be warned, the blowback is incredible, so wear welding gloves, long sleeved shirt, leather chaps, work boots and eye protection. I usually wear a welding helmet or cutting torch helmet when I do this job, along with safety glasses and usually put the lance through hole in a sheet of old plywood to help keep the molten slag off you. We usually do this for larger pins, frozen spindles in housings and things like that, the hardest part is get it to go straight through the piece your working on, but take seconds or at most a minute to blow through a large pin a foot long, so its fast. If this doesn't make sense, ask questions, I'll do my best to explain it better.
Hello "thepumpguysc" I am working on a seized 2" pin and saw your comment about making the penetrating oil....does it matter the type of ATF? I have been using PB blaster but heard there was much better stuff out there....I'm gonna make this and try before I have to make me a thermal lance that I just learned about. r/, Heavy Chevy
Randy88, I'm going to try making this thermal lance you described as this is the first time I have ever heard of it...watched a few Youtube videos on it and now think I can make it based on your description. If I understand correctly, I need to find a air gun nozzle and be able to attach my oxygen hose to one end and 1/8" threaded steel pipe to the other end for the lancing.
We have a thermal lance at work. Seized pins don’t stand a chance and a new pin is cheaper than farting around all day with a stuck one.
Just lanced a 1.375×13 pin out the other day with my store bought $1300 thermic lance. Awesome, it was. One of the cylinder pins on here.
I'm still working on making me a home made version ...just have to figure out what pipe I can use and design a connector for the lance end.
I'd look into using steel brake line, which is about the same as what came with my lance. The rods on mine are essentially double walled, though. And it took 5 2.5' rods to remove it all. And my lance says 80psi on the oxy regulator.
You can just look at that and know you'd never drive it out, with those long bosses on each side.
From what I saw on YouTube most of the rods had multiple wires in the core. That is the ones I could see. In one video the cutting torch was applied to the lance, not the work piece to start it burning. It looked fast and more effective compared to heating the work piece to start the burn.
I got one of these. Made short work of the stuck 4" x 4' gooseneck pivot pin on my Roger's lowboy. Darned thing can cut a car in half, or blow through concrete. The rods look like this.
Nice !!!! How many feet of lance did the lowboy rod require ? One tank of oxygen ?
Took 4 44" rods (rods can only use 36" or so). I dunno, maybe a 1/4 of my 255cf bottle. Blow through as deep as you can, switch sides, and repeat. Let cool. Tap remains out.
We use a battery charger and a piece of plate to strike the arc. It’s hard to get going and stay going but once she’s fully lit you are good could use a torch but it’d be a delicate dance to quickly shut it off and set it down while the big crowd pleaser sparkler is making it rain sparks
The one I listed is ignited by spark and comes with a striker plate. I just grab a 12v battery, the lance, and oxygen, and we're off to the races.
It looks very much as though the Arcair product is the same one that Cat sell as their 8T-7792 "Mini Torch". Special Instruction for use SEHS8923. Priced at around $600 from my dealer. I'm not sure how the two products stack up as regards what's in the box though. The Cat torch does not come with rods, that I do know.
Here's what you need to declare war on a stuck pin or just use a standard model. Broco are the same idea as the Arcair Slice torches. The Arcair work better when hooked up to a welder but can be started with a battery. https://www.broco-rankin.com/tactical/forced-entry/pctacmod1-backpack-torch-kit/ https://www.broco-rankin.com/industrial/ https://stores.ae-welding-industrial.com/broco-pc-a-20-cutting-torch-outfit-free-shipping/
Bought a used oxylance a month or two ago and finally got to use it today. Hooked it up to my welder and promptly turned a case bucket pin into a pile of molten lava in no time flat. The hardest part was waiting for it to cool enough to knock it out. I had some water but not enough to completely cool it. Definitely a great tool.
Just like a hot knife thru butter!
And now you are asking yourself "Why the heck didn't I buy one of these things years ago..?" If you ever have to remove a seized dozer equalizer bar centre pin a mini thermic lance is pretty much the only thing that will get it out. Standard size ones are too big to get in there.
You ain’t kidding
what would the oxy. pressure be set at or is it variable ?
If the Arcair/Cat torch is any guide the set oxygen pressure on the regulator depends on the diameter of rod you are using. Anything from 35-45psi for a 3/16" rod, 45-60 for 1/4", and 60-80psi for a 3/8" rod. Oxygen flow is controlled by the trigger on the rod holder.
Mine was used and didn’t come with any paperwork so I ran my oxygen at 50 psi with a 3/8” rod and had no problem burning through it but I bet 60-80 psi would have sped things up a bit.
Randy just hooked up the fittings, 1/2" black iron pipe available at any big box home improvement place. The specially designed rods try to add as much steel into the rod, pipe is just as cheap, trust me.
All the photos of lances show some sort of metal inside the rod to act as fuel. A few lengths of iron wire or rod should work just as well.
Those are thin tubes, the extra wall thickness of the pipe should make up for that. The manufacturers couldn't just use black iron pipe, or you wouldn't buy it from them. How hard are these things to start and keep running, particularly the homemade ones? I have worked with guys who could start cutting with the torch, and reach down and cut off the acetylene, and just keep cutting, but I am nowhere near that steady.
I've never used a lance, but keeping it going would be the least of my worries. When using an oxygen cutting torch, the speed is way faster than the flame can preheat. Plus the pipe itself is burning away, kind of like a sparkler.
I finally got it! I tried out my homemade lance today and burned thru it like a hot knife thru butter! Appreciate the advice.
Share your experience @Heavy Chevy Did you use @Randy88 method? How did you light it? I'm still wanting to put one together to keep on the torch cart, I just haven't gotten that far through my to-do list yet
Colson04, Yes I read all the post and gathered all the facts I could....especially from Randy88 & Hosspuller and made my own...it was easy once you find all the parts to make it. See attached pic. 1) I went to Northern Tools and bought an air gun tool 2) I went to ARC3 welding and got them to make me the connections hose to fit my O2 and the other end with the correct fittings to screw into the air gun 3) The hardest thing was finding 1/8" black iron pipe....I had to order it because no one carries it that small locally....I did manage to find a 1/8" to 3/8" reducer from ACE hardware....after getting all those pieces, I took a 5/16" drill bit and drilled down into the 3/8" end about 1/4" so as to fit snug onto the air gun extension...then I mig welded the reducer onto the air tool nozzle after unscrewing the brass tip......then I could screw the 1/8" black iron pipe to the nozzle and go to work. I set my O2 on 75 psi. I thien welded a piece of rebar onto the pin I was gonna burn, also took a piece of angle iron and cut out a section for the molten steel to drain as it came out so as not to stick to my rod......I also took a wire hanger and inserted it into the pipe for added fuel....4) I hooked my welder stick feed to the rod i welded onto the pin 5) I hooked the ground to my fuel rod and used the angle iron that I welded to the pin and my striker plate which fed directly into the spot I wanted to start the burn. You can see on the fuel rod where my ground arched a little...once started, I just unhooked the ground and let it fall to the ground while I burned the hole. I'm gonna order me some more of that 1/8" black iron pipe just to keep on hand for any future projects needing that level of cutting.
I have been saying this for years, but I have got to make one of these! Most of the air guns I've seen with removable tips have 1/8 pipe female threads, I have 6-8 laying around. I was just looking at a stuck pin today and thinking of cutting it on both sides of the cylinder eye with a Sawzall. I really ought to go ahead and do this.
Mitch504 … The key is using black pipe. Galvanized pipe will poison you with zinc fumes.
Y You can do it.....screw the brass 1/8" threaded nipple off the air gun and then take whatever size drill bit and drill down 1/4" into the black iron pipe fitting so that it slides onto your air gun nozzle....then either weld in on or JB weld it....
Why would I do that when I already have 1/8 pipe threads?
Mitch, If your black iron pipe screws into your air gun nozzle then you are good....my 1/8" female threaded end on the air extension was much smaller than the actual 1/8" black iron pipe male threads....see attached pic. That is why I had to modify the nipple to fit my device.
HeavyChevy … A few questions on your lance.. How big of a hole did 1/8 pipe make in a 2 inch pin ? Looks about one inch from pic. What was the length of the pin? What was the starting length of the pipe and how much was left ? Did you have to torch anymore after piercing the pin ? How much effort did it take to drive the pin out ? PS.. your guide with the slag drain hole was genius. I'll remember that.
Hosspuller, the hole size was approx 3/4"...maybe little smaller....I would measure but I'm not at the shop (1hr away), pin length was 13", I had a 5' section of pipe, no torching after.....I already had my press set up attached to the device....so pressing it out then was not much effort at all finally. NOTE: I immediately drenched the hole (Pin) with water to rapidly cool it...amazingly it did shrink enough to remove it as others have stated. lol.....You like that all in one guide/slag drain/and don't forget striker plate.....worked like a champ!
I started with 5' length and probably burned 3' off.
Welp, I don't really have a need for a lance but it kinda feels like I'll be making one sometime... Thanks for the instructions, y'all!
I have a couple of Broco lance kits both given to me years ago. They are slick but expensive to use if purchasing their consumables. I too use black pipe when the process is needed and you better suit up well to not get burnt badly. I've not raced motorcycles since 1975 but still wear my leathers when burning pins out.
When suiting up to burn with any lance, don't forget earplugs. It doesn't take a very large berry to burn through your ear drum. The wound will be cauterized, there will be no recovery of any hearing at all in that ear. Words of wisdom from someone else, thank goodness.
I'd agree with you but suggest that earmuffs would be even better. I saw the result once of a berry that melted an earplug and although the ear drum wasn't touched it made a helluva mess of the rest of the outer ear.