TIL an old timer was right about using a heat gun on a stripped bolt

I was fighting a seized bolt on a Cessna 172 flap track for over an hour. This retired mechanic, Frank, walked by and told me to hit it with the heat gun for a solid minute, not just a quick blast. I thought he was nuts, but I tried it. The bolt came right out with a normal wrench after that. Has anyone else got a good trick for dealing with corrosion in tight spots?

3 comments

3 Comments

jaderamirez1mo ago

Yeah, I read somewhere that the heat breaks the corrosion bond way better than just brute force. What do you use to keep things from seizing up again after you get them apart?

mark6761mo ago

An hour on one bolt. I would have thrown the wrench through a window.

stone.jesse25d ago

Yeah I mean an hour sucks but is it really that big of a deal? I've definitely had bolts that took me that long and yeah you get a little frustrated but it's not like I'm hurling tools around the garage. @mark676 I think you might be overreacting a bit. Sometimes you just gotta accept that the bolt is winning and take a break rather than getting all worked up. Plus once you get it off and hit it with some anti-seize that thing will spin off like butter next time.