Reply To: Transom Clamp Bolts REALLY Frozen

[billw]

Sometimes, if you heat and cool, heat and cool a few times it can be enough to get things moving a bit. If it does start to tun slightly, just gently work it back and forth, in bigger and bigger arcs. Do not heat it burning hot and then try to turn it, or the threads might gall. Then you will definitely be drilling it out. On aluminum, I like CRC 6-56 for a penetrant. Drilling may be required and is probably the fastest way, anyway; however, if you’re not working against a clock, heat might be worth the try. The good news is, if drilling happens, at least the tap to clean out the threads is found in most standard tap and die sets. If you had an 18 or a 40, you’d be hunting down a larger tap.

Long live American manufacturing!