Brazing rods? Alternative use?

SipMerlin150 · Mar 17, 2012

I've just had a brain wave....

People use acetylene torch's to heat stiff/seized bolts to expand and release them.... Now i need to replace a few droplinks on my car, and i have no access or skill to use oxy-fuel safely...

Can i use brazing rods to 'arc heat' up bolts to loosen them ?

Just a thought... :whistle:

Fazerruss · Mar 17, 2012

Do you mean the carbon arc rods used in one of those guns which brings them together until an arc flame is created? If so then yes, a friend of mine uses them all the time
to warm stuff up for bending, loosening ect.

Dont forget to disconnect the battery on the car though.

Lawnmowerboy · Mar 17, 2012

And the alternater, i had the diodes go pop on a corsa i was welding once, thankfully it was having a heart transplant the next day!

mmm vauxhall red top

MarkMG · Mar 17, 2012

I abuse my tig welder for similar purposes!!!

SipMerlin150 · Mar 17, 2012

Fazerruss said:
Do you mean the carbon arc rods used in one of those guns which brings them together until an arc flame is created? If so then yes, a friend of mine uses them all the time
to warm stuff up for bending, loosening ect.

Dont forget to disconnect the battery on the car though.

Yep! Carbon arc rods, they have black carbon tips on the tip.

Thats good to know i can use them rather than gas cylinders

SipMerlin150 · Mar 17, 2012

lawnmowerboy said:
And the alternater, i had the diodes go pop on a corsa i was welding once, thankfully it was having a heart transplant the next day!

mmm vauxhall red top

Yep, will remember to disconnect the battery also if i find the ecu, i will disconnect that also.

Any brand of carbon rods recommended?

Can i also cut metal with these too?

drivewasher · Mar 17, 2012

Why do you need to heat drop links? There not taper fit usually and the threads almost always turn. I use a ricipro saw, mole grips, alan and torx bits (some have an allen key or torx key hole in end of threads) Most used on slippery suckers is a 115mm angle grinder and slitting discs to remove the nut.

Also any stress related components that show signs of exessive heat will fail an MoT