I have decided to upgrade my oil boiler piping from 1" to 1-1/4 my proplem is getting the 1-1/2" to 1" reducing bushing out of my burnham oil burner. Does anyone have any good ideas I have tried a 3' pipe wreanch with no luck.
removing a reducing bushing
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Sawzall the bushing into a series of pie shaped pieces from the one inch hole to the edge - be very patient - do not cut so far that you cut into the threads of the tapping
then -take a punch and hammer and knock out at least one of the pie shapes and crush the rest slightly into the voided space to loosen the rust purchase of the threads
Screw out the remainder
Next time but a 4 inch nipple the same size as the tapping in first then place a reducing COUPLING on that nipple to the size you want
Also when plugging a tapping - place a nipple in the tapping and cap the nipple
I have sawed out to many of these debacles - nipples can be crushed with a pipe wrench and will come out far easier.
then -take a punch and hammer and knock out at least one of the pie shapes and crush the rest slightly into the voided space to loosen the rust purchase of the threads
Screw out the remainder
Next time but a 4 inch nipple the same size as the tapping in first then place a reducing COUPLING on that nipple to the size you want
Also when plugging a tapping - place a nipple in the tapping and cap the nipple
I have sawed out to many of these debacles - nipples can be crushed with a pipe wrench and will come out far easier.
Heat
carefully try a torch heat it as slowly as possible get it good and hot and then try your three footer.
carefully try a torch heat it as slowly as possible get it good and hot and then try your three footer.Heat is the way. Get it hot and put your pipe wrench on it. Hit the wrench with a sledge-hammer. The heat and the shock should loosen it.
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The saw trick can work, but try heat and vibration/shock first, since the saw trick can also damage the threads and ruin the boiler.
Whack the flat of the bushing with a framing hammer. Firm, like driving a nail, not hard like you were trying to smash something. The idea is to break the bits of rust free. You can try the wrench at that point, and it may work. If not, put a torch to it for a minute, then try the wrench on it. If it doesn't work, wait until it cools (you can help it with some water - it's not going to crack the block or anything, if you don't have it red hot), then try the hammer and then the wrench.
If it still doesn't work, the saw is probably the way to go.
Or just put in a close nipple and a reducing coupling to get back up to the size you want. Unless you are right at the edge of your pump's performance curve, a very short section of 1" pipe is not going to create so much friction as to prevent proper flow.
Joe
Whack the flat of the bushing with a framing hammer. Firm, like driving a nail, not hard like you were trying to smash something. The idea is to break the bits of rust free. You can try the wrench at that point, and it may work. If not, put a torch to it for a minute, then try the wrench on it. If it doesn't work, wait until it cools (you can help it with some water - it's not going to crack the block or anything, if you don't have it red hot), then try the hammer and then the wrench.
If it still doesn't work, the saw is probably the way to go.
Or just put in a close nipple and a reducing coupling to get back up to the size you want. Unless you are right at the edge of your pump's performance curve, a very short section of 1" pipe is not going to create so much friction as to prevent proper flow.
Joe
If you heat just the bushing itself to red heat if possible, then let it cool, completely, it may come out. If not, and you are not thoroughly confident in you skill with a sawsall, use a hack saw blade in a little blade holder. You may need to make only one cut, then use the punch or chisel to colapse it even a small amount, and it should unscrew.
I don't think I'd use a framing hammer. Use a ball peen hammer.
You can try hitting the flat of the fitting after heating it with a ball peen hammer and punch. I've done that many times. It concentrates the force with shock.
You can try hitting the flat of the fitting after heating it with a ball peen hammer and punch. I've done that many times. It concentrates the force with shock.
You can always use what we call a "cheater". Put a pipe wrench on the fitting, take a longer piece of pipe, like 1 1/2" or some size that fits over the wrench. Slip that pipe over the wrench as an extension. If you use a long enough cheater, you can move anything.
chuck172 said:
Yeah, but I've found that most people these days have framing hammers, not ball peen hammers.
Just didn't want him using a sledge - if some firm tapping won't free it, hitting it with a sledge won't, either (except by damaging the threads in the boiler block).
chuck172 said:
Or snap the pipe wrench
Joe
The old boiler I bought needed a 4 ft cheater on my 24" pipe wrench to get the 1.5" bushing out. I had tapped and torched, had to stand on the cheater, no bouncing needed though.
I got it out, heated around the bushing a little, sprayed some PB Buster on it and tapped my pipe wrench with a hammer a couple of times. I let it sit like that for a couple hours. I then put my wrench back on it and tapped it again and it started to move and the rest is history. Now time to put it back together.
THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP GUYS
THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP GUYS
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