Removing a set screw that doesn't want to budge?

[Badfish740]

I have a logsplitter that I am going to put up for sale but first I need to swap out the engine. It's a Briggs and Stratton I/C (the kind with the cast iron sleeve-totally rebuildable) so I want to put it on my new splitter. In order to seperate the pump and engine I need to remove the Lovejoy coupling from the shaft so that the pump mount will come off. The set screw on the Lovejoy just won't budge-I soaked it with PB Blaster yesterday, tapped and tapped and tapped, then soaked it overnight, tried again this morning (amazing what you find yourself doing after a baby wakes you up at 4:30 a.m. :lol-no dice. Should I just say the hell with it and stick an EZ-Out in there? I really don't care if I ruin the coupling-they're a dime a dozen. I thought about heating it with with a torch, but the thing is covered with hydraulic oil, the gas tank is close by, and there would be no way to keep the shaft itself cool in the process-the pump mount is aluminum also which could be bad. Any ideas?

 

[ironpony]

I would let it soak today and try again this evening.
I would also find a left handed drill bit to drill it out before trying the e-z out.
usually while drilling the vibration and grabbing of the drill bit spin it out
if it does not there will be enough material removed the e-z out will work better
if you try the e-z out first and break itit will make the job tougher

 

[kettensäge]

What are you using to try and turn it?
T handles are better than "L" keys and a male hex drive for a ratchet is even better.

I would bet there is Loctite on it.



Can you clean off the oil and remove the gas tank in order to apply some heat?

 

[hemlock]

Try a bit of heat on the coupling surrounding the screw. Sometimes that's all it takes to free them up.

 

[lukem]

I would let it soak today and try again this evening.
I would also find a left handed drill bit to drill it out before trying the e-z out.
usually while drilling the vibration and grabbing of the drill bit spin it out
if it does not there will be enough material removed the e-z out will work better
if you try the e-z out first and break itit will make the job tougher

+1 on trying to drill it out before using an EZ out. If you break one of them off it gets ugly quick. If you aren't worried about the coupling, and sounds like you aren't, that would be my next move if the penetrating oil doesn't work.

 

[smoke show]

Try a bit of heat on the coupling surrounding the screw. Sometimes that's all it takes to free them up.

yep, usually don't take much.

 

[ssupercoolss]

heat it. i really dont believe "penetrating oil" penetrates. i deal with these love joys all the time.

 

[smokinj]

I have a set of allen wrenchs with T handles... Pb blaster over night works every time!

 

[cygnus]

Heat it +1

 

[WES999]

Don't use an EZ out, it will probable break and it won't be EZ to get it out!
Kroil penetrating oil works well, smell nice too.
The left hand drill is a good method.
Another idea is try one of the impact tools that you hit with a hammer, the shock and turning force applied at the same tome, often will do the trick.

 

[DAKSY]

I'd use an impact driver, the type you use a hammer on.
The cost is about $25, & I bet you'll find other uses for it.
Back when I was rebuilding VC model stoves, it came in
REAL handy for loosening BOTH Philips & hex head screws,
& I used it a LOT.

 

[peakbagger]

A lot of set screws on couplings are put in with locktite. There are different varieties incuding "stud and bearing mount". Generally heat is required to get the stuff to break down. Even if there isnt lockite heat is going to break loose a lot of frozen bolts. A set of left handed cobalt drill bits is the next step. It is very important to get the drill bit centered and work your way up from a small bit to large bit. Usually you can use a chisel to collapse it in on itself when the drill diamter is getting close to the thread ID. Do note if you break a cobalt drill bit, its darn near impossible to get out except with a grinder or EDM.

 

[boatboy63]

Impact is a good thing. If nothing else, get an allen wrench that is made into a socket, remove the socket part and use the allen bit to "shock" it a couple times with a hammer. This sudden shock will help to break it loose. Second option...If you are afraid of using a torch, get a heat gun and apply heat to the area. A heat gun can possibly get it hot enough. There is a coil inside it that will heat and turn red, but it isn't nearly as dangerous as an open flame. Wouldn't surprise me if it had blue locktite on it. Also keep in mind, a true setscrew has like a knurled surface on the end of the screw. This knurl is designed to bite into the metal you are tightening against to help keep it tight.

 

[Dune]

I get confused easily.

Why do you have to take the lovejoy coupling off? Can't you just unbolt either the pump or the engine?

 

[Badfish740]

I get confused easily.

Why do you have to take the lovejoy coupling off? Can't you just unbolt either the pump or the engine?

The way this particular mount works is you first install the mount by sliding it over the shaft (the hole for the shaft is only slightly bigger than the shaft itself), bolt the mount to the engine, and then install the engine side of the Lovejoy-the mount is similar to this one:

(broken image removed)

The Lovejoy of course is larger than the hole for the shaft so it acts as a stop which prevents one from removing the mount until it comes off. I'm just going to drill it-Lovejoys are pretty cheap.

 

[btuser]

heat it. i really dont believe "penetrating oil" penetrates. i deal with these love joys all the time.

Bite your tongue! PB Blaster is Nector of the Gods!