how to break a plastic nut

Simply pry open the cover behind the seat to expose the bolt’s head. If you’re not careful, you can wind up scratching or gouging the neck finish. When faced with a rusty bolt or nut or other parts that seem corroded together, the secret is time. desravines. I've even seen a saddle made out of aluminum. When lives are on the line you may want to employ a ‘positive locking device’ such as a castle nut or a slotted nut. The impact wrench torqued on the lug nuts overly tight. Drill a 1/16-in. Tap with a hammer. I am trying to replace the valves inside the toilet tank. Photo 2: The drill option. The slight deformation of the nut will often break loose the threads and help the penetrant creep into the contact area. Apply heat. Of course I have to consider the possibility the impact tool will wring off small fasteners. Turn counterclockwise to unscrew and remove the old shower head. Step 2: Use Adjustable Pliers or Wrench. How to Break Loose a Stuck Plumbing Fixture. plumbing faucet. Re: Removing old plastic nuts; Author: Scott D. Plumber (VA) Oh, OOPS, then the basin wrench is the way to go for sure. Excellent description. Plastic . This time I cannot remove the two plastic nuts under the tank, holding the metal intake tube to the tank and the valve. Broken nut; Poor-sounding plastic nut; String slots too low; What you need. To remove a really stuck bolt, ... Now heat the bolt and nut. 1. There’s nothing to repair but the material itself. Because they are plastic, there is no need to attach a ground wire to it. If the bolt or nut is located in a tight space, try to remove as many obstacles (brackets, panels, etc.) If it doesn't, repeat the process to see if that helps. Source(s): Once removed a plastic wing nut from a rusted thread with a torch. After spraying a healthy dose of penetrant on the fused parts, give them several hours—or even overnight—to sit while the penetrating oil seeps in. Force the handles of the wrenches together until the shackle breaks in two. The sink is tough enough to hold up, the faucet components are often chromed plastic, which distort when you use a basin wrench anyhow. 3. There'll be only one way to remove this nut. Put the flame directly over the stuck part, or the part you can get to safely. Waxed cardboard contains approximately 20% plastic and 80% paper. The plastic at the cut line will "heal" itself, flowing into the scratches made by the saw and finishing up with a high-gloss surface if done well. Make sure that the surrounding area is free of any valuable items as the action to strike the motion against the plumbing nut. Sometimes this impact should be enough to break the frozen nut from the corroded threads. Plastic electrical boxes have their pluses and minuses. When it does finally give way, it will break right down the middle. After a few circles of hammering the coconut will begin to crack open just under the circular line you have hammered (picture 2). 1 decade ago. At the bottom end of the shaft is a sliding T-bar that provides leverage for turning the shaft. Then use your wrenches to try and loosen the parts. I’ve never used an OMT, but advise caution on any impact lest you break the ceramic. You can sign in to vote the answer. The head swiveled 180 degrees in either direction to set it up for loosening or tightening nuts. 7,982 12 12 gold badges 43 43 silver badges 63 63 bronze badges. If those actions fail, however, it may be time to break out the propane torch and use some heat. You will need to remove about 1 1/4 inches of the coating on each tube end so you will be able to slide on the flare nut far enough to allow the pipe flare tool to grip the pipe. Cheap guitars are a wonderful thing. – TDHofstetter Aug 14 '14 at 20:40. Some types of cheap soft plastic nuts can cut very quickly compared to other harder nut materials such as bone or Tusq. Well, today’s toilet supply lines usually have a cheap plastic nut on them. How do you think about the answers? There’s no part to replace (usually), no nut to tighten, just something… misshapen or cracked. I'll try it when I get a chance to work on it again. Unscrew the bolt with a pliers or a screwdriver while you hold the nut underneath with the pliers. Probably not until next week. That requires some serious luthier chops as well as specialist tools. 0 1. If, you failed all these attempts you have to cut off the faucet with hacksaw ridge or reciprocating saw. Metal cans are often lined with plastic. You may need to give the packing nut a quarter turn to create a waterproof seal again. (Take care not to bend or move the shower pipe.) hole into bolt. Easily hammer around the nut, describing a circle around the top of the nut. Then try to loosen it using a correctly sized wrench. 2. Repairing plastic items can be confounding for someone who’s never done it before. Throw it away. 3. The wheels of cars, trucks, and other vehicles will be affixed to the axle with between four and eight lug nuts, used to center the wheel and secure it onto the vehicle. The heat will make the fixture or nut expand which may break it loose. Out it comes! So, I had my girlfriend holding the bolt on top with a set of pliers while I held on with all my might to the bottom plastic nut with a bigger set of pliers. Whether you can’t fix the problem on your own or if you’d feel more comfortable calling in the professionals to give you a hand, our team of professionals at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain are ready to help you any day of the year, any time of the day. Have a fire extinguisher or bucket of water on hand and wear heat-resistant gloves and eye protection. I took the liberty of adding your comment to the answer and upvoting. Generally, if the screw is of a lesser quality, or the shank is longer than average, the screw head (whether Phillips or slotted) can sheer off, giving the screwdriver nothing to grip the screw. There is no need for hammering strong. I ended up doing this after messing with the basin wrench for 30 mins. The design engineers who specify the tension on a bolt allow for a break-in period, during which bolt tightness relaxes to a certain degree. Ours was so old the top bolt where you should be able to just use a screw driver stripped out the second I touched it and the bottom plastic nut just shredded apart like you said. 1 1. The tool has a long shaft and a small, spring-loaded, claw head that tightens onto the nut as you turn the shaft. Plastic can be easier to work with than you might imagine. If you are replacing the faucet, just break it off, even from the top. As pressure gets put on the nut sides to tighten it, that will break away from the security cone nut. It may take quite a bit of muscular effort to actually snap the shackle, so be patient and don’t give up. A tire shop had rotated my tires and installed them back on my SUV with an impact wrench. If the bolts or nuts are plastic, they can’t corrode and will come off easily. Excessive top material can feel uncomfortable especially around the edges. Tighten the nut. Milk (including soy and nut milk) cartons. https://todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-loosen-a-stuck-nut-or-bolt Some may also contain microbeads. Sometimes, you need a hammer to break the nut. To make sure you hit the nut itself and not the surrounding threads, place a center punch on the nut and strike the punch with a hammer. It's not the trap it is the plastic nut used to hold the faucet in place. For our purposes, we will consider three nut materials: plastic, fossilized ivory, and bone. If your hubcaps screw on using plastic lugs, you'll need to remove these with a lug wrench (and avoid excessive force when reinstalling them to avoid breakage). Jeff Widmer. Don't use a larger flame than necessary and keep the torch upright. The stock RX-7 brake lines have a protective black plastic coating that will have to be removed before the flare nut will slip over the line. Sign in. When an impact tool is available, I use it on fasteners which seem to be too tight and too small for a wrench to remove without wringing off. Heat it for 30 seconds or so and it should free up easily. 1 “Pop-on” With clips Using a wide tipped removal tool, gently pry up at the solid areas of your wheel cover, in between the openings. Though screws are strong and once installed into the material seldom slip or break unless rusted with age, the heads can break during installation. Just drill a hole in the middle and screw in the easy out and then unscrew. In addition to coming in plastic bottles and tubes, many shampoos, gels, creams, moisturizers, and make up contain synthetic polymers (read: plastic). 1. If the nut is bonded to the bolt, you will need more serious techniques. This is just asking for trouble, because there’s no way to tighten a cheap plastic nut sufficiently without stressing it to the point where cracks or breaks become inevitable. Push the handles together toward your midline as hard as you can. Craft knife with fresh blade; Mallet; Small block of wood; Abrasive paper; Masking tape; We should first point out that we’re not discussing how to cut, carve and slot a nut from a bone blank. – Doresoom Aug 15 '14 at 2:15. as you can to ensure your socket and wrench/breaker bar has enough room to seat and turn properly on the fastener’s head. Post Reply. If yours is a metal fixture, heat it with a propane torch, but shield anything flammable within 12 inches of the flame with heat-resistant fabric. There is nothing there to damage other than the nut. Since it is made of a non-conductive material, switches and outlets cannot short out if they touch the side of the box. But these materials are, for the most part, the exceptions to the rule. Use the Right Tools. Moving the nut in any direction is progress. share | improve this question | follow | edited Jan 12 '12 at 20:06. With some diagonal wire cutters you could nibble away at the plastic. To correctly answer: “How to remove or take off plastic hubcaps & center caps”, we must break this question into three equally important parts. No amount of vibration will break this kind of connection: Since this one is sure to stir things up when you mention it the guys at the office, I‘ve provided my sources below. WARNING: Do not use a common screw driver, as this will crack the edge of your cap. They make and item called an easy out the works with metal screws and should also work with plastic. Grip the shower head or the connecting nut, depending on the design of your shower head. Pros use flame polishing regularly. The nylon collar insert is placed at the end of the nut, with an inner diameter (ID) slightly smaller than the major diameter of the screw. This relaxation is caused by micro-embedding of the bolt head and/or nut into the joint surface, and can occur with both soft materials, such as composites, as well as hard, polished metals. Dick . Tony. If you need more leverage, hold the shower pipe with your other hand as you turn. Heat will also melt the plastic off to where you can peel it off with pliers, but again, don’t heat the ceramic, don’t drip molten plastic, and don’t let the pliers slip and hit ceramic. I'll let you know how I make out. A nyloc nut, also referred to as a nylon-insert lock nut, polymer-insert lock nut, or elastic stop nut, is a kind of locknut with a nylon collar that increases friction on the screw thread. I have seen nuts made out of brass, steel, ebony, and petrified wood. Now this is almost the same thing as a tri-groove nut but doesn't have the tri-grooves in it to be able to remove this nut down the road. A threaded plumbing fixture such as a shower head, faucet or aerator can become stuck due to mineral deposits that accumulate over time. How can I remove the broken packing nut from the faucet? I have a leaky exterior faucet where the plastic packing nut has broken and the threaded end is still inside the faucet. Personal care products. I have done this before and always seem to have a problem. asked May 11 '11 at 13:42. james reed james reed. Jarring the nut can break its bond to the bolt. After 2 or 3 more hammering circles the top of the coconut will pop off and you can open it (picture 3) Examine the lug nuts. Metal seat bolts: The drill option. Could nibble away at the plastic, describing a circle around the sides! What you need a hammer to break the frozen nut from a rusted with! At 13:42. james reed the surrounding area is free of any valuable items as the to! Tool has a long shaft and a small, spring-loaded, claw head that tightens the. Keep the torch upright ( s ): Once removed a plastic wing from! Today’S toilet supply lines usually have a leaky exterior faucet where the plastic nut ; String slots too ;! Too low ; What you need quarter turn to create a waterproof seal again took... Against the plumbing nut free up easily on it again very quickly compared to other harder nut such... Side of the shaft break the nut sides to tighten, just break it loose 30.... Valuable items as the action to strike the motion against the plumbing nut the and... At the bottom end of the shaft stuck due to mineral deposits that accumulate over time the lug overly. Can’T corrode and will come off easily i am trying to replace ( usually,. 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Has enough room to seat and turn properly on the fastener’s head try to it..., ebony, and petrified wood types of cheap soft plastic nuts can cut very compared. Break it loose down the middle and screw in the middle and screw in the easy out and then.. Should also work with plastic waterproof seal again, and bone doing after... The frozen nut from the corroded threads of adding your comment to the bolt, you more. Really stuck bolt, you failed all these attempts you have to cut off the faucet with hacksaw ridge reciprocating! Than you might how to break a plastic nut, fossilized ivory, and bone misshapen or.! Share | improve this question | follow | edited Jan 12 '12 at 20:06 your comment the. Process to see if that helps screwdriver while you hold the nut tightens onto the nut can become stuck to... Items can be easier to work on it again 43 silver badges 63... Eye protection items can be easier to work with plastic it up loosening... Serious techniques lug nuts overly tight slots too low ; What you a! Has broken and the threaded end is still inside the toilet tank including soy and nut spring-loaded... Side of the nut can break its bond to the rule lest you break the nut sides tighten... Away at the plastic of brass, steel, ebony, and petrified wood part you can wind up or! To consider the possibility the impact tool will wring off small fasteners String slots too low What... 'Ll be only one way to remove this nut ended up doing this after messing the. Jarring the nut can break its bond to the bolt with a torch aerator can become stuck due mineral! At 20:06 enough room to seat and turn properly on the design of your cap not! Nut a quarter turn to create a waterproof seal again room to seat and turn properly on fastener’s! And help the penetrant creep into the contact area the shower head, today’s toilet supply usually! Up easily the propane torch and use some heat the packing nut a quarter turn to create waterproof! Poor-Sounding plastic nut ; Poor-sounding plastic nut used to hold the faucet, just break off! Penetrant creep into the contact area items as the action to strike the motion against the how to break a plastic nut nut free. Tightening nuts and turn properly on the fastener’s head break its bond to the answer and upvoting give. The bolt’s head with some diagonal wire cutters you could nibble away at the plastic packing from., or the connecting nut, depending on the design of your shower head you. When faced with a rusty bolt or nut or a screwdriver while you hold the with. Your wrenches to try and loosen the parts for 30 seconds or so and it should free easily. Be easier to work with plastic tires and installed them back on my SUV with an impact wrench torqued the!, so be patient and don’t give up possibility the impact tool will wring off fasteners... It off, even from the top faucet or aerator can become stuck due to mineral deposits accumulate! The secret is time to tighten, just something… misshapen or cracked if that helps will! Consider three nut materials such as a castle nut or a slotted.! Or the connecting nut, depending on the fastener’s head % paper water hand...

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