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Old 04-20-2022, 07:39 AM   #1
RipNC
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Jam nuts on slide ram stuck

Need to adjust the kitchen (ODS) slide out a 1/4" and the jam nut is frozen to the adjusting nut. Tried penetrating oil and short of spilling my guts on the concrete I can't get those nuts apart. Can't see any "loctite" signs. Anyone else had this issue or know of a solution?

May try some heat (heatgun) later today. Only one of my wrenches is long so getting good opposing leverage isn't easy (having had double hernia I know my limits).
 
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Old 04-20-2022, 07:41 AM   #2
DadsHemi
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Can you get a pipe wrench on it with a cheater bar at the end of the pipe wrench.
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Old 04-20-2022, 07:50 AM   #3
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If I can scrounge up a piece of pipe to use I will add that to my things to try list. I watched the Lippert video and the mock up slide had nice shiny nuts barely hand tight - not exactly "real world"...
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Old 04-20-2022, 08:13 AM   #4
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If you can get an impact wrench on it that WILL get it off.
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Old 04-20-2022, 09:03 AM   #5
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Torch it for a few seconds, then cheaters on your wrenches.
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Old 04-20-2022, 09:19 AM   #6
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I have no torch here (back in shed in FL), do you think a heat gun will do anything? I think the one I have here gets to 1,300 degrees.
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Old 04-20-2022, 10:05 AM   #7
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If you only have one long wrench, might be a good idea to just purchase or borrow a second one.
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Old 04-20-2022, 10:28 AM   #8
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Most of our friends haven't returned for the season yet so Beth (aka the admiral or DW) just headed off to the big orange store to pickup another wrench (actually a set of 5 more large wrenches). Hopefully heat and the long wrenches will do it. The 10" against 14" was hard to get even pressure. A friend also suggested brake cleaner in case the is some thread locker that I just can't see, though I doubt they take the time to do that in the factory).

Already got the slide out to where it needs to be, so I have thread showing on both sides of these nuts.
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Old 04-20-2022, 10:36 AM   #9
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I’m sure you know this already, but make sure you are loosening instead of tightening
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Old 04-20-2022, 10:51 AM   #10
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If it doesn't have to be done right away just keep putting the penetrating solvent to it. That stuff is good but doesn't work real fast. If your heat gun gets to 1300 that is probably as good as a torch just not as fast.
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Old 04-20-2022, 11:33 AM   #11
Dave W
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Just for kicks, make sure that you don't have "left" hand threads on that rod. It's been years ago but IIRC, our then SOB had some of those surprises on the Lippert rack and pinion slide mechanism
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Old 04-20-2022, 11:35 AM   #12
Carl n Susan
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I just had mine apart last month and they are right hand (normal) threads.
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Old 04-20-2022, 11:57 AM   #13
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I always check when applying penetrating oil on horizontal threads and favor the side where the thread. Will direct oil toward the nut (keeps me turning the wrenches the right way too). Still waiting for second wrench set to arrive - apparently there was other shopping involved...
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Old 04-20-2022, 02:22 PM   #14
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Finally!

Heatgun appeared to have zero effect, got my new wrenches and tried 2 big wrenches and still no joy. Tried brake cleaner and let sit, no joy. More PB Blaster, no joy.

Well, I remembered a trick taught to me by the late Fred Hecklinger (Fred forgot more about boats and rigging than most will know and I had the pleasure to sail and race with him in my youth). Behold the spanish windlass (it actually worked!). 3 loops of 1/2" 3 strand thru the box end of each wrench, add lever and crank!

Thanks for all the input!
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Old 04-20-2022, 04:07 PM   #15
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Rip, I am unclear of what you did here. Since it may be useful in the future, can you elaborate??
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Old 04-20-2022, 04:26 PM   #16
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To lever the two opposing wrenches together (so they are going opposite directions). I took a piece of rope and ran it thru each box end of the two wrenches, I was able to make 3 loops and then drew the loops taught and tied the two ends (simple square knot). Now having three loops I inserted my lever (I used a wooden handled hammer) between the loops (so 3 lines on either side of my lever). Then I simple turned the hammer to twist the lines which in turn shortened the loops drawing the 2 wrenches together. This creates a lot of tension on the line so a good strong line is important (thickness isn't important except that thicker line requires less turns to tighten it).

I found a photo of one (single loop) being used in a boat building project (much easier to visualise than the pic Beth shot while I was working it):
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Old 04-20-2022, 05:14 PM   #17
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With your second pic and explanation - I can see the 2nd wrench in your first pic. Genius idea! I did not know it was called a Spanish windlass.
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Old 04-20-2022, 05:31 PM   #18
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Like all good ideas the spanish probably got from someone else. I was probably a teen when I was taught the method while we were doing some sort of repair to my father's skipjack back in Annapolis and Fred probably said "now this is the way we used to do it"). Necessity is the mother of invention (and I don't care for any more hernia surgeries).
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Old 04-20-2022, 09:33 PM   #19
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Just for your info as well as others following this. Never tighten the cylinder rod nuts on both sides of the bracket tight to the bracket, but leave a space like you had to start with. The space between the nuts is there for a reason, the cylinder has more stroke than your slide has physical movement.
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Old 04-21-2022, 06:09 AM   #20
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Dieselguy - roger that! I did a lot of research before tackling this project. Watched Lippert's video and I downloaded their guide for adjusting the slides. Recommend anyone tackling slide adjustment do the same. Just don't expect it to be as easy as the mock up slide in the Lippert video!

In my case, I didn't need any adjustment of the inward closed position so I never touched the end nut. I just needed the slide out another 5/16 of an inch. The two inside nuts (nut and jam nut that control the outward push) being stuck was just one of those things that seems to pop up when you start a project.

Another point - as the windlass gradually drew the wrenches together and I could see movement, I kept adding PB Blaster. Once the nuts separated they had to be worked and sprayed a bit before they would turn normally with a wrench.
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