Help replacing 9 inch post hole auger cutting edge

[fried1765]

50/50 mix of ATF and acetone is the best 'penetrating/loosening oil' according to a study done 3+ decades ago. It beat out all the commercial products.
It'd be best to 'soak' the whole head in a bucket of 50/50 mix for 2-3 days. Swirl/move it around few times a day.

That does work,......but the issue there is that Acetone evaporates VERY rapidly, and you are left with ATF ONLY.
"Kroil" is a proven commercial product, that is expensive, but does the job VERY well!
An ATF/Acetone mix is the "poor man's" Kroil.

 

[fried1765]

You're worried about the threads after you just drilled the head off?

Drilling several small holes along the threads of the bolt will help to drive it out.

The heads of those bolts are NOT threaded!
No threads would actually be damaged by drilling only the heads off.
So......the factory used threaded bolts,.....but, the threads are actually superfluous?

 

[Soopitup]

The heads of those bolts are NOT threaded!
No threads would actually be damaged by drilling only the heads off.
So......the factory used threaded bolts,.....but, the threads are actually superfluous?

Pretty sure the threads are there for the nut on the other side......

 

[MOOTS]

WD40 doesn't work as well as penetrating oil

It displaces water like nobody’s business though!

 

[manwe967]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Consensus seems to be that I need an acetylene torch to heat it up. For now I am going to just get a replacement for the whole auger bit (new cutting edges included). It will set me back about an extra $140, but it will get me moving again. In the meantime, I'm going to work on getting the cutting edges off the other auger bit, then have it around as a backup/replacement or maybe just sell it to recoup some of the loss later. I know a guy who has a metal shop, so I'm going to take the old one in and see if he can help with the torch.

Also, on the new auger I'm going to try to pull those bolts while they are new and put them back so hopefully they won't be so tough to replace once they have been in the weather and used. Not too worried about them coming off. I can keep an eye on them and it wouldn't be a major catastrophe if the cutting edges got loose periodically and had to be tightened. Probably just more annoying than anything.

 

[fried1765]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Consensus seems to be that I need an acetylene torch to heat it up. For now I am going to just get a replacement for the whole auger bit (new cutting edges included). It will set me back about an extra $140, but it will get me moving again. In the meantime, I'm going to work on getting the cutting edges off the other auger bit, then have it around as a backup/replacement or maybe just sell it to recoup some of the loss later. I know a guy who has a metal shop, so I'm going to take the old one in and see if he can help with the torch.

Also, on the new auger I'm going to try to pull those bolts while they are new and put them back so hopefully they won't be so tough to replace once they have been in the weather and used. Not too worried about them coming off. I can keep an eye on them and it wouldn't be a major catastrophe if the cutting edges got loose periodically and had to be tightened. Probably just more annoying than anything.

Use "Never Seize" when you put those bolts back in!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

If you don't plan on using the auger for say a month or more, remove the bolts/nuts/cutting edges. Maybe it's a not 'necessary' but for sure a lot easier than the nightmare you have now....
Plan 'B' would be to keep the entire 'heed' in a pail of oil, after cleaning all the dirt/mud off/out of it.
one of those 'ounce of prevention' deals ...

I actually clean, polish then lightly paint the moldboards of my plows after fall use, Come Spring,mount and 2-3 rows later, super shiny and sods rolls over great.

 

[GeoHorn]

50/50 mix of ATF and acetone is the best 'penetrating/loosening oil' according to a study done 3+ decades ago. It beat out all the commercial products.
It'd be best to 'soak' the whole head in a bucket of 50/50 mix for 2-3 days. Swirl/move it around few times a day.

That would likely be Type A or Type F … possibly Mercon… Maybe Dexron I or II…..

Mil-Spec H5606E would likely be best….

 

[DustyRusty]

50/50 mix of ATF and acetone is the best 'penetrating/loosening oil' according to a study done 3+ decades ago. It beat out all the commercial products.
It'd be best to 'soak' the whole head in a bucket of 50/50 mix for 2-3 days. Swirl/move it around few times a day.

A lot has changed in the last 3+ decades. Some of us have gotten smarter, and some of the products today have been invented by smarter people that work better than the products recommended 3+ decades ago. I believe that you are one of those smarter people, and some people are still as dumb as a box of rocks after 3+ decades.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Well I'm smart enough to not BUY a product when I have 20 gallons of acetone here as well as 10-12 quarts of ATF that I can't use( no chevies anymore.....). '50/50' has worked fine for me and it's free. Also have 5 cases of 10W40 CDN quarts...needing a use...

 

[Henro]

It looks like the bolt heads are recessed and the nuts are down in holes so not so accessible.

What I probably would do is drill maybe three holes through the nuts into the bolts. Then use a larger drill to make the two outside holes larger. Finally MAYBE try to make the center hole larger if it remained intact.

This would relieve a lot of grip between the nut and the bolt. Probably then heat the nut if necessary and hope things broke loose.

Just the shoemaker approach...

 

[GreensvilleJay]

It'd be pretty easy to drill the countersink head portion of the bolt BUT then you're left with the rusted nut on the 'shank' of the bolt. Mr. Murphy probably designed it so you CAN'T get the nut/shank combo OUT of the unit......
Another have to be there to SEE it deals.
maybe, just maybe it'd wiggle out..if so, buy a lottery ticket !