The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Bolt thread cleaning

I painted my leaf springs and made the mistake of not masking the bolt threads. Now I can't get the bolts to thread, and I'm wondering what is the safest way to clean the threads without damaging them.
I've heard of Dremel-ing them out with a wire attachment (at low speed) and also chasing the threads with a tap and die. Both options make me a little concerned that I'll ruin the threads. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

..do you have a wire brush on a bench grnder? That would do the trick in short order.
In situations like you mentioned I've usually been, with a little elbow grease, to tighten them up. I did this on the ones of my 52panel.
Running a die up on the threads should not hurt it...although there are thread "chasers" as I call them, just to clean up the threads and not "cut" them any.
If still fresh paint would a little paint thinner cut the paint off?

I have used thread chasers for years.
Not designed to cut thread, just clean them up.

thread chasers,and thread file if needed for damaged areas

Thanks everyone. I'll give the thread chaser a try. Never having to used one, I was just a bit worried I'd cut new threads and ruin the whole thing.

http://www.handsontools.com/assets/images/jimsimages/jim933.jpg

As you can see, they are made for cleaning, not cutting. They are not made to be aggressive.

I've never had a cleaning set although I know of them and of their value. I've used/borrowed from my buddies a time or two and usually keep them till they bring some of my tools back!
If I ever see them on an isle somewhere I'll buy them...just haven't seen them or they never jumped out at me!

They are very handy and on restorations I try to make sure the bolts, or nuts, screw in easy with my hand. It saves a lot of aggravation wondering if the bolt, or the bolt hole is boogered up a bit and you decide to "force it in anyway"....that when the patience Jerry speaks about comes into play. I've been told I have the patience of Job but those folks have never seen me working on a 65 year old truck! Whew.

Try using a brass wire wheel on a grinder.

Drop the bolts in a plastic container and spray them with oven cleaner- - - -the paint will lift off in record time! Rinse them in very hot water and the metal will come out clean and new-looking, with no damage to the threads. If necessary, a quick buff-up with a wire wheel on a bench grinder will complete the job.
Jerry

Are you talking about U bolt threads or what? If you can take whatever bolts you are talking about off the truck, a wire wheel is the fastest, safest, least messy way just to get paint off. Don't need to chase threads for paint. That will gum up almost as bad as the nut would have. You can't possibly do any damage to threads with a wire wheel. If you can't remove whatever bolts you are talking about from truck, chuck a wire wheel into your drill motor and go get em.
DON'T FORGET TO WEAR EYE PROTECTION. The little wires fly off quite often. Keep kids away.

What bart said!
I showed up at the dinner table with a wire sicking out of my forehead (just below the fivehead area). I felt it when it came off the wire wheel, but assumed that it fell to the floor.
Carl

The mental image just cracks me up...

Just today I took a "wire" in the forehead right above my face shield.

I was doing some paint stripping on some off-road construction equipment, using a big angle grinder with a wire cup wheel on it. When I got undressed to take a shower that night, my underwear hung up on something. I had a wire imbedded almost 1/2" into my upper thigh, with only about 1/8" sticking out! It took a pretty good pull with a pair of needle-nose pliers to get the thing out!
Jerry

You almost pinned the "tail" on the donkey!

I got one in my leg once and when I stood up it disappeared like a spagetti noodle. Doc couldn't find it and finally just said "lots of junkies are walking around with needle points broken off inside them... you'll be fine. "

Yep, don't thing you have to tell anyone that's spent any real
time at the wire wheel, but these newbies and youngsters
might not feel the danger at first.
Got a numb spot just above my knee. It would itch often for
weeks and then one day my hand snagged on somethin', sho nuff,
a little stub of a wire was poking thru the skin. Like Jerry
I managed to grab it with some small needle nose and pulled
out not a half inch, but about three eights.
Get them in my hair and cloths all the time since wire
brushing is my favorite way to restore old metal parts over
sand blasting.
What was this thread about??????

dg

Well.... It was about cleaning bolt threads. Now it's about being impelled by small wire / war stories. But I have faith we can bring it back around!

One more war story. Wire from a wire wheel on a bench grinder went into my inner thigh 1" or so long and disappeared. Went to the hospital, and within 45 minutes I was on the operating table getting it removed. When they X rayed it, it was real close to an artery and had to come out. Be careful out there.

I understand the significance of being safe with wire wheels, etc - but concerning thread cleaning & what is mentioned above :

I don't have any of the chasers linked above and use taps as my thread cleaning tool. Is this not good to do? (Aside from just wearing a tap out)

For my question, we can use all the body threads/holes not on the engine. Pretty much all of them needed chasing/cleaning.

Brad

I do not have chasers either and have been chasing with taps and dies for 40 years. I chase body, motor and all other threaded parts with tap and die. I wire wheel bolts first, then chase. If it's the correct size and pitch and you are careful when starting, it's perfectly OK. I do it all the time. Just be sure to do what your daddy taught you....two around and 1/2 back to clean. Similar to new threading. If it gets too tight, unthread and check, clean and oil and go back at it. On a chase job, I try to start by hand and then add the tool. In general, take off the tool and unthread by hand so as to take weight off the threads (internal and external). Turning part upside down during unthread, if possible, is even better, with or without tool.
Tool=tap or die holder.
The old hardware on these trucks (AD and up), if not rusted, is as strong as the day they were made. So reuse them all except lock washers and cotter pins.

Thanks, Chief- I know the chaser(s) have been around a long time... I've just never owned any because the taps worked fine.

I was taught to go by "feel" (when threading, etc) & I'm still learning. As soon as I got somewhat proficient with tapping/threading holes into new steel I started working on this old truck. I am having to relearn a certain finesse & "feel" with its metal as well.

Brad

" A beer chaser is the only natural chaser for Human Beings."

A few years ago, I purchased Big Gator drill and tap guides, in order to keep the tap at a 90degree angle to the surface, They work good, as does the drill guide! Nothing worse than having a tap go in at an angle. Mike

Another tip when putting clean threads back together is lubrication on the bolts.
I use some Never-Seez on everything I put together.
Wheel grease will also work.
If you ever have to take it apart, it makes life a whole lot easier .

Don