The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop any reason I can't cut my torque tube with a torch?

would make it a lot easier to get out from under the truck. I got it about half cut not thinking oil isn't explosive, but maybe a little flamable so I kept my exstiguisher handy. got about halfway through, and I got fire shooting outta the sides where I was cutting.

I had my torch pretty hot, and I'm thinkin it was just from my torch, but I thought I'd ask to be on the safe side before something bad happened.

Solo,
This post may contain some material for WT to use in his next hubcap award monolog..........J.D.

ya know I hope so cuz I've begin to really get a kick outta his write ups!

Just keep a squirt bottle handy and cut that sucker. Remember cutting ole Plymoths up for dine buggys. We'd get them for $25 from the junk yard and cut off the body, lots of squirt bottles, drag them home and run the rear end up to the transmission and bolt them solid. Then cut off all the rest of the frame. Just an ole recollection, but keep a squirt bottle handy to keep anything else from going off. The grease will burn, but not explode.
Dennis

thanks Dennis! I didn't think it'd be a big problem, but I figure I'd rather be sure then pay for it some other way.

Wookie ...............why???? 4 bolts and cut the ubolts on the rear drag it out. Put the torches down.Your just gonna hurt yourself. If you get the grease on fire you could get a ripe roaring one going.

GREAS+ HEAT= VAPOR= SMOKE= TORKTUBE TORCH. OIL FIRES ARE NASTY,

I appreciate the input. I actually finished it up last night when the junk man came to look at all the stuff I wanted him to carry off. he told me he cut those all the time, and never had a problem.

not a big deal really, and the rest of the truck is completely torn down so even if the oil inside would have started on fire there really isn't anything it could have burned; I was mostly concerned about an explosion.

anyway I kept a fire exstinguisher by my side just incase.

I gotta get the tractor fired up today, and pull that axle out from under it, and then everything else is grinder work, and drilling out spot welds. I'll get some pic's up today sometime of my progress.

Maybe we should start another award, for the most dangerous stunts performed. We could call it the "It blew up when I parked it" award and give away an empty fire extinguisher and parts of solo's truck, once they land.

IBUWIPI contests could take into account the age of the vehicle, length of hospital stays and the amount of damage done per screw-up. Extra points awarded for dropping the vehicle on your head, using a torch to cut through gas tanks, and accidentally turning the torque tube into a potato cannon.

chip

I'm still scratching my head over this one. Phat seemed to properly sum it up.

What time and effort was saved in cutting (and ruining) the tube/shaft? All bolts have to be loosened/cut using either technique. I bet I could loosen/cut/break all u-joint and cover bolts and drop the torque tube faster than a torch could cut the tube and shaft. Either way the axel/spring bolts have to be loosened.

Now, I realize that I might not know what I'm missing - I do not have a cutting torch. Maybe if I had one, I would think of interesting ways to use it.

This site is great.

Tim

you hit the nail on the head partially; yea I wanted to play with the torch, and I also had jack stands in the way so it was harder to pull the axle that direction. if I could cut the torque tube off then I could pull the axle out from the side much easier.