rootboy 

Just posted pics of these on another thread, and it got me to thinking again. I bought these a year ago on the auction site. NOS. I have been very curious as to when they were made. But, I cannot get the lock nuts to budge! I even marred the black finish on one, , ever so slightly, with the wrench. I cannot seem to get the lock nuts off. And I'd like to. They've obviously never been taken apart since they were made, in the 70's.

Here's my question. What should I do? I contemplated getting out the torch. Too aggressive and it might discolor the parts. Heat gun? Soldering iron with pin-point heat applied to the nuts? PB Blaster? So far, I haven't tried anything after getting shut down with the socket wrench. I mean, I suppose I could just leave them. That would be the smart thing to do. But I aint smart, and am dying to know what's stamped on the back side of those lock nuts.

1987

I removed a stuck lock ring by soaking the threads in WD-40 and then warmed it in the owen for about 10 min at 150 C. It came loose. But I am not shure if the heat did any major difference. Anyway it worked.

You could probably also use a bench vice and some good cone wrenches and a tube for leverage.

oddjob2

PB Blaster, wait 30 minutes. No brainer. I did the very same drill on a rusted on drive side bb cup yesterday on the Super Sport.

dbakl

Live in mystery.

lostarchitect 

+1

rootboy 

I know. What is life without mystery?
I'm like the cat who sticks its head in the dark hole, just to see what's in there.

rhm

Nice dilemma! But look at it this way. That part of the item's value that comes from its NOS status will be lost if you mess with it. But it has no utilitarian value as is. So what's the point of having these hubs, anyway? If they're too good to use, then leave them alone. If you want to use them, then you have to do what it takes to get fresh grease into the bearings.

One thought... if you want to apply heat just to the locknut, attach the thickest possible cone wrenches to the flats on the locknuts, put some kind of a heat shield between the wrenches and the hub itself, and apply heat directly to one of the wrenches. The metal should conduct the heat away quickly enough, and part of it will go straight into the locknut. When you have it good and hot, grab that wrench and TSSSssss... uh, use a potholder. Good luck!

ColonelJLloyd 

You could try cold. Freeze Off can be found at an auto parts store.

squirtdad

+1

other than that you could mix 50/50 acetone and ATF and soak the whole thing

miamijim

Propane torch works every time for me. Blast them for a few seconds and they'll come right off.

rootboy 

Holy sh*tski, Colonel. I forgot...I have some of that stuff. OK. Cold first...then heat. Kinda like a sprained ankle.....

lostarchitect 

That stuff is magic and has helped me with some truly stubborn stuff.

rootboy 

Let me ask then. Does it leave any sort of pesky residue or change the color, etc? I've never used it yet.
Or...is it just something like bottled freon?

BTW, I haven't decided whether or not to use these. If they happen to be "Cam 72", I might just use them when I ever get to building a "proper" set of wheels for my Moto TC.

repechage

Both sides jammed?

I would attempt the other side, in the hope of getting the axle away from the hub shell.

The axle is slotted, the keyed washer is between the lock nut and the cone, so Kroil or the ATF/Acetone way on then stubborn side would be my way filling the lock nut as a moat, then cold-heat treat to assist, Setting the axle on its end to get gravity to assist.
At some point one will want to repack these, if not already due to shear time. Original Campagnolo grease does not age gracefully over decades.

Grand Bois

I've had success with my little butane crack pipe torch.

auchencrow

This always works.


OK - not the BEST suggestion but all the good ones were already taken.

rootboy 

HA! I DO have one of those saws, Auchen'. Last resort, eh?

OK. Let's re-cap. In order. Cold first. Then some heat. Or was it heat first?
Maybe dribble in some fluids in there somewhere.
Then, uh ...smoke some crack...and go after them with my chop saw. Right?
Sounds fun. Full report to follow.

Thanks guys.

HeyPip

Yessss soak it in ATF/ Acetone then cold and heat and cold.

When breaking the locknut/ toothed washer and cone free, remember that if its stuck to tighten the cone 1/16 turn, to crack it (release the keyed washer), before you attempt to loosen the lock nut.

Hold the axle from the opposite lock nut, in a vice. Then, you tighten the cone while holding the adjacent lock nut against rotation on the side which you are tightening the cone, to stop the axle from twisting. Tightening a little bit can help release jammed toothed washers.

Pip

repechage

I had one other memory regarding stuck axle parts. If you have not yet, try placing cone wrenches on both cones at the same time, and advance them toward one another, that might just reduce the forces including a partially rotated keyed washer on one side just enough to allow removal of a lock nut / cone assembly on the side that moved most, a bit of a mark with grease pencil or paint helps to monitor what moved.

HeyPip

yesss! All of these techniques can be used. Relieving the pressure from the lock nuts is what will free them. The steel alloy of the axle and lock is 4340 so it is not prone to galling. The cones are 8620?

rootboy 

Sorry I didn't get back to your previous post Repechage. Very good suggestions, and yes, I couldn't get any of the 4 lock nuts to move.
This suggestion is also very good, thank you! I'll give it a try.

BTW, I just removed a lock nut on another set of old hubs, just to check the date, and noted that I don't really like the fit of my Campy cone wrenches on the lock nut. Seems a bit loose. Anybody else notice this? I kind of don't like a loose fitting wrench, for obvious reasons. Of course, one can always use a socket on the lock nut, but I thought it seemed kind of odd the Campy wrenches didn't fit better.

ColonelJLloyd 

Why are the nuts not off the Campy hubs yet?

rootboy 

Excellent Pip, thank you. Only part I'm a bit afraid of is putting the lock nut in a vise, afraid to mar it, but I can always my soft jaws. Thanks.

rootboy 

Oh ...been busy with other stuff Colonel. I'll get right on it!

rootboy 

Update: Voila'

That worked, Pip and Repechage. Thanks guys! That and, I did let one nut sit with some PB on it for a while.
I never would have thought of tightening the cone against the nut. (though I do that all the time when adjusting hubs) Thanks. I did manage to remove a good amount of the black from two flats on that one nut , from my previous effort. Came off quite too easily, I thought, and I'm not too happy about that, but at least I didn't bugger or round off the nut at all.

"CAM 73"

Cool. Now, to decide if I should use them, or not.