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jonny5isalive

Plumbers Arms member
Plumber
Gas Engineer
Dec 4, 2013
320
42
28
Hello there, I just had to change the divertor diaphram on a Halstead that must have been 20 years old. Flow and return ISOs were seized. Was a pig of a job to get the nuts off. Any clever tricks for loosening stuck boiler parts? Or just elbow grease, persistence and patience (or lack of).

Was loving the 15/22 compression spanner recommended on here. Thanks for the heads up.

Toolstation: Split Ring Compression Fitting Spanner 24/32mm

Cheers
Jon
 
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Meant was a pig to get the nuts off the diverter as opposed to isos.
Seemed to be mainly as there was build up of scale and gung on the threads and behind the nuts that meant they were hard to start to move and then had a physical barrier to actually wanting to move back along the threads.
 
Blow torch does a good job! May not be ideal if you don't want to burn anything mind!

If it's rusted on, and I need to come back the next day to do the job, I tend to squirt some WD40 on the joints and let it soak in, usually eases it off a bit better.

Or, you can shock it, spanner on and smack the other end of the spanner with a hammer.
 
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Thanks for the advice. Maybe ill give the blowtorch a go next time. Was right behind the prv and access was awful on this one. And there were cables running between me and it. Was hard enough to get spanner on the nuts, let alone hit it.

Wd sounds a good bet. I stupidly got tried to get it done last night. Should have left it until today but was busy. Ill get some.
 
I still love my big boy!
badboy2.jpg
 
Meant was a pig to get the nuts off the diverter as opposed to isos.
Seemed to be mainly as there was build up of scale and gung on the threads and behind the nuts that meant they were hard to start to move and then had a physical barrier to actually wanting to move back along the threads.


A small wire brush of the type used for suede shoes should come in handy for removing scale on threads, and a toothbrush too...perhaps.
 
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Reactions: 1 person
Hello there, I just had to change the divertor diaphram on a Halstead that must have been 20 years old. Flow and return ISOs were seized. Was a pig of a job to get the nuts off. Any clever tricks for loosening stuck boiler parts? Or just elbow grease, persistence and patience (or lack of).

Was loving the 15/22 compression spanner recommended on here. Thanks for the heads up.

Toolstation: Split Ring Compression Fitting Spanner 24/32mm

Cheers
Jon

plusgas
 
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would go with plusgas.remember often a sharp tap to the heads helps,,,,,.but as regards boiler flow and return isolation valves,have never had to touch them,,,you are just looking for trouble as they are just looking for an excuse to leak
 

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