Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

Need to bleed a double radiator, installed July 2000. The front bleeder
is fine, but the rear one is rock solid. Tried WD40, though I use a
brass key it has rounded the valve head before turning. Tried tapping
with a hammer, also managed to cut a rather poor slot in it but still
can't shift it. The big problem is having so little room to work between
the two panels. any ideas please, all welcomed? At the moment it is
starting to look as though I will have to replace an otherwise perfectly
good radiator.

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

In article ,
Broadback wrote:
Need to bleed a double radiator, installed July 2000. The front bleeder
is fine, but the rear one is rock solid. Tried WD40, though I use a
brass key it has rounded the valve head before turning. Tried tapping
with a hammer, also managed to cut a rather poor slot in it but still
can't shift it. The big problem is having so little room to work between
the two panels. any ideas please, all welcomed? At the moment it is
starting to look as though I will have to replace an otherwise perfectly
good radiator.

If it's a removable valve assembly, a proper key will fit over the bleed
valve and allow removal of the assembly.

If it's fitted to the rad, drain it down and use a small blowlamp to heat
the valve - heat will loosen most things. Protect the rad finish with damp
rags, etc. A hot air paint stripper might also work.

--
*Many people quit looking for work when they find a job *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Need to bleed a double radiator, installed July 2000. The front bleeder is
fine, but the rear one is rock solid. Tried WD40, though I use a brass key
it has rounded the valve head before turning. Tried tapping with a hammer,
also managed to cut a rather poor slot in it but still can't shift it. The
big problem is having so little room to work between the two panels. any
ideas please, all welcomed? At the moment it is starting to look as though
I will have to replace an otherwise perfectly good radiator.

Is the bleed valve in a larger plug / bung?

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

On Feb 2, 2:45*pm, "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
In article ,
* *Broadback wrote:

Need to bleed a double radiator, installed July 2000. The front bleeder
is fine, but the rear one is rock solid. Tried WD40, though I use a
brass key it has rounded the valve head before turning. Tried tapping
with a hammer, also managed to cut a rather poor slot in it but still
can't shift it. The big problem is having so little room to work between
the two panels. any ideas please, all welcomed? At the moment it is
starting to look as though I will have to replace an otherwise perfectly
good radiator.

If it's a removable valve assembly, a proper key will fit over the bleed
valve and allow removal of the assembly.

If it's fitted to the rad, drain it down and use a small blowlamp to heat
the valve - heat will loosen most things. Protect the rad finish with damp
rags, etc. A hot air paint stripper might also work.

or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.

R

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

RobertL wrote:

or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.

Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding radiator
and make it even tighter?

--
Mike Clarke

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.

Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding radiator
and make it even tighter?

Doesn't seem to matter - if it expands relative to the housing, being on a
thread and pressing on a seat, might shift slightly.

--
*Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.

Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding radiator
and make it even tighter?

Doesn't seem to matter - if it expands relative to the housing, being on a
thread and pressing on a seat, might shift slightly.

Thanks for all your help, I tried them all and failed. so now have a new
radiator on order. None in stock as my wife wanted a round top which are
out of fashion. That such a little thing could be so expensive and time
consuming is unbelievable.

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

In article ,
Broadback wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.

Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding
radiator and make it even tighter?

Doesn't seem to matter - if it expands relative to the housing, being
on a thread and pressing on a seat, might shift slightly.

Thanks for all your help, I tried them all and failed. so now have a new
radiator on order. None in stock as my wife wanted a round top which are
out of fashion. That such a little thing could be so expensive and time
consuming is unbelievable.

You heated it up to cherry red and it still wouldn't budge? Unlikely. ;-)

--
*If you don't pay your exorcist you get repossessed.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.

Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding
radiator
and make it even tighter?

Doesn't seem to matter - if it expands relative to the housing, being on
a
thread and pressing on a seat, might shift slightly.

Thanks for all your help, I tried them all and failed. so now have a new
radiator on order. None in stock as my wife wanted a round top which are
out of fashion. That such a little thing could be so expensive and time
consuming is unbelievable.

Can you drill it out and tap it?

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

On Feb 5, 10:45*am, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:
In article ,
* *Broadback wrote:





Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
* *Mike Clarke wrote:
or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.

Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding
radiator and make it even tighter?

Doesn't seem to matter - if it expands relative to the housing, being
on a thread and pressing on a seat, might shift slightly.

Thanks for all your help, I tried them all and failed. so now have a new
radiator on order. None in stock as my wife wanted a round top which are
out of fashion. That such a little thing could be so expensive and time
consuming is unbelievable.

You heated it up to cherry red and it still wouldn't budge? Unlikely. ;-)


What about drilling it out? Especially if you have to take the rad
off the wall becuase then you can get it out in the open and line the
drill up carefully.

R

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

RobertL wrote:
On Feb 5, 10:45 am, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:
In article ,
Broadback wrote:





Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.
Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding
radiator and make it even tighter?
Doesn't seem to matter - if it expands relative to the housing, being
on a thread and pressing on a seat, might shift slightly.
Thanks for all your help, I tried them all and failed. so now have a new
radiator on order. None in stock as my wife wanted a round top which are
out of fashion. That such a little thing could be so expensive and time
consuming is unbelievable.
You heated it up to cherry red and it still wouldn't budge? Unlikely. ;-)


What about drilling it out? Especially if you have to take the rad
off the wall becuase then you can get it out in the open and line the
drill up carefully.

R
I cannot believe this thread especially the OP ordering a new radiator!
Either take out the whole bleed plug and replace it or leave it alone
and fit a new one at the other end of the rad.

Bob

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

dennis@home wrote:


"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.

Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding
radiator
and make it even tighter?

Doesn't seem to matter - if it expands relative to the housing, being
on a
thread and pressing on a seat, might shift slightly.

Thanks for all your help, I tried them all and failed. so now have a
new radiator on order. None in stock as my wife wanted a round top
which are out of fashion. That such a little thing could be so
expensive and time consuming is unbelievable.

Can you drill it out and tap it?
It was a double radiator so no room to get in to drill out and tap. I
did think of putting another valve on the wall side of the radiator, but
then there would have been no room to get a key in to bleed the valve
once the radiator had been mounted, also I do not think that the wall of
the radiator is thick enough to have successfully have done that. There
was no bleed plug, the valve was mounted into a thickened section of the
radiator wall. sorry to offended anyone's sensibilities, I expect a more
skilled person would have succeeded where I failed.

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

"John" wrote in message
...

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Need to bleed a double radiator, installed July 2000. The front bleeder
is fine, but the rear one is rock solid. Tried WD40, though I use a brass
key it has rounded the valve head before turning. Tried tapping with a
hammer, also managed to cut a rather poor slot in it but still can't
shift it. The big problem is having so little room to work between the
two panels. any ideas please, all welcomed? At the moment it is starting
to look as though I will have to replace an otherwise perfectly good
radiator.

Is the bleed valve in a larger plug / bung?


Put some Coppaslip on the new ones thread to avoid it happening again.

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

On Feb 5, 11:53*am, Broadback wrote:
dennis@home wrote:

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
* *Mike Clarke wrote:
or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.

Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding
radiator
and make it even tighter?

Doesn't seem to matter - if it expands relative to the housing, being
on a
thread and pressing on a seat, might shift slightly.

Thanks for all your help, I tried them all and failed. so now have a
new radiator on order. None in stock as my wife wanted a round top
which are out of fashion. That such a little thing could be so
expensive and time consuming is unbelievable.

Can you drill it out and tap it?

It was a double radiator so no room to get in to drill out and tap. I
did think of putting another valve on the wall side of the radiator, but
then there would have been no room to get a key in to bleed the valve
once the radiator had been mounted, also I do not think that the wall of
the radiator is thick enough to have successfully have done that. There
was no bleed plug, the valve was mounted into a thickened section of the
radiator wall. sorry to offended anyone's sensibilities, I expect a more
skilled person would have succeeded where I failed.- Hide quoted text -


I was thinking that if you are going to take it off the wall (to
replace it) you might as well try drilling it out once it is off the
wall.

OTOH, if it's this rusted up then maybe it's in a poor state inside
anyway.

R

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

In article ,
Bob Minchin wrote:
I cannot believe this thread especially the OP ordering a new radiator!
Either take out the whole bleed plug and replace it or leave it alone
and fit a new one at the other end of the rad.

Some have a sort of welded on valve assembly - rather than the older screw
in type.

--
*If you can't see my mirrors, I'm doing my hair*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Jammed radiator bleed valve
 

RobertL wrote:
On Feb 5, 11:53 am, Broadback wrote:
dennis@home wrote:

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
or use a soldering iron or hot poker pressed directly onto the bleed
screw to minimise the collateral damage.
Won't that make the bleed screw expand more than the surrounding
radiator
and make it even tighter?
Doesn't seem to matter - if it expands relative to the housing, being
on a
thread and pressing on a seat, might shift slightly.
Thanks for all your help, I tried them all and failed. so now have a
new radiator on order. None in stock as my wife wanted a round top
which are out of fashion. That such a little thing could be so
expensive and time consuming is unbelievable.
Can you drill it out and tap it?
It was a double radiator so no room to get in to drill out and tap. I
did think of putting another valve on the wall side of the radiator, but
then there would have been no room to get a key in to bleed the valve
once the radiator had been mounted, also I do not think that the wall of
the radiator is thick enough to have successfully have done that. There
was no bleed plug, the valve was mounted into a thickened section of the
radiator wall. sorry to offended anyone's sensibilities, I expect a more
skilled person would have succeeded where I failed.- Hide quoted text -


I was thinking that if you are going to take it off the wall (to
replace it) you might as well try drilling it out once it is off the
wall.

OTOH, if it's this rusted up then maybe it's in a poor state inside
anyway.

R
Sadly on or off the wall the valve is barely accessible as it is between
the two radiator panels.