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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Cannot remove castle nut (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 1/21/2013 8:36:26 AM EDT
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Trying to install a Magpul ASAP but I cannot get the castle nut to budge. I keep reading that RRA loctites their stuff. So I went and got a propane torch. How long do I need to keep the torch on there to break it free?
I heated it up for 5 minutes and nothing budged. My wrench slipped off like it when I tried before I heated it up. You guys got any ideas? |
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Trying to install a Magpul ASAP but I cannot get the castle nut to budge. I keep reading that RRA loctites their stuff. So I went and got a propane torch. How long do I need to keep the torch on there to break it free? I heated it up for 5 minutes and nothing budged. My wrench slipped off like it when I tried before I heated it up. You guys got any ideas? Well you need to know what the castle nut is being heated to, because Perma Red hold till the 550 range before you can break it free. I use a multimeter with thermocouple, but I am sure you can find some kind of thermo to press on the nut to see what it is actually at. When you do get it off, and put it back on "Never" use any loctite. If at the minimum you do, just use blue because it breaks free with just hand tools. |
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I don't know if they actually use loctite but they sure do put stuff on like they mean it, put it in the vice and put some weight on it and it will come off. If you have to put weight on it to break it loose, there is something bonding it together and I suspect you will. A. Strip all the threads taking it off like that. B. Break something. Go to an auto parts store and buy some break free, and spray it down with that, then spray it some after it dries and try again. I would put it in a vise, but it shouldn't take all your weight to get it off. |
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Trying to install a Magpul ASAP but I cannot get the castle nut to budge. I keep reading that RRA loctites their stuff. So I went and got a propane torch. How long do I need to keep the torch on there to break it free? I heated it up for 5 minutes and nothing budged. My wrench slipped off like it when I tried before I heated it up. You guys got any ideas? Well you need to know what the castle nut is being heated to, because Perma Red hold till the 550 range before you can break it free. I use a multimeter with thermocouple, but I am sure you can find some kind of thermo to press on the nut to see what it is actually at. When you do get it off, and put it back on "Never" use any loctite. If at the minimum you do, just use blue because it breaks free with just hand tools. Don't have any way of telling temp. Seems like I'm far from 550 if it won't budge at all. It is lefty loosey for the castle nut, right? Just double checking. |
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Trying to install a Magpul ASAP but I cannot get the castle nut to budge. I keep reading that RRA loctites their stuff. So I went and got a propane torch. How long do I need to keep the torch on there to break it free? I heated it up for 5 minutes and nothing budged. My wrench slipped off like it when I tried before I heated it up. You guys got any ideas? Well you need to know what the castle nut is being heated to, because Perma Red hold till the 550 range before you can break it free. I use a multimeter with thermocouple, but I am sure you can find some kind of thermo to press on the nut to see what it is actually at. When you do get it off, and put it back on "Never" use any loctite. If at the minimum you do, just use blue because it breaks free with just hand tools. Don't have any way of telling temp. Seems like I'm far from 550 if it won't budge at all. It is lefty loosey for the castle nut, right? Just double checking. Yes normal threads, for removal. To heat that nut to 550 degree's with just a hand held butane torch to 550 would take a while, like I said without some type of thermo to tell what you are truly at you would have to bake it in a oven at 550 to at least break it, if it's truly Red Loctite. |
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I don't know if they actually use loctite but they sure do put stuff on like they mean it, put it in the vice and put some weight on it and it will come off. http://imageshack.us/a/img534/854/photojan21122616.jpg I leaned on the bitch and all I did was strip the castle nut some. At this point, the extension tube is pointless. Take a dremel, or air grinder and cut the castle nut in half making sure not to hit the lower. and break it loose. Yes you will destroy the extension tube, but destroying the lower will be even more pointless. Only other thing you could try, is getting a hard chisel and make you a nice mark in the castle nut, then using a straight punch hit on that mark with a hammer and try walking it off like that. Personally I would cut the dam thing in half and replace that extension tube, and nut because they are both fucked anyway. |
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I hope they didn't put the same threadlocker on the lower receiver's threads too.
I don't have any more advice than what's been given aside from maybe trying a different castle nut tool if you're using one with only one notch. Some like this may be better. Also, you can try using a BFH hammer and a punch. Put the punch on one of the castle nut's notches and use the hammer to "turn" the nut. Hammer and vise grips may work too. Just be careful because the spot on the lower where it curves up to the receiver extension threads is not the strongest part of the receiver. Be careful if you use a penetrating oil and then use a torch again. Don't want any fires. 
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I hope they didn't put the same threadlocker on the lower receiver's threads too. I don't have any more advice than what's been given aside from maybe trying a different castle nut tool if you're using one with only one notch. Some like this may be better. Also, you can try using a BFH hammer and a punch. Put the punch on one of the castle nut's notches and use the hammer to "turn" the nut. Hammer and vise grips may work too. Just be careful because the spot on the lower where it curves up to the receiver extension threads is not the strongest part of the receiver. Be careful if you use a penetrating oil and then use a torch again. Don't want any fires. I'm using a three prong wrench. I'll try it once more when I get home. If it doesn't work, fuck it; I'll keep my 3-point on there. I can't afford to replace a castle nut and buffer tube. |
A big shout out to RRA for installing a castle nut with so much fucking loctite that 10 mins with a torch wouldn't even free it the slightest fucking bit. All I accomplished was to burn my fucking hand when the wrench slipped again. The buffer tube was getting so hot, that the paint was scraping off, yet nothing managed to happen.
Might as well have welded the fucking thing on. Oh well. I'll ask for a fucking castle nut and new buffer tube for my birthday. Maybe then ill be able to put my single point I got for Christmas on, assuming they didn't put a fucking gallon of loctite of the buffer tube as well. 
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I really, really hope you didn't kill the lower with what you have done.
Brownell's CAR wrench and a breaker bar would have been a much better idea to try first. I torque all of mine to 35 ft/lbs and it takes only a little effort with the combination I mentioned to remove them. Poor, poor lower 
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Quoted: A big shout out to RRA for installing a castle nut with so much fucking loctite that 10 mins with a torch wouldn't even free it the slightest fucking bit. All I accomplished was to burn my fucking hand when the wrench slipped again. The buffer tube was getting so hot, that the paint was scraping off, yet nothing managed to happen. http://imageshack.us/a/img14/7555/photojan21162050.jpg Might as well have welded the fucking thing on. Oh well. I'll ask for a fucking castle nut and new buffer tube for my birthday. Maybe then ill be able to put my single point I got for Christmas on, assuming they didn't put a fucking gallon of loctite of the buffer tube as well. Ive had some tough ones to take off a time or two but that is insane!
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I really, really hope you didn't kill the lower with what you have done. Brownell's CAR wrench and a breaker bar would have been a much better idea to try first. I torque all of mine to 35 ft/lbs and it takes only a little effort with the combination I mentioned to remove them. Poor, poor lower What about me? I got saddle fucked with a lower that can't be disassembled without me spending more money that I don't have. Fuck it all. With my luck it'll break and they will ram an AWB through Congress and leave me shit out of luck. |
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At this point I would lock the receiver extension down in the vice then use an appropriate size pipe wrench to remove the nut. The pipe wrench will grip a lot better than the wrench you are using. Wrap the extension with a towel or something and don't tighten the vice so much it distorts the diameter.
I'd try the extension in the vice instead of the receiver to lessen the chance of breaking the receiver. You will have pipe wrench marks on the nut when done. I read the thread and don't recall if you looked for staking. I don't think RRA stakes, but make sure. |
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A big shout out to RRA for installing a castle nut with so much fucking loctite that 10 mins with a torch wouldn't even free it the slightest fucking bit. All I accomplished was to burn my fucking hand when the wrench slipped again. The buffer tube was getting so hot, that the paint was scraping off, yet nothing managed to happen. http://imageshack.us/a/img14/7555/photojan21162050.jpg Might as well have welded the fucking thing on. Oh well. I'll ask for a fucking castle nut and new buffer tube for my birthday. Maybe then ill be able to put my single point I got for Christmas on, assuming they didn't put a fucking gallon of loctite of the buffer tube as well. On the bright side, you now know enough to open your own LGS. And no, ya ain't workin' on my guns. 
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| My RRA was bitch also, I ended up using a hammer, and a punch, on each of the "turrets" in the "castle". A few good raps, then on to the next one, it finally came off. The castle nut wasn't pretty, but it will work again until you've got the funds to replace it. |
This thread makes the baby Jesus weep. Get a pipe wrench, get something and break that fucker off of there. Cut the nut, cut the tube and throw it all in the trash. After that IM me your shipping address and I will send you this PWS buffer tube set-up, the push-button sling swivel and the MOE stock. You can clip your single point into the sling swivel. This PWS setup is awesome and doesn't use a fucking lock nut. Only condition is post a pic of the lower with the nut and tube removed and then a pic with this new stuff installed. |
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At this point I would lock the receiver extension down in the vice then use an appropriate size pipe wrench to remove the nut. The pipe wrench will grip a lot better than the wrench you are using. Wrap the extension with a towel or something and don't tighten the vice so much it distorts the diameter. I'd try the extension in the vice instead of the receiver to lessen the chance of breaking the receiver. You will have pipe wrench marks on the nut when done. I read the thread and don't recall if you looked for staking. I don't think RRA stakes, but make sure. X 1000! Do not put that much strain on your lower. The tube and nut are easy to get and cheap, the lowers are all made of Unobtanium these days. A pipe wrench with the buffer tube in a pipe vise will take it right off. |
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Dremel FTW! You are going to bend or break that lower. I stopped once I could feel the slightest bit of give and backed off a little from there each time I tried to use the spanner wrench. The dremel is the future option. I'm done fucking with it for now. I've got school to worry about. |
| what i dont understand is why you are taking it off in the first place. your original post said something about wanting magpul. why would the buffer tube need to come off. sounds to me like you really dont know what your doing and you just ruined a perfectly good rifle because of it.. |
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Dremel FTW! You are going to bend or break that lower. I stopped once I could feel the slightest bit of give and backed off a little from there each time I tried to use the spanner wrench. The dremel is the future option. I'm done fucking with it for now. I've got school to worry about. Hacksaw that bitch. Cut it through the nut and tube right behind the lower. Then unscrew the remainder buffer tube threads that are in the buffer tower. Still in for results. Good luck! 
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what i dont understand is why you are taking it off in the first place. your original post said something about wanting magpul. why would the buffer tube need to come off. sounds to me like you really dont know what your doing and you just ruined a perfectly good rifle because of it.. He wants to install a Magpul ASAP. That means he has to remove the old plate by removing the buffer tube. To remove the buffer tube you have to first remove the castle nut. ETA: OP time to cut that son of a bitch off of there. Just remeber when you get the ASAP on there to stake it instead of loctite. |
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This thread makes the baby Jesus weep. Get a pipe wrench, get something and break that fucker off of there. Cut the nut, cut the tube and throw it all in the trash. After that IM me your shipping address and I will send you this PWS buffer tube set-up, the push-button sling swivel and the MOE stock. You can clip your single point into the sling swivel. This PWS setup is awesome and doesn't use a fucking lock nut. Only condition is post a pic of the lower with the nut and tube removed and then a pic with this new stuff installed. that is an awesome member here -- just if there was more like you -- heck of a nice guy here |
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This thread makes the baby Jesus weep. Get a pipe wrench, get something and break that fucker off of there. Cut the nut, cut the tube and throw it all in the trash. After that IM me your shipping address and I will send you this PWS buffer tube set-up, the push-button sling swivel and the MOE stock. You can clip your single point into the sling swivel. This PWS setup is awesome and doesn't use a fucking lock nut. Only condition is post a pic of the lower with the nut and tube removed and then a pic with this new stuff installed. Very kind of you! Especially to over the the MOE stock with it! |
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what i dont understand is why you are taking it off in the first place. your original post said something about wanting magpul. why would the buffer tube need to come off. sounds to me like you really dont know what your doing and you just ruined a perfectly good rifle because of it.. If this were most other things in my life, that'd be an accurate statement. This one of the things I actually understand pretty well. 
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Dremel FTW! You are going to bend or break that lower. I stopped once I could feel the slightest bit of give and backed off a little from there each time I tried to use the spanner wrench. The dremel is the future option. I'm done fucking with it for now. I've got school to worry about. Hacksaw that bitch. Cut it through the nut and tube right behind the lower. Then unscrew the remainder buffer tube threads that are in the buffer tower. Still in for results. Good luck!
Probably wont be until Saturday before I try anything.
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| Resist cutting it if you can. If that tube is also smeared with thread locker, you'll never get the stub removed from the receiver. Clamp the tube in the vise and spin the castle nut off with a pipe wrench. You can also assist the pipe wrench with a cheater bar or a good hammer. Don't torque on the lower, I suspect the buffer tower may have been weakened due to the amount of heat that transferred to it, but it's hard to tell from the pics. Once you get the castle nut loose, you should be able to spin the lower off of the buffer tube. Good luck and keep us posted! |
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Resist cutting it if you can. If that tube is also smeared with thread locker, you'll never get the stub removed from the receiver. Clamp the tube in the vise and spin the castle nut off with a pipe wrench. You can also assist the pipe wrench with a cheater bar or a good hammer. Don't torque on the lower, I suspect the buffer tower may have been weakened due to the amount of heat that transferred to it, but it's hard to tell from the pics. Once you get the castle nut loose, you should be able to spin the lower off of the buffer tube. Good luck and keep us posted! Sure you can. Carbide boring head back to size and chase the threads with a 1 3/16" 16 tap or a thread cutter on the lathe. |
| From your picture your threads look seized if you turn the nut any more you will probably rip the threads off, as suggested in a previous post post dremmel two slots 180 degree apart and split with chisel then you can get a 60 degree triangle file and keep touching up until new nut will start. |
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um is the castle nut staked on? I thought that, too, but I think the amount of force he has used would have defeated even good staking. I enjoy these problems - wish I had it in my hands. Looking forward to seeing how he gets it off, although after reading the thread again I still think the pipe wrench will do it. I do remember taking a castle nut and a barrel nut off an RRA the first time. They put them on there pretty good. |
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So let me get this right....
You took a torch to a metal tube connected to a heat treated lower receiver that was locked down in metal vice with no protection for the lower between the vice and the lower. You most likely transferred a good bit of heat to the lower receiver from the torch, it acts as a heat sink via the tube. I hope you didn't screw the heat treatment of the lower up. You probably have damage to the lower from the vice jaws, at the least scrapes/bite marks, at the worst, you've distorted the sides of the lower. Did you consider calling RRA and asking for advice? I suspect they would have Removed and Replaced for you for nothing more than the cost of shipping, which you can do without an FFL since they are a manufacture, had you called them. For any one reading this for advice on what to do in the future if you can't send it to the manufacture... 1: Make sure you use a lower block to hold the lower in the vice 2: Make sure you have the proper wrench for the job. If you've already stripped the castle nut, then get a quality strap wrench and try that directly on only the castle nut. If you can't get a strap wrench to stay on, then try to punch the nut loose. Note that there are separate notches on the lower receiver side of the castle nut that are there for the staking positions. You can use those same notches to break the nut loose with a punch. 3: Consider removing the trigger group and grip once you see you are having a problem. No need to damage other parts while trying to fix one. 4: There are different types of thread locker, some require heat to break loose, some require cold break loose. Start with the cold by letting the lower sit in the freezer for a full 24 hours Another option is to get a small box of dry ice from a local grocery store or supply shop and a few pieces directly around the castle nut. [NOTE if you don't have much time or you don't care about keeping the castle nut consider skipping straight to 6 or 7] 5: If cold didn't work...time to try heat....bring a large pot of water to a boil, place the lower in a zip lock bag or oven bag and then dunk it into the boiling water. Keep the temperature just high enough keep bubbles coming up and let it go for 30 minutes like this. Once the 30 minutes are up, remove from heat source and let every thing cool. An oven bag is preferred given the length of the heat exposure[http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Nylon-510-Oven-Bag/dp/B0007M45XE] Once things cool down place the lower on the lower receiver block and use castle nut wrench to break the nut loose. You may find that it works better with the lower still warm enough that it's almost uncomfortable to hold. The same heat procedure can be used to remove shotgun chokes that were thread locked in or surefire head assembly bezels. I scored a nice 20 gauge 870 for $150 because someone had a used thread locker when they put a turkey choke in. 6: If boiling it didn't work, and you tried but didn't get movement with the part still hot out of the water, then try your torch but be very careful. You only need to heat the nut so you can slowly flow water through the receiver extension tube with a hose. The water will help carry the heat away from the lower and the extension. You should be able to get the nut to a reddish tone while flowing the water without causing damage to the lower or extension...but the key is to keep flowing the water until everything has cooled down. Try the wrench once things have cooled down. You'll need to replace the castle nut if you got it hot enough that it had a reddish tone of any sort. 7: Still on... get a dremel tool and if you are careful, you maybe able to keep the extension damage free. Cutting the castle nut into thirds and popping off the chunks with a flat head screw driver should work. 8: Still stuck...you are screwed....or you can try grinding the tab that locates extension against the end plate that's captured between the lower and the castle nut. Once the tab has been cut off, wrap a big strap wrench tightly around the receiver extension an see if you can get the receiver extension to budge with the lower locked onto a vice block or into a vice that has jaw protectors. Good luck. Wes |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Cannot remove castle nut (Page 1 of 2)
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