Unions Stuck

[Devisissy]

So I ordered a bunch of unions, Spears. They all came hand tightened except one. It can't be budged. I tried it, i found the biggest man I could, (neighbor) we can't get this thing apart. I tried wrenches with a wash cloth to protect the pvc, no luck. I will have to seriously mess this thing up to get it apart. Should I just exchange it for another one? Or is there a trick? Thanks! Maybe this should go into the NOOB section...

 

[Reefer Matt]

Gotta photo?

 

[Devisissy]

Gotta photo?

Not sure what to show you. Here is a photo off the internet. It's currently in boiling water

 

[Devisissy]

I am going to run up to the hardware store and see if they have a pvc pipe wrench thingy you know the C looking deals. Wish me luck.

 

[KrisReef]

So I ordered a bunch of unions, Spears. They all came hand tightened except one. It can't be budged. I tried it, i found the biggest man I could, (neighbor) we can't get this thing apart. I tried wrenches with a wash cloth to protect the pvc, no luck. I will have to seriously mess this thing up to get it apart. Should I just exchange it for another one? Or is there a trick? Thanks! Maybe this should go into the NOOB section...

Warning? Could it have reversed threads? I have come across this in bulkheads and you can’t unscrew them when you are going the wrong direction.

Otherwise, maybe a warehouse worker spilled some solvent on the threads.

Hope you get it sorted out and unscrewed.

 

[Devisissy]

Soooooo nope. what the heck?!? I needed another weird wrench though. However, they had some there, I bought one. This one is going in the garbage.

 

[Reefer Reboot]

Put it in the freezer for an hour. Then, with your wrenches ready, pull it out and run the nut part under hot water for 30 seconds, then put your wrenches on it and go for broke!

 

[KrisReef]

Put it in the freezer for an hour. Then, with your wrenches ready, pull it out and run the nut part under hot water for 30 seconds, then put your wrenches on it and go for broke!

Just be careful not too scald your nuts with the hot water?

 

[Devisissy]

Ok fished it out of the garbage threw it in the freezer. Got my new wrenches ready. This is wild. I was comparing it to the others. It isn't seated correctly. When you tighten the others it's pretty level around the edge. This one has a larger than normal gap on one side like it's cockeyed.

 

[KrisReef]

Ok fished it out of the garbage threw it in the freezer. Got my new wrenches ready. This is wild. I was comparing it to the others. It isn't seated correctly. When you tighten the others it's pretty level around the edge. This one has a larger than normal gap on one side like it's cockeyed.

A bench vice to help force it backwards level might help.
I am out here in left field bleachers rooting for our home team on this. “Break that nut, you gotta break that nut!” What else can we do now that the Dodgers are out?

It’s up to this last swing, the tension is phenomenal.

 

[KrisReef]

The tension is reminding me of the time I had some difficulty with PepBoys using an air hammer to put on the lug nuts on my wife’s car. We had moved 400 miles away when I discovered that they had tightened the lugs so that I had to use a 5’ long cheater bar, jumping with my full body weight to get the nuts to break loose. I was so glad that I had moved away from them so that I didn’t have the rage to go back all those miles just to raze some mayhem on their storefront and any idiots who would come out side to find out what the trouble was about.

I was a real jerk back then but I guess I never got over that, did I?

I suspect that the miss threaded PVC fitting had the potential to cause a lot of swearing and disgust for the OP? In these situations I often pull out a metal mallet to apply the finishing touches to a stubborn piece, either it breaks loose or I frag it into submission.

I always want to see the insides to figure out what kept it from turning? Piece-out!

 

[KStatefan]

Ok fished it out of the garbage threw it in the freezer. Got my new wrenches ready. This is wild. I was comparing it to the others. It isn't seated correctly. When you tighten the others it's pretty level around the edge. This one has a larger than normal gap on one side like it's cockeyed.

Sounds like they crossthreaded it at the factory.

 

[rhitee93]

Sounds like they crossthreaded it at the factory.

Yup. I wouldn't trust that one to seal even if you got it apart.

 

[mfinn]

I agree with the cross thread idea.
Get a new one, this one will probably leak if you ever try and put it to use.

 

[Devisissy]

Hey kids! OK so we (the neighbors) were working on my prelude and we tossed the union in the cooler. We pulled that f-er out after a few hours and and tossed it some water that was fairly warm. Then I took the bottom end of my H22A (engine block) and set it on the nut. (the vise grip I have just would move it's not bolted to my bench) Then using a pipe wrench on the inner nut I locked on. Stuck a breaker bar on the end of the wrench then me and another guy pulled super hard, and another guy sat on the block, and SUCCESS! So after examining this thing it looks like the passive side is actually cross threaded. Then under even more examination, the union nut threads are bad. Like you all said it was cross threaded and they just kept forcing it on which ruined all the threads. So It is sitting in my shop next to the MR2's sister bolt. My wall of shame, things that have defeated me.

Side note BUY EXTRAS when it comes to pluming.

I just realized why people think I am a dude on this site. LOL! I do have some manly hobbies...LOLOLOL I think I will show case this thing in my build thread.

 

[KrisReef]

Hey kids! OK so we (the neighbors) were working on my prelude and we tossed the union in the cooler. We pulled that f-er out after a few hours and and tossed it some water that was fairly warm. Then I took the bottom end of my H22A (engine block) and set it on the nut. (the vise grip I have just would move it's not bolted to my bench) Then using a pipe wrench on the inner nut I locked on. Stuck a breaker bar on the end of the wrench then me and another guy pulled super hard, and another guy sat on the block, and SUCCESS! So after examining this thing it looks like the passive side is actually cross threaded. Then under even more examination, the union nut threads are bad. Like you all said it was cross threaded and they just kept forcing it on which ruined all the threads. So It is sitting in my shop next to the MR2's sister bolt. My wall of shame, things that have defeated me.

Side note BUY EXTRAS when it comes to pluming.

I just realized why people think I am a dude on this site. LOL! I do have some manly hobbies...LOLOLOL I think I will show case this thing in my build thread.

I am guilty of the immoral "Dude" image, sorry.
In fact, it is a simple mind trick that indicates (for me, anyway), that all reefers are just like me.

So glad we dudes have much in common, but gender isn't one that we should presume. I am noticing that we got to the bottom of this in a thread about crossed threads, and I am going to stop this nonsense and share my warmest feelings for any person who overcomes the crossed threaded plumbing fixtures that life throws at them! It is silly, but I am nearly ecstatic to read that the union has been parted and the presumptions posted earlier have proved themselves reliable.

TO Reliability on Reef2Reef!

Peace on Earth.

 

[Devisissy]

I am guilty of the immoral "Dude" image, sorry.
In fact, it is a simple mind trick that indicates (for me, anyway), that all reefers are just like me.

So glad we dudes have much in common, but gender isn't one that we should presume. I am noticing that we got to the bottom of this in a thread about crossed threads, and I am going to stop this nonsense and share my warmest feelings for any person who overcomes the crossed threaded plumbing fixtures that life throws at them! It is silly, but I am nearly ecstatic to read that the union has been parted and the presumptions posted earlier have proved themselves reliable.

TO Reliability on Reef2Reef!

Peace on Earth.

Oh woh no man I'm not at all concerned with being mistaken for a guy. I just think I have been on this site for like, I dunno 10 years or so and have always been treated like one of the dudes. And now that I am active again I realized, OMG I am one of the doods! I love it. If you all knew what I looked like in person! I love reefs and cars so a lot of my girlfriends just roll their eyes at me. Like last night, "Hey wanna come out to a show?" Sorry can't need to finish some work on my Prelude engine and get this dang union unstuck. Take my husband instead! BAHAHAHAH!

 

[BrokenReefer]

I read the subject as “Unions Suck” to which I would have agreed… that is all I have to contribute, I am not very helpful with this topic.

 

[KrisReef]

I read the subject as “Unions Suck” to which I would have agreed… that is all I have to contribute, I am not very helpful with this topic.

Me too, actually. I was at 3 Union meetings most of the day yesterday and I tend to agree with you. Problem isn't the Union pre se, it's that the Dood'S who want to run things are not typically as nice and thoughtful as the people on Reef2Reef can be, sometimes.

You gotta love them, but you don't have to pay them what they think they are worth.


Sorry for the off topic posting. The original Union Thread has been solved successfully with an engine block and a cheater bar and a lot of help from the neighbors there and on this board.

 

[BrokenReefer]

Me too, actually. I was at 3 Union meetings most of the day yesterday and I tend to agree with you. Problem isn't the Union pre se, it's that the Dood'S who want to run things are not typically as nice and thoughtful as the people on Reef2Reef can be, sometimes.

You gotta love them, but you don't have to pay them what they think they are worth.

Spoken like someone who is an Owner… which I am, Union commercial roofing contractor in IL. All of my employees are awesome and great people, the ones in the positions of “authority” are, we’ll say …. Lacking character.


Anyway, thread hijack over.