I've seen an induction heater used several times by Davin on Hagerty's YouTube videos and couldn't find anyone that had mentioned this type of a tool on this forum. It can heat up a nut or bolt to be red hot in around 15 seconds without an open flame, unlike a torch. You can see one in action here:
While I have the motor out of the car, I'm thinking that now is an opportune time to do some exhaust repair, and something like this seems like a great option for manifold nuts and studs.
I've seen an induction heater used several times by Davin on Hagerty's YouTube videos and couldn't find anyone that had mentioned this type of a tool on this forum. It can heat up a nut or bolt to be red hot in around 15 seconds without an open flame, unlike a torch. You can see one in action here:
While I have the motor out of the car, I'm thinking that now is an opportune time to do some exhaust repair, and something like this seems like a great option for manifold nuts and studs.
Anders Bergman on the Delorean Restoration Facebook group had used this exclusively to remove a number of frozen bolts out of his engine with some high success rates.
I've tried one before, wanting to see how it would do removing an exhaust manifold. I found the size prevented me from reaching 90% of the areas that I needed to hit with it, engine in car, so it was pretty useless. In the alternative, I've learned long ago that just by running the engine up to temp, it is enough to loosen most frozen exhaust bolts or 02 sensors, and I had no problem. I can see a use for it if your parts are out of the car, on suspension or body bolts where you have plenty of room, but I couldn't justify buying one for under hood work. My decision was based on the multiple cars I work on, not on the DeLorean. If or when they ever come out with a "mini" version of this, I might revisit it.
When I needed to replace my AC dryer, this was exactly the tool for the job. Wasn't willing to put a torch on it because of the fuel tank and this was perfect for breaking up the corrosion that was holding the aluminum and steel together.
When I had stuck exhaust manifold studs the issue was that they had corroded to a point where they were flush to the cylinder head and needed to be drilled out. Interestingly enough, the switch to Eagle Premier manifolds used several different bosses than the DMC manifolds so I only had to actually drill one of the factory studs as best I recall.
I use one, but usually not on cars due to space restraints. Cars, I just use oxy with a small localized tip (if you're blowing yourself up, you're doing something wrong).
I could be wrong, but I believe to use the induction heat, it must go around the bolt head. (Or at least part of a broken stud) what I'm saying is you can't use it on a stud or bolt that is broke flush with the block. If you have a piece of stud or bolt head sticking out, you can just hook a jumper cable on it and make the stud/bolt red hot. You're basically doing the same thing without the expensive hardware. I've done this with my manifold studs with good success. After I did that, I reported it on here and someone mentioned the possibility of hooking a welder to the stud and doing the same as the jumper cable setup. I think this has promise. (The only thing I didn't like about the jumper cable thing was my battery got real hot)
I could be wrong, but I believe to use the induction heat, it must go around the bolt head. (Or at least part of a broken stud) what I'm saying is you can't use it on a stud or bolt that is broke flush with the block. If you have a piece of stud or bolt head sticking out, you can just hook a jumper cable on it and make the stud/bolt red hot. You're basically doing the same thing without the expensive hardware. I've done this with my manifold studs with good success. After I did that, I reported it on here and someone mentioned the possibility of hooking a welder to the stud and doing the same as the jumper cable setup. I think this has promise. (The only thing I didn't like about the jumper cable thing was my battery got real hot)
Your understanding of how it works is correct. The idea for me to use an induction heater is to use it in the prevention of broken bolts and studs. The other methods you mentioned are also very effective.
I bit the bullet and bought the induction heater in question and have so far had extremely good success with it. I removed all of the exhaust manifold hardware without anything breaking, as well as a bolt holding one of the engine mounts to the frame that I felt was getting ready to snap with how much force it was requiring. I heated all of them up with the induction heater for 20 to 30 seconds until they were glowing nice and red, then stuck a socket on them and tapped on the socket wrench with a mallet until they started to budge. It was a very satisfying experience. It's so cool that you can have such targeted heat. I didn't even melt the rubber on the engine mount bolt, not that I needed to worry about the old mount that was useless anyway.
In other words, I'd highly recommend such a tool if you're looking for another option besides a torch, jumper cable setup, etc.
Jared L.
June '81, manual, black inter. VIN 2087
Other cars: 2012 Toyota Sienna, 2007 Mazda 6, 1999 Jeep Cherokee
DeLorean blog: http://deloreanblog.blogspot.com/
Jared,
I was glad to hear of your positive experience with the induction tool. I was interested a couple of years ago but the the units were $500 plus. Now I see the Solary Magnetic unit at a fairly reasonable price. Is this the unit you're using? It's a handheld but somewhat large. Do you have any comments regarding the criticism that it's too cumbersome for auto work?
Jared,
I was glad to hear of your positive experience with the induction tool. I was interested a couple of years ago but the the units were $500 plus. Now I see the Solary Magnetic unit at a fairly reasonable price. Is this the unit you're using? It's a handheld but somewhat large. Do you have any comments regarding the criticism that it's too cumbersome for auto work?
Thanks in advance.
Ron
I am using the Solary unit and it is large. I can imagine that it may be too long or thick to use for hard to reach bolts. In my case, I have only had to use it on bolts that I have had clear access to with the engine out of the car, such as the manifold bolts and the engine mount bolts. The coils can bend to get into harder to reach areas, but I didn't have to tweak them at all for my applications.
Jared L.
June '81, manual, black inter. VIN 2087
Other cars: 2012 Toyota Sienna, 2007 Mazda 6, 1999 Jeep Cherokee
DeLorean blog: http://deloreanblog.blogspot.com/
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Originally Posted by Stainless
