Hey

I am currently working on disassembling a Conti Prestina and making it ready for restoration, but I have run into a huge problem with something that just shouldn't be such a hassle. The little "water inlet valve-thing" in the pictures just does not want to go. I assumed that the smaller nut was unfastened and that it could be unscrewed, but so far the bigger nut on the outside, the one that seems like it is a part of the valve, has begun to loosen while the smaller one is completely stuck.
I'm beginning to suspect that some of the thread has been ripped when it was fastened, but there is no visible damage that would suggest that this thing shouldn't be removable.
A pretty simple issue it seems, but i just cant seem to get past this problem. Anyone got a suggestion, or worst case, knows where i can get a replacement inlet valve that fits a Conti Prestina?

1)Try bigger wrenches

if it doesn't work

2)Torch the fu@#$er

if that doesn't work

3)Torch it again and then spray some thread penetrating stuff

if that doesn't work

4)There's nothing that can't be solved by a grinder and a cutting disk on it. You were looking for a replacement piece anyhow...

Yeah, I feared it was something like that I would have to do. I haven't really torched a bolt to loosen it before, something that can be done without investing too much in gear? And what about ventilation when doing it. I work in a rather small "workshop" in an attic where there is just about zero airflow, would that be a problem?

Is the valve salvageable after such high heating? It's obviously been surface coated in something(chromed?). If it doesn't save it I'm leaning more towards just sawing it off, it's a small piece and it seems easier than to go out and get a new tool.

So you cannot loosen the nut on the far side of the sheet metal (away from the body of the fitting)? My thoughts:

- Hold the nut with a socket and turn the ell.
- If the socket is not holding or fitting well, grind off the rounded edges of the socket's face so that it grabs better
- Use a 6 point socket instead of a 12 point
- Using a rotary tool ("Dremel" et.al.) and a very small carbide bit, cut slots in the nut and split it by putting the blade of a screwdriver into it and prying.
- There is a tool called a nut splitter (Google link), but I am not sure if they make them small enough to fit that nut in space.

CoffeeBeetle wrote:Yeah, I feared it was something like that I would have to do. I haven't really torched a bolt to loosen it before, something that can be done without investing too much in gear? And what about ventilation when doing it. I work in a rather small "workshop" in an attic where there is just about zero airflow, would that be a problem?

Is the valve salvageable after such high heating? It's obviously been surface coated in something(chromed?). If it doesn't save it I'm leaning more towards just sawing it off, it's a small piece and it seems easier than to go out and get a new tool.

Well, actually you don't need anything fancy, even a lighter might do - though watch your fingers.. The idea is to heat either the body or the nut enough for it to expand and loosen up if only by a tiny bit.

Though I don't see why it would be so stuck - looks fairly clean. Have you tried a pipe wrench to hold the elbow and a "larger" wrench on the nut yet?

I finally got it! Tried something different and realized that it wasn't a single valve with a nut on the inside, but in fact two different pieces with a nut. I should have checked the drawings instead of going by gut feel, would have saved me a good bit of time.

Very nice, Magnus! I just updated where I got stuck with the same part to show your solution. Here's my original post with the update included.