• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

How to freeze bushing ?

jimpad

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2014
Messages
169
Location
ky
I'm in the process of changing bucket bushings and I want to freeze bushings to ease reassembly. Local dry ice guy is out till thursday. Don't have CO2 fire extinguisher. I have nitrogen and oxygen tanks and road salt. Can I somehow use the gasses to freeze the bushings? If I use ice and water to freeze them should i be concerned about the salt causing corrosion between the bushing and bore? A better way?
 

digger doug

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
Messages
1,663
Location
NW Pennsylvania
Occupation
Thrash-A-Matic designer
Your nitrogen tank a liquid one ?
I've seen ice and alcohol, but IIRC it doesn't get cold enough.
 

jimpad

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2014
Messages
169
Location
ky
No, I think it's gas... looks like small welding tank.

Does the alcohol melt the ice?
 

Tags

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
1,640
Location
Connecticut
See if your local welding supply has liquid nitrogen. Works the best. Some places will loan you a suitable container to transport it in.
 

funwithfuel

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2017
Messages
6,003
Location
Will county Illinois
Occupation
Mechanic
Don't try that crap about "put it in the freezer overnight " it doesn't get cold enough and the .0005" you gain from that insufficient heat loss is gone 3 seconds after pulling it out of the freezer. Dry ice and liquid N draw so much more heat out of the bushing. It provides you with time to work. Good luck
 

JEVANS

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 7, 2023
Messages
125
Location
AB,Canada
I have used Liquid propane. But obviously you have to do it away from any ignition sources and in a well ventilated area ie: outside. Its a little hillbilly and I wouldn’t make it a habit, but it does work decent.
 

jimpad

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2014
Messages
169
Location
ky
Hopefully airgas has liquid nitrogen on monday. I'm usually a bit of a risk taker but the propane scares me.
 

funwithfuel

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2017
Messages
6,003
Location
Will county Illinois
Occupation
Mechanic
What I like to do, especially with tight interference fit parts. I'll throw the bushing/bearing into dry ice and listen to it scream. (Always get a kick outta that) When the screaming stops, I let it just sit in thete shedding heat. At the same, I'll run the torpedo heater at the work piece to bring the whole piece up a couple hundred degrees. .003" shrinkage with .005" expansion gives you more time and space to make the fit. Good luck
 

IceHole

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2023
Messages
941
Location
AK
Dry ice doesn't do much. Better than nothing though.

It's only -40*. From room temp, that's maybe a 120* temp drop which would shrink less than 0.001"

Nitrogen is around -300 to compare. Around 0.002-0.003" shrink
 

Tinkerer

Senior Member
Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
9,659
Location
The shore of the illinois river USA
From Wikipedia ;
Dry ice sublimes at 194.7 K (−78.5 °C; −109.2 °F) at Earth atmospheric pressure. This extreme cold makes the solid dangerous to handle without protection from frostbite injury. While generally not very toxic, the outgassing from it can cause hypercapnia (abnormally elevated carbon dioxide levels in the blood) due to buildup in confined locations.
 

IceHole

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2023
Messages
941
Location
AK
From Wikipedia ;
Dry ice sublimes at 194.7 K (−78.5 °C; −109.2 °F) at Earth atmospheric pressure. This extreme cold makes the solid dangerous to handle without protection from frostbite injury. While generally not very toxic, the outgassing from it can cause hypercapnia (abnormally elevated carbon dioxide levels in the blood) due to buildup in confined locations.

Guess I learned something, was always told -40*

That's around 0.001" shrink.
 

Tony Wells

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2019
Messages
660
Location
Tyler, TX
Occupation
HogZilla Keeper
I've used dry ice and acetone. Not as cold as LN, but better than most. And you can make your own dry ice. I have an attachment for a C02 bottle (must have dip tube) that makes dry ice "snow". The acetone also helps with heat transfer by contact with the warm object and dry ice. Bucket bushings would normally require quite a but of shrink. LN would be the best shot. Get some in a Dewar. Use in ventilated area. And don't strike the bushing while cold.

Handy list:

 
Top