Trying to loosen a standard barrel nut on my spikes .22 upper and I can’t get it to budge. My wrench is starting to strip the teeth on the nut.

I’ve applied some heat and I’m sure I lubricated the threads when I originally put the upper together.

Just more heat. What did you use?

A lot of heat. Up to and including a torch. If there is thread locker on there, and there probably is, it will smoke when it burns off.

I'm confused. gibby29 says he put it on using lubrication. So presumably he knows if it has thread locker. I'd saturate it in penetrating oil like kroil for awhile. Then add heat. Lots as suggested. and make sure I have a setup to apply torque that is solid. That is always an issue when you don't have barrel lugs to use.

Yeah I should have read more critically. I assumed it was a factory assembled upper.

Kroil is a wonderful thing and useful to have around.

I’ll get some Kroil.

I did use a torch, I probably just didn’t let it get hot enough.

Thanks for the replies.

If you can get it, mouse milk. Nothing penetrates as well. You'll need to get it from an aerospace supplier.

Otherwise, kroil.

Mouse milk is on amazon.

Kroil

Let it soak overnight

Then try it

Borrowed some PB Blaster from my dad. It worked. Thank you for the help.

quote:

Originally posted by gibby29:
Borrowed some PB Blaster from my dad. It worked. Thank you for the help.

The next question - what kind of lube did you use? Guessing it didn't like the heat and wasn't lube any more.

I usually put a little high temp bearing grease on the threads. I probably didn’t use enough.

quote:

Originally posted by gibby29:
Borrowed some PB Blaster from my dad.

I love PB Blaster! Great stuff.

Glad you were able to get it freed up.

PB Blaster is good stuff. I had a RRA upper that I wanted a rail on but could not get the original nut off. I had a local gunsmith who said he would do it for $40.00. I came back a couple days later and he could not wait to get it out of his store. He never had a nut that was on so tight, that he had to use a torch and numerous other things to finally loosen it. It was the best $40.00 I ever spent. I don't know why some companies put them on the way they do.

With any penetrating oil it helps to tap on item to "vibrate" it so the oil seeps in better.
Don't beat it it but tapping often while soaking helps.