Stuck Gas post on a Firestone keg.

[BrewKnob]

I'm rebuilding my 12 old timey kegs. 8 were cornelius, 4 were Firestone. I made it to number 10 without a problem.

The gas post is stripped and I can't get the socket to turn it.

Any suggestions?

 

[GPP33]

The hex is stripped or the threads? If it’s the threads it’s probably trash. If it’s the hex your best bet is to find someone to weld a nut to the top of it, the post is obviously trash.

 

[JohnSand]

If you're going to replace it anyway, (you should) try heat and a vice grip.

 

[mongoose33]

This ^

If you can't get a grip on the keg, you might try something like this:

 

[BrewKnob]

If you're going to replace it anyway, (you should) try heat and a vice grip.

What kinda heat? Hot water or flame thrower?

 

[BrewKnob]

Yes, I have brand new ball locks posts.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

Firestone kegs have a different thread pattern, so there's a chance someone cross-threaded the wrong post on there and then over-tightened it.

In tough situations, I've always liked a box end wrench over a socket, or using a bigger ratched or breaker bar on a socket. If the hex itself is stripped, you can try a slightly smaller metric socket to see if that gets a better grip. Or vice grips. Absolute worse-case you can grind down a couple of sides flat and then put the vice grips on it (at the cost of the post).

 

[bigtex52]

What kinda heat? Hot water or flame thrower?

Propane torch. Just needs to be hot, not red hot. You are just trying to get it to expand slightly. It's probably going to smoke when the seal in the poppet gets hot and that's hot enough.

 

[JohnSand]

I have used heat guns, torches and boiling water to heat parts. I think I put a pulley sheave in my grill once before installing it on a shaft. I would try pouring boiling water over it first, as that is least likely to do harm. I struggled mightily with stuck posts until I finally used a propane torch. That charred the rubber near the post, but it also worked.

 

[Upthewazzu]

use a cheater bar over the end of your wrench and have a [strong] friend hold the keg in place.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

 

[Toga]

If the bolt is rounded and the socket cannot grip the points you need a set of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001W02R0S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20