Gas block STUCK ON BARREL. >:(

[early1900s]

My YHM gas block is stuck on my YHM barrel. I krylon'd it a few years ago and now I want to change it around a bit, so I started taking it apart. Well, the god damn gas block won't come off. I've tried a mapp gas torch to heat it up and then try to hammer it off with a hammer and a screw driver. No luck. I tried soaking it in a stainless steel pot with motsenbocker's liftoff #5, and hammering it again. Still no luck. I'm about to try soaking in xylene over night but if I use enough xylene to soak it up to the gas block.. well.. thats a shit ton of xylene. I need some sort of shallow pan or something to lay it in on its side so I don't have to fill it up that high. I really don't know what the hell else to do to get this thing off. Its driving me insane. I don't know what the hell to do!
http://i.imgur.com/ajLmwGg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/RkTCByi.jpg http://i.imgur.com/D0Phnbz.jpg http://i.imgur.com/K85csNe.jpg http://i.imgur.com/dXz3wTo.jpg http://i.imgur.com/WuhQHfx.jpg http://i.imgur.com/FXgPsvk.jpg http://i.imgur.com/AQLInnF.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ybirRss.jpg


After I wrote this I've tried attaching a VFG to the gas block and hammering it off, but it still won't budge.. and now the VFG is stuck on the god damn gas block too. I think I tightened it down and the part that the screw goes into is open to the barrel, so it might even be pressed into the barrel and fuck the barrel up too when I finally get the gas block off. I might have to try to cut the VFG down with a reciprocating saw to get it off. My allen wrench ain't long enough. :| Now I've dripped some xylene around the gas block so it can sit over night and I'll see if that helps any. If not, I'm going to pep boys to see if they have liquid wrench or pb blaster.

Anyone have any ideas so I can un fuck this god damn thing?

[Stooperzero]

did you remove the set screws???


a bath in PB blaster would help.

[iamtommyboy]

My first thought was to heat it...but you did that. The problem with heating the block while on the barrel though is that you will be heating the barrel too, thus negating any expansion of the block.

I think you're just going to have to break out the dremel and cut that puppy of. Carefully, of course, so you don't ding the barrel too much.

I don't think the krylon is the problem. I have had to chill my barrels and then heat my gas blocks on every AR I have assembled...it is a TIGHT fit, as it should be. Good luck, report back with results pls.

[early1900s]

Today I tried a bunch of things, including a sawzall (to cut half of the VFG off I attached to get some leverage when I was hammering on the damn thing.. which is now stuck on the gas block), klean strip, heat, and a hammer. No luck. I ordered some dremel mandrels off ebay for 6 bucks so I'm gonna try to cut the damn thing off, but I'm not sure how successful that'll be considering that one side I'll need to cut is right up against the handguard. I really don't know what to do about this damn thing. :/

[Daycrawler]

First I would soak the parts in Gasoline. The Krylon is probably acting like Super glue! Then I would soak it in Automatic transmission fluid and Acetone. (50/50 mix) Then try and disassemble it. Last but not least I would try and cut it off.

[Lycanthrope]

That should come off with heat. Take off the float tube and knock it off with a wood block and hammer.


Lycanbiggerhammerthrope

[Jhaydeno]

Dremel with a mini rotary cutoff wheel. Get 95% of the way through it with the cutoff bit and split the rest with a cold chisel so you don't nick the barrel. It's reall pretty easy.

[Bang]

This kind of a problem calls for a very sophisticated set of swear words. First off....God is always capitalized and damn has an ed on the end...ergo: God damned.

None of the above will be effective until you throw the God damned thing as hard and far as you can...preferably against a wood paneled wall of wood no longer available.

This gets you in the proper frame of mind where you no longer hesitate to use the right tools for the job...such as hammering with a number 4 diesel hammer, and adding acetylene to the gas from the torch.

After it cools down by plunging into ice water, ask your wife to give it a twist.
Works every time.

[early1900s]

That should come off with heat. Take off the float tube and knock it off with a wood block and hammer.


Lycanbiggerhammerthrope

Can't take the handguard off without taking off the gas block.

[theunrulychef]

First, take off the paint where the block meets the barrel if you haven't already.

Then, put it in the freezer for an hour or two. Break out the torch again & heat just on the gas block for 15-20 seconds or so. Then put the gas block in a vice (not too hard or you'll be clamping on the barrel and try to TWIST. Once you break it free with a twist, you should have less issues getting it off.