Heating to loosen parts

[AA961JESTER]

I am new to the welding process and am learning through this forum, books, and trial and error. I am using an oxy/acetelyne set-up. My question is as follows. I have a truck receiver that has the hitch stuck in it. Yes, the hitch pin was removed. I even tried chaining it to a tree to pull it out. What is the best way to heat up the receiver to loosen the hitch for removal? What type of tip and size should I use. Your help is appreciated.

[soccer coach]

Heat with your cutting head and get some bee's wax and put in to the crack between the two parts after you have heated the area. You should not need to get overly hot as mild steel is junk if you do. THe wax deal works for me most of the time,good luck.

[AA961JESTER]

I wasnt going to take the receiver off the truck. I dont think the bees wax will run into the crack, will it? any other suggestions. By the way what is to hot? What type of color should I see.

[soccer coach]

If you heat the crack the wax will go right to the heat. The wax will run up hill to get to the heat. Light orange not red or white. What are you wanting to do with the hitch? I thought you wanted it off. Another way to get something apart like that is to weld on the side of the part that is on the inside. Welding on it will make it shrink and will come right out.

[AA961JESTER]

My goal is to remove the hitch so I can use my adjustable drop hitch in the existing receiver, it is a class III in good condition. The truck will be pulling two different trailers of different heights.

[MOOSE]

I beat the s@%t out of mine with sledge hammer cuz tree didn't work.. It come loose.. GREASE the reciever to prevent it from sticking next time.

[lohr]

If you can get behind the receiver drill a 1/2 inch hole or 5/8 then get a bar and insert it through the hole and drive it with a hammer.

[MTS2357]

The wax trick works more times than not. If it is avalible to you, use an air chisel with a blunt tip to work out the hitch. Good luck

[Gravel Rat]

You better hook to a tree again and put some tension on it while another person hits the hitch insert with a 2-3lb hammer the viberation along with the tension will make that sucker let go. We did this to a buddys truck that had the same problem the insert was stuck in the receiver hitch we tried barring it out didn't work so we hooked it to a tree and I was the hammer operator.

I wouldn't heat up the hitch itself if you overheat one part of the hitch it could weaken it, you would have to get the whole tube the insert slips into glowing red which would be hard todo with a small torch. It can be real easy to distort something and you would ruin a good receiver hitch especially if you never had much cutting torch experience.

[micromike]

I use "P B Blaster" on stuck parts. Get it at any good autoparts store. The stuff is absolutely phenominal. It penetrates corrosion that nothing else was able to penetrate. Let it set overnight and I'll bet you could tap on it with a hammer and pull it out. Try it. You'll like it!

Mike