Trying to line up a 4-inch steam pipe flange in a tight corner was a nightmare

We were doing a retrofit in this old plant in Toledo, and the space was so cramped you could barely swing a wrench. The bolt holes just would not line up no matter how much we tweaked the hangers. What should have been a 30-minute job turned into a 4-hour fight with a come-along and a lot of creative swearing. Anyone got a better trick for stubborn flange alignment when you have zero room to work?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery_hall3d ago

Oh man, that brings back a bad memory... we had a boiler feed line in a basement where the only tool that fit was a tiny ratchet, and my partner had to hold the flashlight in his teeth. Sometimes you just have to walk away for ten minutes before the bolts decide to play nice.

taragrant2d ago

Holding the flashlight in his teeth is a whole mood. I mean, you just hit that point where you're using body parts as tools. Walking away is honestly the smartest move before you break something.

jamieh762d ago

Yeah, the come-along fight is a real special kind of Monday. When the bolt holes just will not line up in a tight spot, I've had luck with a different kind of pull. Try using a longer bolt, just one, and put a nut on it finger-tight. You can use that single bolt as a pivot point and lever the other side into place. It gives you way more control than yanking on a come-along when you have no swing room. Sometimes a little finesse beats brute force.