Frozen bolt on Pentair Intelliflo 2 VST

[jondoepoolguy]

We purchased a house with a pool at the end of season last year and noticed a little water around the pump when running. The pad was always a little wet but there were no visible leaks. Looking into the issue this season it appears there is a leak in the shaft seal.

When disassembling the pump to replace the shaft seal, I have been unable to remove one bolt (bottom left). As you can see from the photo, this is where the leaking was most prevalent. Any ideas on how to remove this frozen bolt?

 

[wgipe]

Kano Kroil Penetrating Oil. It is amazing. Hasn’t failed me yet - just have to give it time to work.

 

[JamesW]

Does the bolt spin?

 

[jondoepoolguy]

Does the bolt spin?

No, it's just stuck.

 

[jondoepoolguy]

Kano Kroil Penetrating Oil. It is amazing. Hasn’t failed me yet - just have to give it time to work.

Thanks! I'll try to get some.

 

[JamesW]

The bolt goes into the brass grommet. If you torque it too hard, the grommet will come loose.

If you can get penetrating oil into the threads, that would help.

You might end up needing to replace the seal plate if the bolt won't come out without damaging the grommet.

 

[jondoepoolguy]

The bolt goes into the brass grommet. If you torque it too hard, the grommet will come loose.

If you can get penetrating oil into the threads, that would help.

You might end up needing to replace the seal plate if the bolt won't come out without damaging the grommet.

Yeah so about that grommet... it came off:

 

[jondoepoolguy]

Yeah so about that grommet... it came off:

View attachment 315225

I wasn't able to get penetration oil into the threads (a family member nearby had some I could borrow) due to the amount of corrosion on the motor side. The plate looks pretty nasty even without the grommet problem. It was definitely a shaft seal leak. The bolt remained stuck in the motor housing due to corrosion. I had to use a high powered heat gun and a hammer to knock it out. Wild night.

I ordered (and overpaid) for a seal plate at a local pool supply store. I should be able to pick it up in the morning and get the pump back together. Thank you everyone for your suggestions!

 

[jondoepoolguy]

All replaced and no more leaks under the pump! Thanks all!