[DeTomaso] Engine block heater hose nipple removal

[Larry Finch]

Doug,

I recently did this - for fun - on one of the $75 blocks I picked up this summer.

I found it not so fun.

The nipple is thin to begin with, and after 35 years is even thinner. Clamping onto it with locking pliers did not remove it
but instead collapsed it. Twisting the collapsed portion just twisted off little pieces and did not transfer the twisting
movement into the nipple section stuck in the block.

Trying to use a chisel to collapse a portion of what was in the block so the whole thing could be pinched smaller and thus break free
from the block didn't work. It worked just a little bit, but mostly just punched more pieces off. A lot of chisel work removed more pieces,
and did reduce the overall diameter of the remaining section a small bit. But by now it was flush with the block with nothing to grab.

I finally resigned myself to removing the pieces I could tear off to make the remaining piece as small as possible, and then punched it
into the block.  By this time, what dropped into the block was small enough that a magnet removed it, and the smaller debris.

Too late for my effort, but you might try inserting a proper sized socket or heavy wall pipe into the nipple at the very
start of your effort. That would prevent it from collapsing and pipe-jaw locking pliers might be able to twist and remove
the nipple - with some luck, that is. Prior soaking with a penetrant is of course step one.

Let us know if you find something that is more successful than my Keystone Cop efforts.

Larry