If the gas nozzle is not properly cleaned, the operator will most likely use a large wrench on it to force it up onto the chrome water-cooled nozzle (front of the torch). This will seize up the gas nozzle in the torch, and will not come out without damaging the torch. In an attempt to remove a seized nozzle, a large wrench will again have to be used to remove the gas nozzle, and will end up tearing the front end off of the torch. If a gas nozzle cannot be threaded up by hand, it should not be put on the torch.
In case a gas nozzle does seize up in the front of the chrome water-cooled nozzle assembly, it is necessary to remove the assembly so that it can be held properly to avoid damaging it when removing the gas nozzle. On the top of the water-cooled nozzle assembly there are two spigots. The water passages run through these spigots and straight down the sides of the water-cooled nozzle. These passages cannot be seen from the outside of the water-cooled nozzle. If these water passages are squeezed with a wrench or vise they will cave in and cut off the water supply through the torch and to the torch’s water out & power cable. This will cause the torch to overheat; it will possibly cause severe damage to the torch and burn up the water out & power cable because cooling fluid will no longer be flowing through it.
When it is required that a wrench be used to grab the water-cooled nozzle, it is important to make sure that the jaws of the wrench are grabbing the water-cooled nozzle perpendicular to the water channels on sides of the water-cooled nozzle that are 90 degrees to the channels. This will avoid any pressure on the water passages and prevent them from caving in and restricting water flow.
In the factory, the water-cooled nozzles are placed in “soft jaws” in a vise that grab the water-cooled nozzle on the two sides 90 degrees to the water passages. This guarantees that the water-cooled nozzle will be grabbed correctly without damaging it, enabling the use of a wrench to remove the gas nozzle.
If the first two options are not available, the water-cooled nozzle can be placed in a lathe where the back collar is secured tightly with a chuck. The machine can be used to back out the gas cup.
Whenever a gas nozzle is removed to be cleaned or replaced, the threads of the chrome water-cooled nozzle should be inspected and cleaned as well, and chased with a nozzle thread chaser tap if necessary. Forcing the gas nozzle back onto the water-cooled nozzle will cause the threads to gall. If this does happen, or if the threads become damaged in any other way, they can be re-tapped with the nozzle thread chaser tap, and a new gas nozzle should be applied.