How to replace this broken nut?

[Ron_Jeremy]

You're looking at a Paloma tankless heater.

Tried to tighten this nut to stop a slow leak but the nut just split in half. Yes, I have since found out I didn't need the teflon tape but that's incidental at this point.

I dunno what the term is, but the pipe is kinda flanged so even if I do manage to find another nut how on earth do I get it onto the pipe, or do I need a special tool?

 

[Jeff H Young]

hard to explain but basicaly gotta cut it and then rejoin it . i supose ordering new assembly impossible

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Breplum]

New assembly is only hope. which is no hope...time to get something new

 

[John Gayewski]

A plumber could make you a duplicate. Or if you studied up on tube bending and brazing you could make another. Or you could change the design a little and only match the connection dimensions and make another one.

I doubt any plumber would take the time to do this for you. I would simply for the challenge but it could be done. I did some time in a pipe fitting shop and we made some pretty goofy things, especially if we got to decide what we made. The office people decide and they would send you on your way.

 

[Ron_Jeremy]

I just spent the last 3 days looking for a replacement nut that has matching threads but no dice. Every plumber and plumbing supply shop I saw was baffled. One guy who was very familiar with these old Paloma units said he wasn't surprised to see non-standard threads considering the heater was made in Japan many decades ago.

Tomorrow I'm off to the big city to see if I can get a machine shop to fabricate a new nut for me. Are these nuts made of brass?

 

[Reach4]

I wonder if somebody could braze the cracked place on the existing line.

 

[Breplum]

I wonder if somebody could braze the cracked place on the existing line.

I wondered the same thing. I have ox-acetelyne big rig, and have made many joints, but by the time you build enough brazing rod up, you might have to mangle it with channel locks.

 

[Bannerman]

Directly behind the damaged flare nut, there is a brazed joint visible where the smaller diameter section of flared pipe is inserted into the S bend section of the larger diameter manifold. Perhaps the brazed joint may be disassembled to allow a new smaller diameter flared section to be installed along with a new flare nut.