Strut insert nut

[shedhappens]

Hi, any tips on how to undo the 'nut' that holds the insert (or maybe the original oil damper) in the front strut? It's got 4 slots for i guess originally a special tool. I've ground off the peened lock and made a tool with castellations out of scaffold pipe but it still won't budge.

[sujitroy]

heat on the nut. that tool seems super strong

[alan_thomas]

And if you don’t succeed you may have to do what I did after exhausting every other method and, assuming the nut is the original alloy one, melt it out.
Drill a couple of holes thru the alloy to act as a vent because original inserts will try to squirt boiling oil at you. I warmed the tube and, with the strut upside down the oil poured out.
The alloy melted out very easy with a propane torch and then I cleaned the thread with a sharp pick.
like I say a method of last resort- Alan

[RNF]

You could purchase or make a Gland Nut wrench Gland nut wrench.JPG

Or you could use an air hammer with a pointed chisel end in one of the holes while aiming the chisel end counter clockwise. Somewhat like this:

[shedhappens]

Thanks all, got it sorted with an air impact wrench on the pipe tool after overnight soaking with PlusGas