Help removing bulkheads

dwillingm

Premium Member
Here is my problem... I need to remove 4 schedule 80 1.5" bulkheads. Unfortunately, they are mounted backwards, with the gasket on the dry side and the nuts inside the overflow boxes. I had a very strong person try to turn the nuts by hand, and they are not budging. I cant think of a tool that will fit in the overflow box to get some leverage. I considered trying to cut the nuts off, but they are flush against the glass and I worry about damaging the tank surface. Here is a picture of the situation. Any suggestions?
 

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It does appear they are siliconed to the glass. That said, I know I had one on my tank that only came loose after twisting the bulkhead side. But mine also has a piece of PVC glued into it so I had something to grip.

If they are siliconed, I would try to slip a razor blade under the edge of the nuts to break up all the silicon from the glass and then channel locks
 
A vise grips may do the trick; there are several kinds that could do the "reach around" pretty well. On the other hand, is there a chance the best choice may be to leave as is and adapt it into your plans? They do look fairly intractable.
 
I would say using a hacksaw blade by hand and cutting them off from the bottom is the only option I see.
 
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