Yep, people are goofy. Trying to get something apart, get it to move, and then bind up, STOP, go the other way, oil it, play with it, don't go crazy on it.

I watched  three or four guys wrestle with an oil field connection for a long time. I knew they didn't have the horsepower to hurt it, even with the two big pipe wrenches and the long cheaters.

Sure, everything is right hand thread, BELOW the rotating table, that drives the drill bit round and round, but, Above that point, if it rotates, it's left hand thread. That way, if there was something that bound up, the connections would get tighter.

They were working on the swivel, gonna repack it,, and BOY did they have it tight.

I might've let them fight with it for an hour, I don't know.
Went over, studied the set-up, looking at it, the crew, hoping someone would get it.. finally asked the guy who actually Ran the rig,
Now, is that connection Above or Below the rotating table?
Those eyes told the story. Everyone was pissed at themselves And each other.


If it moves, but gets worse or just doesn't feel as easy as it should, Stop, lube, go the other way. Especially if you are pulling the plugs out of an aluminum head.

A guy tried to sucker me like that.. he knew the plugs were carboned up and they were too long. I started to back one out, it broke, then started to stiffen up,I put it back tight, tried several times, nope, snugged it up, called the guy, and told him that I won't be doing the tune up, after all.