What's the best way to remove this bolt?

[blykins]

I was trying to remove the mounting plate...the other two bolts came out OK....this one was extremely tight and I rounded it out inside trying to get it out with an allen wrench. I don't need the mounting plate, so I'm not opposed to taking a cut-off wheel and cutting around the bolt...but I'd rather do it the easiest way possible. Could I drill it out?

[southernfriedcj]

First skunk removal, now this?
Drill the puppy and use an ez out(left hand threaded tap type deal)

[trularin]

There are a few ways to get it out. Left hand drill works well. Die cut the plate and wrench it out. Drill and easy out ( the sides are tampered so drilling may weaken the wall.). Serated pin ( drill the hole out and drive a serated pin in the hole.

Hope this helps.

[misfit41]

try these two easy tricks first Brent,
first one {I bet this works} drive the next size up torx socket into the allen hole,force it,,the vibration will loosen it up,it may loosen and back out.
2 ,since you dont need the plate,be really careful with a thin cutting disc on your grinder,cut a deep square screwdrive slot in the head,then try a good quality ,well fitting 3/8 drive screw driver bit,dont use the 1/4 or screw driver inserts,they twist and spring too much.
I get LOTS of rounded allens working on harleys ,good luck,Tim

[PatBuckley]

Or try the next size up Torx socket with an impact driver.

But first spray some high quality Wrench Eaze onto it.

[Rick Parker]

Soak the threads for a couple of hours with some sort of penetrating oil (Liquid Wrench is a good brand) then attempt to install the next size Torx bit to enable you to turn it. If that fails carefully apply some heat to the tailshaft area where the threads are.

Rick

[ToyCollector]

Have you also tried a quick dose of heat on just that bolt and let it cool? I would do that, spray penetrating spray, then do the Torx trick, if that does not work in the following order: cut screwdriver slot, then probably easy out, and then as last resort cut the plate and try wrenching it.

[southernfriedcj]

Unsolicited opinion: as one who has taken a Jeep CJ8 down to the bare frame and half way back up(so far), Torx sucks! Or maybe 23 year old fasteners suck! Or maybe my tools suck! Or maybe my skills suck!
Or maybe torx fasteners suck!

[jmille]

Used this many times on Allen bolts up to 2" in diameter. Select a drill bit just a little larger that the thread size. Use the rounded out allen as a guide. Drill down until the head pops off, remove the plate and use a vice grip to remove the remains of the bolt. Allen bolts are often hard you may need a cobalt drill bit.

Jerry Miller

[TerribleTed13]

What about Ace Hardware or Sears and their bolt/screw extractors? PB Knocker Loose is a good penetrant.
Just my $0.02 worth. Best of luck anyhow.

[blykins]

I actually thought about Jerry's idea first...since I don't need the bolt or the plate...I thought about drilling...then I thought about just taking a grinder and scarfing the head of it out...

Thanks for all the help guys...I'm gonna eat lunch then give her a shot.

[ToyCollector]

Let us know what works for you.

[Chuck Nickloy]

Kroil, made by Kaino Products I think, is liquid wrench X 10. In my 35 years of wrenching nothing compares for quick removal . . . except the flame wrench.

In an extreem case, drill the top of the bolt off, remove the plate and weld something across the top of the bolt. Use the kroil along with modest wapping with a striking tool, give the penetrating oil a chance to work. Several mins. Wap a few more times while gently working the bolt both directions, while applying more penetrating oil.

Good luck
Chuck

[David Kirkham]

Surprisingly,

We use the Chuck Nickloy method--or variations of it.

Usually we will heat up the bolt red hot and then let it cool. We help it along by touching a wax candle on it and you would be amazed to see the wax wick down the threads.

We then tap rather hard on the bolt with chisel several times.

Drive in the torx bit and have fun.

When things get ugly, I weld a hex headed bolt onto the bolt and then very carefull back it out with a wrench--going back and forth.

When things get really, ugly...I bought a tap disentigrator. Burns the bolt right out an leaves the threads.

David

[blykins]

Well I'm in a pickle now...I soaked the thing in penetrating oil, then tried driving a larger allen driver in...got it in pretty snug, then used a 3/8" driver impact wrench and hit it with that. Nothing happened....spun the bit. More penetrating oil...cut two grooves in it with a cut-off wheel....drove the biggest phillips head 3/8" bit I had in it....hit it with the impact....same thing.

Took a cut-off wheel, cut the stinkin mount off...now nothing's left except a stud sticking out of the tailhousing. More penetrating oil. Took a pair of huge vise-grips....clamped down as hard as I could....can not budge the stupid thing. I'm afraid to try anything drastic....the tailhousing is still on the tranny....I've already put a couple nicks in it from a chisel....

[David Kirkham]

blykins,

You are welcome to send it to us and we will burn it out for you on our tap disentigrator. Shipping may be a little expensive, come to think of it. Probably $25 both ways. Heck, you send it to us, we will burn it out and send it back, no charge.

OR,

If you are like me, you have the !@@#$$% bolt in your sights and are not going to give up.

Take a torch and heat up the area around the bolt. I have got them red hot before with no bad effects. The bolt should then unscrew with the vise grips.

Of course, as soon as I tell you to heat up the tail housing with a torch, you will crack it...

So, if you want to send it to us, we won't mind.

David

It occurs to me people may not know what a tap disentigrator is. It is a machine that has a small electrode, (the size of the offending bolt, tap, drill, etc.) and it makes little electric discharges that burn away the problem. As the electrode arcs against the bolt, it melts part of it. A coolant flushes away the swarf and the electrode slowly decends down the hole until the whole problem is gone. The process is fast, 5 minutes, and leaves the threads unharmed. Really cool--but the machine was expensive--thank goodness for ebay!

[blykins]

Well, like you said...I hate to take the tailhousing completely off and send it away when it's just a stinkin little bolt stud...I'll get it out of there one way or another. Can I get it hot enough with a little propane torch? Our acetylene torch is a ways off, and I don't feel like packing the tranny around.

Will there be any ill side effects to getting the tailhousing hot?

Also, I'm gonna post another pic....could you mount the mounting plate with just two bolts? They're vertical of one another, so there's no way the thing could spin around...I'm thinking if it's a brand new shifter and linkage, and everything works freely, there should be no rotational force exerted on that stupid thing anyway.

Thanks for the offer David....I'll keep that in mind as a very last resort.

[blykins]

...

[Rick Parker]

If it won't budge after gripping it with some vise grips, stop before it shears and soak it with Liquid Wrench, then use propane torch to heat tranny around the stud, then hit it on the end and it should be able to be removed, just try not to shear it off, because then you have an entirely different situation to deal with. If there is enough thread, use two jamb nuts and an end wrench for leverage........just do not shear it off. Run a tap in it afterwards.

Rick

[KobraKarl]

What Rick said!!!