Stripped front gas tank bolt - Now what??

[DAKn2]

Went to take the tank off this evening; one front side Allen head bolt removed with ease; the other one stripped like butter. Now what?

 

Can't grip the head with vice grips; tried three different styles/size with no success. Cutting off the head would do no good because the bolt sticks out about 1/2 inch into the gas tank mount. The gas tank mount doesn't seem to have much give to pry it from the bolt if all that was removed was the head.

 

Any ideas?

[flb_78]

Left handed drill bit and easy out set.

 

http://images.marketworks.com/hi/55/55124/cobalt_screw_extractor.jpg

[Monty]

Are you a good welder? If so, you could tack something to it real quick, then back it out. Cover everything else up first tho...and unhook the battery.

[YamaDuck]

Another option if you have a Dremel and a small cut off wheel is to cut a grove in it and use a flathead screwdriver to get it out. Be careful and have a steady hand and try to keep the grove as narrow as possible.

[Eck]

Using the removed bolt, take a pair of calipers and measure the threaded shank diameter of that removed bolt.

 

Next find a drill bit that is .010 to .015 thousands LESS- or- SMALLER in diameter.

 

Using a slow speed drill motor, drill into the center of the HEAD, of the stripped out bolt. The head of the bolt may come off and it may not but keep drilling and continue drilling into the shank of the stripped bolt until you have removed enough of the shank to get the gas tank off with out bending the tab on the gas tank.

 

Next, find a smaller diameter drill bit (about .025 smaller) and drill down the center of the shank of the un-removed bolt doing your darnedest to stay in the middle of the shank. Go slow...and straight...You only have to drill about .125 deep

 

Next use an EASY OUT and carefully try to remove the stripped bolt.

 

Once it has been removed, I suggest you use a metric tap and re-tap the hole to "chase" the threads.

 

Get a new replacement bolt and apply a little grease before inserting and tightening.

[Squeeze]

Pound a slightly larger Torx Bit (probably a TX 25 or 27) into the Head and turn the Bolt out. Apply Pressure against the Bolt while turning the T-Handle.

[LilBeaver]

Left handed drill bit and easy out set.

 

...

 

 

 

I had this exact problem a few months ago. I went through all sorts of things short of welding a pin to it.

 

Someone suggested to me the left handed drill bits, and boy oh boy, do I wish I knew about these a long time ago.

 

If you go with a LH drill bit, just make sure you keep that puppy centered and, so long as it hasn't been cross threaded or anything, it ought to back right out.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=41854

 

Your mileage may vary.

Edited March 19, 2010 by LilBeaver

[SilvrT]

I have this "impact driver" that I've had since 1975 when I had my Triumph and it is designed specifically for such instances. Basically, you hammer it and inside there is a cam that causes the bit to turn slightly each time you hammer, either right or left depending on what you choose. That thing really saved me a lot of stripped bolts on the Triumph coz in many cases, you could not break them loose otherwise.

 

Here's a pic of the tool...

 

[ATTACH]42929[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]42930[/ATTACH]

[Red Rider]

Craftsman sells a LH bit set that works sweet. Drill bit on one side and a twist on the other side that bites the inside of the bolt. Frist drill out the bolt then switch it around and remove the bolt.

[6m459]

In cases like this, I have had good luck with using my dremmel tool and a fibreglass cutting disk to cut a slot across the top of the bolt head in which I can use a wide conventional screw driver blade. You might want to soak some penetrating oil like Kroil into the threads overnight first to help out at the back end.

 

If that doesn't work, I continue and grind the head right off and then drill out the shaft of the bolt once I have a flat surface to centre punch and drill on.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Brian H.

[capn eddie]

Pound a slightly larger Torx Bit (probably a TX 25 or 27) into the Head and turn the Bolt out. Apply Pressure against the Bolt while turning the T-Handle.

like squeeze said this has worked for me in the past with most of the ones i had trouble with.

[V7Goose]

I would avoid drilling, even with a left hand bit, until all other options have failed. Although it can work, it is also fairly easy to drill off-center and bugger up the threads in the frame.

 

Easiest option one is to hammer in a torx bit as suggested above.

 

Next easiest option two is to cut a slot on the head, also as mentioned above, and try to turn it out with a big common screwdriver.

 

Third easiest option is to use an over-the-head bolt remover. These look a bit like sockets, but they have sharp edges that bite into the rounded corners of a buggered up bolt head. They may not work for a completely round bolt like this, but if you get one the perfect size you might be able to hammer it over the bolt head and have the ridges cut into the outside enough to bite. Another possible option is to distort the bolt head enough by crushing it in a couple of places with BIG vice grips to give the remover some corners to bite into.

 

Last option I can think of before drilling is to try a stud remover - I have no idea if they will grip something that short, but still worth looking at before you break out the drill.

 

Options 1 or 2 really should work - good luck!

Goose

[Red Rider]

With the easy-outs from crafstman you only drill out the part where the allen wrench goes into. Once thats cleaned out you flip the bit around and use the other side to extract the bolt. You never touch the treads. I've used them for years and they work great.

[SilvrT]

I would avoid drilling, even with a left hand bit, until all other options have failed. Although it can work, it is also fairly easy to drill off-center and bugger up the threads in the frame.

 

Easiest option one is to hammer in a torx bit as suggested above.

 

Next easiest option two is to cut a slot on the head, also as mentioned above, and try to turn it out with a big common screwdriver.

 

Third easiest option is to use an over-the-head bolt remover. These look a bit like sockets, but they have sharp edges that bite into the rounded corners of a buggered up bolt head. They may not work for a completely round bolt like this, but if you get one the perfect size you might be able to hammer it over the bolt head and have the ridges cut into the outside enough to bite. Another possible option is to distort the bolt head enough by crushing it in a couple of places with BIG vice grips to give the remover some corners to bite into.

 

Last option I can think of before drilling is to try a stud remover - I have no idea if they will grip something that short, but still worth looking at before you break out the drill.

 

Options 1 or 2 really should work - good luck!

Goose

 

And since I have one in my toolkit, I'd be using the impact driver as my first method. It does the same action as the torx but all in one motion and you can put a torx bit on it to boot. The head of the impact driver is non-metallic so no chance for a spark. But, if'n ya don't have one....

[The Black Pearl]

I BOUGHT A SET OF THESE A COUPLE YEARS BACK AND I TELL YOU WHAT I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING WORK SO WELL, I HAVE PULLED OUT STRIPED 4 INCH DECK SCREWS WITH NO PROBLEMS. ITS THE SAME BASIC PRINCIPAL AS THE CRAFTSMAN ONE BUT CHEAPER, ONE END DRILLS A SMALL CAVITY IN THE STRIPPED HEAD (AND SELF CENTERS) THEN YOU FLIP IT AND RIGHT OUT IT COMES EVEN IF THE HEAD IS GONE I HAD A BOLT SNAP ON A OLD MUFFLER AND IT STILL PULLED IT OUT GREAT STUFF JUST MY 2 CENTS

 

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2967894&kw=extractor&origkw=EXTRACTOR&searchId=47147526614

:smile5::smile5:

Edited March 19, 2010 by The Black Pearl

[DAKn2]

Thanks to all for all the suggestions.

 

Just a quick update in the "Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good" category -

 

Tried the slightly larger Torx. Pounded it in but it was just too rounded already and I ended up rounding it even more. Got the Dremel out and was going to cut the slot when I thought it might be rounded out just enough to now allow the next larger SAE hex to fit. Got out the Craftsman T-handle SAE (I figured if it broke I could get a free replacement), pounded it in with a hammer, and it gripped just long enough to allow me to turn it out about 1 1/2 turns before it too stripped. But now it was sticking out enough that I could get a good grab with the vice-grips and I was able to get it out all the way.

 

Fantastic!

[LilBeaver]

NICE

 

Don't you just love that feeling when you finally get it!!