Broken clutch cover bolt, a lil help?

[CR-For-Ever]

I was going to polish my clutch cover so I took it off and polished it placed it back on and put frest tranny oil in, but I saw a tiny bit of oil dripping out the bottem of cover I figured I didn't seal it good enough so I drained oil in a clean container and took cover off and retighten it up but on the last one on the bottem where it was leaking I tried to tighten it really hard and the bolt broke.

So anyway I took the cover off and the one half is stuck in the threading of the motor and it's not sticking out enough to grab somting with it, I have no idea what to do I'm really stessin!

I know somone has been in this kind of situation before, so please help me out I have no idea how to get it out

Thx all,
Later

 

[Glitch]

If you have a dremel or small grinder blade, you can cut a slit in it so that a screwdriver can be used to remove it. Since the bolt only broke because of the cover, not from the bolt bottoming out or gettting stuck in the threads, it should be fairly easy to remove. Try a bolt extractor, they sell a bunch of stuff like that at Sears.

 

[john_bilbrey]

I'll second the Dremel idea. I had a rounded out allen head bolt in the same location (clutch cover). Using a Dremel tool to cut a "groove" in the head worked; I was able to remove with a flat head screwdriver. However, if the bolt is too far in I'd say that the Dremel wouldn't work - you'd end up marring up part of your cover or case. If that's the situation, Sears sells a tool called an "Ease Out" or something that will remove the old one - for about $20.

 

[biglou]

If the broken part of the bolt is at or below the surface, don't dremmel it! If you put a groove in that flat surface, you'll likely have leak troubles later on. If it is flush with the surface, or even below it, try this: Take a small center punch with a nice pointy tip-You can get these at WalMart or any tractor supply store for cheap-then use a small hammer and that punch and try to tap the bolt in a counterclockwise direction. If it truly is just sitting there with only the threads holding it, it should back out fairly easily. Be carefull not to booger up the surface where the cover goes, and take your time and be patient. Once you have enough sticking out, grab it with some needle-nosed pliers and remove it the rest of the way. Let us know how it goes!

 

[pyromaniac]

Drill a small hole in the screw and use that tool thats made for removing broken screws(dont know the name), its like a thread maker but with more normal screw threads but counterwise.

If that doesnt work i would just drill it out and put in new steel threads. I had to put in new steelthreads on every single damn thread on a old yz125 engine!

 

[grackle]

Applying heat to the casing should help loosn the screw if it stuck tight.  Also try using some sort of penetrating oil.  WD-40 works, but i've had the best luck with a product called Wintergreen.  It has saved my ass a couple of times.

The tool pyromaniac is talking about is called an easy out.  They work pretty well as long as the broken screw is only being held by the threads.  If the screw is bottomed out or the threads are galled (condition when the threads essentially weld themselves together.......usually from applying excessive torque) and you use an easy out be very carefull not to break the easy out.  They're made of hardened steel which means they are relatively brittle, and next to impossible to drill out.

If none of these methods work you try:

Drilling the screw out with a drill bit slightly smaller than the screw, remove the leftover threads with a small pick or a needle then repair damaged threads with a tap. 

Drill it out and install a helicoil.  If you go this route you can use their charts on which size drill bit and helicoil to use.

The last two are a little advanced and if I were trying them for the first time it definitely would not be on my bike.

Good luck. 

 

[grackle]

I just came across this website while surfing around and it has a good description of easy- out operation with pictures.  http://jaw.iinet.net.au/crustyquinns/easyout.html this is the link

 

[MrLuckey]

Easy out is an option but if the screw is loose you can probably get it to back out with a screw extractor. Sears sells a little plastic case with 3 or 4 sizes in it. Another way to possibly get it out is to spray it with carb cleaner or something similar, dry it off (compressed air works nicely), the put a dab of epoxy, glue etc on the end of a screw, press it up against your broken bolt, tape it in place until the epoxy or glue sets up and then back it out. This will only work if the screw is not stuck.