OK I was changing out the brakes on my bike this weekend, (96 honda CR) or at least trying to and the single Allen head bolt that holds the pads into the caliper stripped out completely. It is recessed, which makes it worse. Its really stuck good, i was able to lock some vice grips onto the shaft of the bolt, but the head is so stuck in the recessed part the shaft was twisting to the point it was about to snap in half. Should I just take the caliper to a shop and have them remove it? I dont have any kind of extractor set or anything and i really dont want to damage the aluminum caliper. can a machine shop or a bike shop or something get those out? maybe someone here has a way of getting this out? thanks in advance.
removing stripped bolt
- Thread starter keith500r
- Start date
I would soak it WD40 or some type of penitrating oil for a day or two and then drill it out and try an EZ out extractor or a left handed drill bit. If that does not work you and just drill a hole and make it larger and larger untill you can just break it all out of there. Just don't muck up the threads on the caliper with the drill bit and you should be able to clean it out and put a new Pin in there. becareful with heat as the caliper is aluminum and could warp. A shop will do it, but the bad part is you will have to pay. The good part about paying is not having to worry about it. The main thing with stuck bolts is to be patient. I assume that you are talking about the PIN. Its got a recesed hex head on it. You can order new ones that will allow you to put a socket on them. The also make them in stainless. Replace with the upgrade and add some anti-cease. That way you will not have
- Dec 26, 1999
- 19,765
- 1
Don't ya' just love the reaction between aluminum and steel or stainless steel? :silly: Had the same type of thing happen to me Sunday except it was a stainless bolt fused into the aluminum FRAME of my Montesa :eek: . I cut a slot in the head and tried a giant screwdriver, nope. Drilled it out for an EasyOut, nope it broke off in the hole! :scream: . EasyOuts don't exactly lend themselves to drilling so I made a 40 mile round trip to the nearest store for some tungston bits for my Dremmel to grind it out. Assuming it would booger up the threads I didn't buy a tap because I didn't know how bad the hold would get messed up. Well after about 3 minutes with the Dremmel the piece was but splinters on the ground and the threads were fine! Woo Hoo! So I just had to make the round trip again for a could of bolts that were reinstalled with Antisieze compound to assure this is not a problem in the future. So if your feeling lucky and have not had too much coffee this might be an option, otherwise take it and have it ultrasonically broken out if there is a place nearby that does it.
- Thread starter
- #4
its been soaking since yesterday, and I can fill the recessed part with lube so it just sits there. hopefully that will help. where could I get the stainless pin? really I think as long as i put it back with anti-cease it will be fine but id rather have a better quality pin. i get my parts online, and all I know how to find is the stock one. there are no good bike shops with a large inventory around here. this EZ out extractor, where would I find one and about how much do they cost? at this point I think id rather drill it so I dont have to take the caliper off the bike and to the shop.
Try here
http://www.mooseoffroad.com/images_gr/gr_brakes/brakes.html# Click on the pin (I'm not sure if they are stainless or not.
Also dennis Kirk or Scott Summers racing also sells them.
EZ out is a brand of exctractor. A left handed drill bit is just about the same thing. The EZ out you can pick up at Sears or an auto parts store. I would just call around. I think that I even saw a set at wal-mart (needed cheap metric wrenches for tool pouch). You could also try any specialty tool store in your area.
http://www.mooseoffroad.com/images_gr/gr_brakes/brakes.html# Click on the pin (I'm not sure if they are stainless or not.
Also dennis Kirk or Scott Summers racing also sells them.
EZ out is a brand of exctractor. A left handed drill bit is just about the same thing. The EZ out you can pick up at Sears or an auto parts store. I would just call around. I think that I even saw a set at wal-mart (needed cheap metric wrenches for tool pouch). You could also try any specialty tool store in your area.
I have gotten many stripped bolts out buy drilling out the center of the bolt and then getting some vice grips on it. By drilling out the center it releives some presure and the bolt comes right out. If that doesn't work go with the EZ out thing like the other guys said.
Peer Lovell
Member
- Nov 25, 1999
- 600
- 0
Unless you are really comfortable with doing this yourself, I would take it to a shop and have it done. One slip of the old hand and you're in for a big bill for new parts.
In the future, coat the threads with anti seize compound.
In the future, coat the threads with anti seize compound.
flykawasaki
Member
- Jan 10, 2002
- 33
- 0
broken bolt master
I have grown up around my grandfather who is the guy that can literaly fix anything. So I have had a good amount of experience dealing with these problems. I recently broke off the bolts in the pince clamps on the bottom of my forks. I drove all over town trying to get someone to try and extract it. I went to all kinds of heavy duty machine shops and the only place that would even try was a motorcycle shop. The succeeded in gettig only one of the two out. A few months later I gave the other a shot and got it out very easily myself. The key is CENTER PUNCHING THE BOLT. Harbor freight makes a set of punches that work excellent for this. They look like a solid cylinder with a pointy bump on one end. Basically its a center punch that isn't tapered which allows you to acturately center punch the bolt with having to guess using a tapered punch. I will try and find a web site to show you what I mean. The guys at the MX shop that worked on mine didn't center punch it well enough and the drill bit slid off and started digging into the side of the hole. Another way to get a center punch started it to drill it with a drill bit as large as the hole itself. Only drill deep enough to get low spot in the middle. This works because of the shape of the head of the bit and because you use a drill the same size as the hold it can't move around on you. Then use small drill bit (left hand if you like but not required) to drill a hold through the center of the bolt without hitting the sides of the hole. I assume you are not familiar with extration tools from the replies earlier. The reason for the left handed drill bit is that the spril works so that it drills when turning counter clockwise and the turning motion with aid in unscrewing the remains of the bolt. Once you get a small hole through the bolt pound an easy out (there are spiral ones and ones that look like a +... I recommend the spiral ones) into the hole lightly and then use the easy out to screw out the bolt remains...
I have grown up around my grandfather who is the guy that can literaly fix anything. So I have had a good amount of experience dealing with these problems. I recently broke off the bolts in the pince clamps on the bottom of my forks. I drove all over town trying to get someone to try and extract it. I went to all kinds of heavy duty machine shops and the only place that would even try was a motorcycle shop. The succeeded in gettig only one of the two out. A few months later I gave the other a shot and got it out very easily myself. The key is CENTER PUNCHING THE BOLT. Harbor freight makes a set of punches that work excellent for this. They look like a solid cylinder with a pointy bump on one end. Basically its a center punch that isn't tapered which allows you to acturately center punch the bolt with having to guess using a tapered punch. I will try and find a web site to show you what I mean. The guys at the MX shop that worked on mine didn't center punch it well enough and the drill bit slid off and started digging into the side of the hole. Another way to get a center punch started it to drill it with a drill bit as large as the hole itself. Only drill deep enough to get low spot in the middle. This works because of the shape of the head of the bit and because you use a drill the same size as the hold it can't move around on you. Then use small drill bit (left hand if you like but not required) to drill a hold through the center of the bolt without hitting the sides of the hole. I assume you are not familiar with extration tools from the replies earlier. The reason for the left handed drill bit is that the spril works so that it drills when turning counter clockwise and the turning motion with aid in unscrewing the remains of the bolt. Once you get a small hole through the bolt pound an easy out (there are spiral ones and ones that look like a +... I recommend the spiral ones) into the hole lightly and then use the easy out to screw out the bolt remains...
flykawasaki
Member
- Jan 10, 2002
- 33
- 0
Those punches are called transfer punches. Like I said getting the hold center punched well is the key and one more word of advice it use Anti - Seize lub on everything you don't use lock tite on!!!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3577
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3577
flykawasaki
Member
- Jan 10, 2002
- 33
- 0
What I meant was "The reason for the left handed drill bit is the spiral wraps the opposite direction as a normal drill bit and it digs into metal when turning counter clockwise. Since the bits spins counter clockwise when drilling it will have a tendency to unscrew the bolt instead of turning it deeper into the hole.
flykawasaki
Member
- Jan 10, 2002
- 33
- 0
EXACTLY,
I was very concerned about that when this happened to my fork because I wouldn't want the decidedly unWORKS look of having an oversized bolt if I had to rethread the hole and replacing the fork tube would be expensive.
I was very concerned about that when this happened to my fork because I wouldn't want the decidedly unWORKS look of having an oversized bolt if I had to rethread the hole and replacing the fork tube would be expensive.
flykawasaki
Member
- Jan 10, 2002
- 33
- 0
Send a pic if you like because often you have to really see what it looks like. Broken bolt situations are often unique. Also keep in mind you basically have one shot at this so you want to do it right the first time. If you have access to a drill press that is very helpful to keep the drill bit centered. Otherwise you may start in the center and hit the threads at the bottom because you weren't drilling straight. Wiith all that said its not really that hard. My fork bolt was my first attempt even though I've seen it done before.
