Rounded Bolt

[madmatt]

I was trying to swap the clutch/transmission oil in my bike today and the drain plug was rounded off. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to get it out? I am going to ride tomorrow and it would be a good idea if i could get it done by then. Thanks guys!

Madmatt

 

[David Trustrum]

Metrnich (sp) brand wall drive socket. Pushes on the walls of the hex instead of the corners & will hold on a little longer than std.

um, make sure you are turning the right way when upside down. :moon:

 

[Jaybird]

Vise Grips

 

[Rcannon]

six-point sockets are better for poor quality fasteners. You dont even need the whole set. 10, 12, 14, and 19 mm's will get you started.

i am not being critical of your bike. My YZ uses normal Home Depot issue grade 8.8 fasteners. Poor! The money was spent giving them the beautiful black finish.

 

[madmatt]

Thanks for the help guys. This was a yamaha factory drain plug that was brand new. I don't know if I just got a really soft one or what the hell happened. A guy at the local machine shop said that he could weld something on the bolt and turn it like that. Does this sound like a good idea with the aluminum case and all?

Let me know what the best solution is, and, where do you get a Metrench socket like mentioned above?

Matt

 

[RGalesi]

If the guy can weld something really fast, than the heat won't have time to affect the case. If he's not so good, though, it might not be a good idea. It did work for me, but it was the chain adjuster bolt...

 

[madmatt]

Hey, what do you knnow, I found the biggest pair of vice grips that I could find and loosened that puppy right off! Next time I won't tighten it so good!

Thanks for all you y'alls help!

Madmatt

 

[SFO]

I'd like to put a vote in for snap-on 6point sockets and wrenches.
No more goobered up bolts.
Reach for a 6point before things get sideways.
There is always a second where you think oh-oh...Then it is stripped when you keep going.
Stop at uh-oh, or huh, before you get to DOH!

 

[Jaybird]

LOL...I thought it was funny everyone giving him "pre-round" advise when the man needed "post-round" advise. :)
Also, I can't imagine welding anything to a bolt to get it out. (shrug)

I'll throw another vote for 6 point sockets.

 

[OnAnySunday]

If possible, depending on the location of the bolt i will (if vice grips fail me) get a flat file and "make a new head" on the bolt.
Then try to find a socket that will fit............ :silly:
Just a thought.

 

[KX'er]

how about a good way to remove a philips screw that is stripped? Like the one in the front brake master cyl?

 

[RM_guy]

Craftsman makes a real neat screw remover for when the head is stripped out. It works very good. I used to file a slot in the head and use a regular blade to remove it but with this little gem I don't need to anymore. It was about $20 and comes with three different size bits.

 

[a454elk]

RM you beat me to it, I've got a set of screw and bolt removers that I bought from Craftsman and they work like a charm. Get them, you'll need them someday!

KXer, warm that puppy up a bit and turn it then with some vice grips if you don't have the removers.

 

[SFO]

For phillips or allen head fasteners that are starting to get funky a few things I have learned are...
1, Make sure your screwdriver or allen wrench has a fresh cherry driver or end on it.
2, Give the end of your screwdriver a tap with a hammer to seat it further into the fastener and jolt the fastener free.
3, A dab of lapping compound on the driver tip will 99% of the time get the allen driver or screwdriver to bite and remove a crusty fastener.
4, Do the above before it is to late...
5, If all else fails, pull out your cordless drill and just drill off the bolt head, once the offending cover is removed you should still have some stud hanging out to unwind. Flat head fasteners on mc covers are notorious for sticking...

 

[WoodsRider]

Originally posted by KX'er
how about a good way to remove a philips screw that is stripped? Like the one in the front brake master cyl?

Drill or grind the head off and remove the shank with pliers/vice grips unless the threads are seized.

I've also found that left hand twist drill bits (they drill by turning counterclockwise) are great for removing seized fasteners.

 

[RM_guy]

Originally posted by WoodsRider
...I've also found that left hand twist drill bits (they drill by turning counterclockwise) are great for removing seized fasteners.

That's basicly what the Craftsman srew extractors are.

 

[Rcannon]

Phillips screws are silly. They were designed to "cam out" when the fastener became tight enough. This is why we all strip them and have difficulty removing them. Phillips also has three sizes 1, 2, and 3. One and two are common. Most folks usualy dont own a 3 sized screwdriver. Buy one. You will be shocked to see how many #3 phillips screws your motorcycle has.

Torx or Pozidrive are where it is at. I wonder why the factories dont fox this?

 

[KX'er]

Thanks guys!

 

[Jaybird]

I haven't used one in years, but an impact screwdriver is a great tool in some instances. It rotates as you hit it lightly with a hammer. It will remove screwed up phillips.

 

[FDR492]

Rcannon what exactly is torx? I hear alot about it but never made an attempt to learn what it is. To my knowledge it is some technology to help prevent stripping?

 

[Jaybird]

FDR,
Look at the adjustment bolt on your headlights.

 

[Ol'89r]

Originally posted by Jaybird

Also, I can't imagine welding anything to a bolt to get it out. (shrug)

.

Actually this works pretty good. Simply find a large nut that will fit over the damaged hex and weld down through the center of the nut to the hex. Let it sit for a few minutes while the heat from welding the drain bolt transfers into the cases. After the heat transfers into the cases it will expand the cases a little and make it easier to loosen the drain plug.

Also works good on broken studs and screws.

A little tip to help loosen those drain plugs. Take a small hammer and give the drain plug a sharp rap prior to loosening the plug. This seems to help release the initial grip that the plug has.

Just my $ .02

Hafta agree with Jaybird on the impact driver. This is a must for every dirtbikers tool box.