Grrr....please help me with a stripped Allen head...

[Briantime]

Boy...I really hate when I do um-day things like this.

I wanted to check the fluid level on my final drive after taking the bike out for the spring.

I popped the allen wrench in there, got it seated well and gave it a pull....no joy. I put an extender on the wrench and gave it a really good pull...good enough that I stripped the threads on the bolt and now I can't get it off :o

Can anyone advise me how to get this thing off now :confused:

[joevano]

Replace the final drive? :rotf:

Seriously, I feel for you on this one. I wonder if an easy out would work here?

[vernvernvern]

Boy...I really hate when I do um-day things like this.

I wanted to check the fluid level on my final drive after taking the bike out for the spring.

I popped the allen wrench in there, got it seated well and gave it a pull....no joy. I put an extender on the wrench and gave it a really good pull...good enough that I stripped the threads on the bolt and now I can't get it off :o

Can anyone advise me how to get this thing off now :confused:

Use a medium sized punch and a big 5 lb hammer. It'll bump it loose.

After doing it that way once, I now use the proper tool.

Good luck and get a new FD cap before you destroy the old one or you'll not be able to RIDE until you do. :bmw:

[grifscoots]

There's enough material to take a chisel and work it off. Righty tighty, lefty loosey.
For those that know me, you can see me mouth those words when I'm upside down and backwards working on something. Of course, the appropriate hand gesture is a must.

[ArthurKnowles]

Well you could always use a bolt extractor too. The grip the more you turn them and they make large enough sizes that you should be able to find one that will fit the hole for the allen wrench.

But I also have to say unless you were turning it the wrong way and tightening it that it must be really tourqued on there. If it is too tight, you may want to seek professional help to get it removed rather than risk damaging it further.

[Briantime]

Well you could always use a bolt extractor too. The grip the more you turn them and they make large enough sizes that you should be able to find one that will fit the hole for the allen wrench.

But I also have to say unless you were turning it the wrong way and tightening it that it must be really tourqued on there. If it is too tight, you may want to seek professional help to get it removed rather than risk damaging it further.

My wife agrees about seeking professional help :rotf:

I looked online at those extrator tools, not sure if that would work as this bolt sits nearly flush with the housing. It is torqued in there fairly well. Word of advise to others as dumb as I. Be careful getting that wrnech properly seated before giving it a good tug :o

[Daman858]

Had the same exact problem myself. I used a small set of vice grips and twisted the sucker off. There is enough of the plug to get a pretty good grip on it.

[grahamw]

First off get a new part organised. It could be that you have just 'deformed' the top part of the hex hole. Put the allen key or socket in and tap it with a big hammer. If that does not work move to a torx fitting that is a tight fit and drive that in to the mangled hole. Use a big hammer but tap it gently.

Regards

[rf253]

It as you say the thread stripped the only way is to drill it out and replace the thread in the block with a helicoil which will be a lot stronger.

[Briantime]

It as you say the thread stripped the only way is to drill it out and replace the thread in the block with a helicoil which will be a lot stronger.


Thank you. I am afraid I may have written the wrong thing in my original post. I stripped the Allen socket on the bolt, not the bolt threads.

It looks like I have a few good suggestions here. Thank you all :)

[rf253]

No worries Briantime.
Something to remember in the future it sometimes helps to actually try to tighten a screw first to 'crack' the bind on the thread before undoing them seeing as the socketcap is already stuffed there is a couple of other options Butchering it with a chisel and hammer can work but can also simply snap the head of the threaded bolt section altogether depends on how big a bolt/thread is or if able to get a small angle grinder with a thin cutting disc, cut a slot across the top of the head then use an impact driver to undo the screw that way the load is still applied straight down the centre of the bolt not a shearing action as a chisel does