small allen bolt removal

[buntingmiester]

I 've picked up an old Pacific/ Div. of Hornady single stage press , and the lock ring ( split ring ) holding the die has a small allen bolt to secure the final adjustment of the die. Bubba REALLY tightened it, and I can't get it to budge. Tried Kroil/heatgun, Tapping the bolt w/torque applied the the bolt , all to no avail. Probably why I got such a good deal! Need specific remedy. Thanks in advance,..........buntingmiester

 

[oldwino]

How about one of those hammer type impacts with a bit? Maybe supplement with a good shot of Kroll

 

[Kaizen]

When I get to this point I cut it or drill it to put a bolt extractor or screwdriver/impact on it and just put in a new one. If the Allen opening is still good I'd also try the ones on sockets and hit it with a hammer


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[padroo]

Those impact drivers are a tool a lot of people don't know about.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_36882_36882?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Hand%20Tools%20>%20Screw%20%2B%20Nut%20Drivers&utm_campaign=Northern%20Industrial%20Tools&utm_content=15825&gclid=Cj0KEQiAuonGBRCaotXoycysvIMBEiQAcxV0nP_oQxxzxfeJEbAslccaBLvdBYu3IYbiRaNvxP7MJ-YaAvak8P8HAQ

 

[buntingmiester]

Thanks for all the info, the socket head is buggered up, and its position on the press precludes sawing it off. I have more than one size impact drivers, w/sockets, but because of the condition of the socket head it will not work. Guess my next option will be the EZE-OUT method, that failing, prolly have to drill it out. Don't want to mess-up the press body, as it is in great shape. Thanks to all, ..........buntingmiester

 

[padroo]

Irain makes a tool that a lot of people like

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...WABCPKua5lKVyAUPEnYdkMaIDzwKewc5iMaAhIa8P8HAQ

 

[Z2V]

Go at it with left twist drill bit.

 

[Basher]

Go at it with left twist drill bit.

I've had good results with this, in the past.
Failing that, could you get a nut welded on?

 

[blair683]

If you can, get a washer that fits around the head of the bolt to protect the press body. Then put a nut on the washer and weld the center of the nut to the bolt head. I've had great results getting broken manifold bolts out this way.

 

[bwringer]

Go at it with left twist drill bit.

Yup. Skip the "easy-out" -- it WILL break, and then you're really super-fooked with a chunk of undrillable hardened metal stuck in there.

Easy-outs are extremely brittle, and they are NOT stronger than the original bolt. If something is stuck because of corrosion, easy-outs won't do a bit of good.

A left-handed drill bit will very likely "grab" at some point and spin it out. If you're worried about the surface below the setscrew, add a depth stop to the drill bit.

If it's a smallish fastener and there's room, "Grabit" extractors can also work well.
http://www.aldn.com/Pages/grabitPro.php

 

[matt stott]

one suggestion before drilling (I deal with a LOT of frozen hex bolts at work):

Find a set of torx bits, pick the one that is just a smidge larger than your rounded hex head, then pound it in with a hammer. The put a handle over the now stuck-in-the-hole bit and turn the bolt out. Works most of the time, even with really, really seized up bolts.

Make sure the torx bit you hammer in is larger than the hole- you want to be cutting new grooves in the head here.


Good luck,

Matt

 

[Z2V]

I have JB-Welded an Allen wrench into a stripped out screw before. Hard to do on smaller sizes though.

 

[EOC_Jason]

You said you used a heat gun... But have you tried using something with a bit more heat???

 

[PWC Repair]

Done this a zillion times as the watercraft I work on have stainless allen head that get stuckin the aluminum. Heat the area around the bolt (torch hot) to help gain a little clearance and also "****" the penetrating oil in. Hammer in a quality torx as Matt stated. Then I use my cordless impact driver, tighten first then loosen. Sometimes back and forth a few times, maybe more heat, it will come out.

 

[Dr Stan]

You have a lot of good ideas to select from. Very early in my career I learned to remove broken/stuck bolts, most were in steam valves & regulators that had cycled who knows how many times.

The top three in my mind are 1) LH drill bit, 2) Driving in a Torx bit accompanied with heat (red hot) , 3) weld on a nut as prescribed. The back & forth motion suggested by PWC Repair is an excellent point that could be used with all of these procedures.

I have used easy-outs with good success, but if you break it off like the poster said then you're really screwed (pun intended).

 

[SteveCh]

tighten first then loosen.

Yep, give this technique a try before anything too complicated.

 

[joel63]

You have a lot of good ideas to select from. Very early in my career I learned to remove broken/stuck bolts, most were in steam valves & regulators that had cycled who knows how many times.

The top three in my mind are 1) LH drill bit, 2) Driving in a Torx bit accompanied with heat (red hot) , 3) weld on a nut as prescribed. The back & forth motion suggested by PWC Repair is an excellent point that could be used with all of these procedures.

I have used easy-outs with good success, but if you break it off like the poster said then you're really screwed (pun intended).

And to add to this, this kind of work requires a lot of patience. This is not a situation to try to rush. Sometimes, stepping back a little can prevent making a bad situation worst. Just my .02

 

[tony m]

Here is something that couldn't hurt, heat and candle wax http://www.chonday.com/Videos/rusnutcankj4

Or this compound that grips stripped out screw heads
http://align-rite.com/screw-grab.html

 

[buntingmiester]

WOW!!!.......... What a great forum , many good suggestions. I believe I'll try the candle wax trick first,because I have it on hand, also have a "homebrew" penetrating oil (equal parts, auto trans. fluid/acetone), that i haven't tried yet. I will post my attempts, and the results. Thanks to all for the help/advise.....buntingmiester

 

[Ign]

Yup. Skip the "easy-out" -- it WILL break, and then you're really super-fooked with a chunk of undrillable hardened metal stuck in there.

Easy-outs are extremely brittle, and they are NOT stronger than the original bolt. If something is stuck because of corrosion, easy-outs won't do a bit of good.

A left-handed drill bit will very likely "grab" at some point and spin it out. If you're worried about the surface below the setscrew, add a depth stop to the drill bit.

If it's a smallish fastener and there's room, "Grabit" extractors can also work well.
http://www.aldn.com/Pages/grabitPro.php

ALL OF THIS! EZ-outs are garbage and should be banished. A simple LH bit has a 99.9% chance of greater success than an EZ-out ever will.

 

[earthmover1980]

I have had to fight many a stubborn bolt, especially on Bulldozer undercarriages. Let me tell you, the oxygen acetelyene torch is your friend. Always heat the area around where the threads go in, not the bolt itself. Or heat the nut red hot then try it. If the hex is getting ugly, try a near metric equivalent. It may take up enough extra room to get a good grip. Then there's the cut a slot with a die grinder method. Then back it out with a screwdriver. As recommended above, the manual hammer type impact driver helps these situations also. Most important thing of all is be gentle.

 

[four.cycle]

EZ-outs are garbage and should be banished

We used to sell quite a few of them, and I never argued with the customer when they brought them back in pieces - I just handed them a new one.
I've never had any luck using them.

There is a company that makes a tool for this purpose, but I couldn't remember the name yesterday. Ran across it last night on Ebay:

"Sock-it-Out"

http://www.sockitout.com/

Similar to the "drive in a Torx bit" thing, but designed specifically for this purpose.
Don't know anything about them other than the fact that they do exist.

This is the set that was listed on Ebay yesterday:

SOCK-IT-OUT 4-pc Screw Extractor Set w/pouch
M3 M4 M5 M6
used
$11.99 + $4.95 shipping now. 0 bids now. ends Sat. 03/18
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sock-It-Out...146302?hash=item5b34b2a2fe:g:cNoAAOSw4DJYgqht

 

[matt_i]

McMaster Carr sells the sock-it-out. In many sizes.

https://www.mcmaster.com/#easy-out-extractors/=16qga41

Its a tapered end allen wrench, made slightly oversize so it gets tapped into the bugged hex with a small hammer. Now you have something to turn.

As above, the blue wrench (oxyacet) is the most powerful tool in the shop. Personally I wouldn't even try to turn it until I had the area visibly hot.

 

[My Old Tools]

Go at it with left twist drill bit.

This ^^^^

 

[TFerg]

If you want yet another trick, try using valve grinding compound in with the allen key. The grit makes the allen key bite hard. We used it all the time on german cars - VW/Audi loves allen bolts!

 

[FunkyfullWidth]

If you can reach it with a chisel give it a few good wacks.

 

[myredracer]

You can spend hundreds of $$ on tools and 'rs and 'rs of your time trying to get a stuck bolt out and along comes a guy with a lighter and candle wax. Huh...

 

[MarlynOC]

Had somewhat same problem with removal of wiper blade from boat as two different metals not being happy together. Was able to get a cutoff blade on dremel to fit in there and cut it.

 

[extropic]

When the recess (Phillips, hex, etc) is shot, I like the "Grabit" extractors. 100% success, so far.

 

[6PTsocket]

When the recess (Phillips, hex, etc) is shot, I like the "Grabit" extractors. 100% success, so far.

I totally agree. It grabs in the little dimple, drilled by the other end, better than any deeply seated easy out I have ever used. The only problem I have with them is the drill end seems to burn out very easily. I have resharpensd one and exchanged another. They come with lifetime free replacement. Send it back and they give you another one. Now i just drill the hole with a regular drill unless the broken stub is loose. The left hand drill on the Grabit rarely makes a difference. The only advantage of a left hand bit is that it won't drive a loose broken stub deeper. The broken piece or jammed screw is usually stuck solid and I have never found a left hand bit will break a seriously stuck screw loose. It will keep drilling or break. I have drilled all the way through and not budged a jammed screw. I have pulled screws with the Grabit and found the broken screw was really stuck to it after I got it out.

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[Bohdan]

The last screw that rounded the hex drive hole I used a nail about the same diameter as the drive hole, put it in a drill and ran the nail in the screw at high speed. The resultant friction heated the screw to red heat without damaging the surrounding surface and the screw released with just a flat blade screwdriver jambed in the hole.

 

[shepherd]

If it's not sunk flush, use a small cut off wheel on a dremel or air grinder to cut a flat slot across it, and then an impact driver with a flat bit....did that on the teeny rusted allen bolt holding my ABS sensor in my truck hub.

 

[stsmytherie]

When the Allen bolts on my CV joints rounded out (dull allen bit), I used these with great success:

IRWIN HANSON BOLT-GRIP Bolt Extractor Base Set

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CCXVZ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Edit: ah, I see that padroo recommended these all the way back in the second response. They do work well.

 

[four.cycle]

IRWIN HANSON BOLT-GRIP Bolt Extractor Base Set

I've got a set of those made by Craftsman. Worked great removing a frozen blade bolt that had a rounded-off head.

 

[DCarr2]

any chance we can get a picture?