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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Stripped Allen Bolt
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Message started by Kelly K on 02/21/21 at 11:49:13

Title: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Kelly K on 02/21/21 at 11:49:13

Hello all!
I’m a new rider and owner of a Suzuki 2013 Boulevard. When I purchased the bike last September, I ordered the bike online manual. This site and that manual have been very helpful. I wanted to attempt changing oil and spark plug. How hard could it be? I do both with my lawnmower.

Took the seat off, side covers. No problems. Was intimidated by taking off the fuel tank. Put covers and seat back on and called a mechanic. Asked him to change oil and plug and check out overall state of the bike.

Got the bike back, no problems. Until I tried removing the rear seat bolt. It wouldn’t budge. Used 5/32 last time to remove. Long story longer - I stripped it. Bought Speed Out extractor. Started with the smallest burnisher to drill. Flipped it and tried to extract. Ugggh not working. Moved up to #2.

Feel like an idiot, can’t get the bolt out. Don’t know if I haven’t drilled down enough, or if I’ve gone too far.

Any suggestions?

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by twhitus on 02/21/21 at 12:14:11

a few fairly easy options, you can file down both sides of the head so they are flat and grab it with some vice grips or use a dremel to cut a slot in the top of the head for a big ol honkin screw driver. i suppose if you have a welder you could tack a nut to the top and just use pliers as well. ive not had much luck with easy outs.

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 02/21/21 at 13:13:02

You can also drill the head of the bolt off (using a big circle rotation of the drill), remove the seat, and then remove the shank from the frame fastener with vice grips or just a plyers.

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Dave on 02/21/21 at 14:59:58

Yep - What Gary said.

Use a bigger diameter drill, and just take the head off. Once the head is gone the tension is gone, and the stub will likely be very easy to get out.

When you have been around this stuff for years and after doing this a 100 times.....it will be easy!

And - the screw is metric........you need to get a set of metric tools!

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Zepp on 02/22/21 at 11:53:03

6E6E6764706869607C050 wrote:

Dont feel as an idiot, its millimeters on this bike for every nut.. even Allen bolts!
And hapely, I live in Sweden and is a millimeter guy, and I still have very much problems removing my sadle and side covers.

To that I own a MTD US made lawnmover, so I altso have some few inch tools.

In any case Allen bolts are great, till they have broken heads.
Then one have to use bruth force, grind a bit and hamer it down the head, use a wrench of some sort, to get it lose, trow bout away and replace the bolt.

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Armen on 02/22/21 at 13:54:07

Large, left hand drill bit. And don't use inch size Allen wrenches on metric Allen bolts.

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Dave on 02/22/21 at 19:14:02

12213E363D530 wrote:

Large, left hand drill bit.

I am 65 years old and I have never seen a left hand drill for sale in any hardware store......I guess you have to shop in better places than I do!

If the left hand drill is so helpful - why do they even make right hand drills?

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 02/22/21 at 19:18:22

If the left hand drill is so helpful - why do they even make right hand drills?

Brilliant..

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by stewmills on 02/22/21 at 20:24:37

Do they have left handed hammers at that store too? Been looking for one for years for my dad who is left handed.

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Armen on 02/22/21 at 21:21:06

Left hand drill bits are my go to when I have a stripped fastener. Never use EZ Outs. Seen way too many of them break off and they are almost impossible to drill out.
Have a set in every tool box I use.
Check McMaster Carr.
Lots of buggered phillips head screw when you work on old Japanese bikes. More often than not, I can get them out with a LH bit.

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Armen on 02/22/21 at 21:30:49

A quick look on Ebay turned up hundreds of listings for left handed drill bits.
Unless it's really stuck, you'd prob whip that off like prom dress.

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by SoC on 02/22/21 at 21:40:49

So I guess there is a bit of poke at Armen here but left handed drill bits are not like the old "left handed smoke shifter" of the past. They are a real thing that is very helpful in broken bolt removal. Often they themselves will bite the thread barrel sufficiently to free it.

One of the biggest reasons for using it is if the broken bolt is in a blind hole, using a right hand bit can bind on the thread barrel and drive it tighter into the hole making it harder to remove. Or worse yet breaking the bit and now you not only have a stuck bolt barrel but a harden broken bit stuck into it.

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Eegore on 02/24/21 at 06:18:23

"One of the biggest reasons for using it is if the broken bolt is in a blind hole, using a right hand bit can bind on the thread barrel and drive it tighter into the hole making it harder to remove. Or worse yet breaking the bit and now you not only have a stuck bolt barrel but a harden broken bit stuck into it."

This.

I've had left hand bits for years and used them for this very thing. They are very useful on old very-seized tractor equipment.

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 02/25/21 at 11:29:14

Dremel a slot, screwdriver

Title: Re: Stripped Allen Bolt
Post by Dave on 02/28/21 at 17:20:30

I do have one of these for my battery drill - it works really well to get wood screws out that have stripped heads.

https://www.inspiredhousehold.com/products/screw-extractor4-pcs-5pcs-6pcs?variant=34282108190860