Getting a rounded allen bolt out - any tips?

Hi all,

Per the thread title, wondering if anyone has any tips for getting an allen bolt out that has a (completely) rounded head? Will it have to be drilled out and then re-tapped, or is there some less painful way that I can't think of?

It is the one holding the very rear of the lower fairing panel on just behind the kickstand, if that makes any difference.

TIA.

 

I cut a slot in the head and use a flat head screw driver where poss.

 

Without wishing to sound like a complete idiot (which I can be when it comes to stuff like this...!), how would you go about cutting a slot in it? I did think the same thing, but was imagining i'd need a Dremel or something to do it, which I don't have (yet...)

 

As above,if you've got a dremmel you could cut a slot and use a flat screwdriver. Another method is use a slightly larger torx bit,hammer it in and then undo bolt.

 

Mole grips for me if you can get hold of it

 

Thanks both. I did try that with the torx bit but didn't have one big enough unfortunately so that just span (and made even more of a mess of it!)

Looks like a Dremel will be going on the Christmas list then...

Cheers.

 

Get a latex glove cut the finger off and place the allen key into it then try removing bolt with the rubber attached.You may need to double up on the rubber but it should remove it.
You are using the rubber to take the slack up.Good luck.

 

Unfortunately no can do where it is - the head of the bolt is dome-shaped to begin with, so don't think i'd be able to get enough purchase on it with any grips from the front only, and the fairing panel is in the way of going at it from both sides with a set of grips.

 

you get extactor sets for socket heads although they may be hard to find

 

They're M6 bolts I think so with a good drill bit you could put a hole thru it and use an extractor.

 

Ahh... not sure why I didn't think of this - I was trying to use elastic bands to do the same thing but they kept breaking. I've now made such a mess of it that I think it is too far gone for this to work. May give it one last go anyway. Thanks.

 

Again, probably a stupid question, but how does an extractor work?

I can see myself drilling the bolt out then having to re-tap the thread in the frame...

 

Get hold of a set of 'TORX' sockets and drive a suitably bigger one into the rounded cap screw. If it's too fragile to stand a whacking 'cos you can't support it from behind drill the head off with a bigger than the screw dia. drill bit. You can then remove the fairing and get a pair of 'Mole' grips on the rest of the screw that's sticking out.

 

If I remember right these bolts have a nice thick collar on them as well so should minimise chance of damage. An extractor is a reverse threaded bit that as it tightens starts to unscrew the bolt. You need to drill a small hole thru the middle of the bolt first,3mm max and you want it right in the centre.

 

Thanks again - extractor makes a lot of sense now that you have explained it, cheers.

Torx socket trick is probably worth another go, though as I say I have made a good mess of it already so not sure there is enough material left for it to grip on to.

Think I will hold short of trying to get the head off the bolt with a large drill bit (before using mole grips) as I am bound to go through the fairing knowing cack-handed me.

Will have a look around Halfrauds next time I am in the vicinity and see what I can pick up, either Dremel or extractor shaped...

 

get a dremmel,come in handy for a lot of different things.

 

There are lots of Dremel copies on ebay for a few quid, I bought one last year and has been very handy.