Help with frozen bolt

[Pennyrick]

We purchased the RAM cupholder kit from ISC for my wife's '10 RT. It is a great looking kit and should be a good addition.... BUT!

There are four 6 mm bolts that hold a clamp in place under the left side of the handlebar that need to be removed. Three of them turned out fine with the Allen wrench but one is stubborn and feels like it is welded in place.

The wrench has slipped off the head so many times that it is messed up and I can't get a vice grip in that small space. (see photo).

Does anyone have an idea how to turn that one out without drilling the bolt (which I really don't want to do)?

rickrae

 

[Y Rider]

I had a similar problem awhile back and used an "easy out". Not sure of the exact name but Lowes or Home Depot have them.

 

[Lamonster]

I would pull the others out and use a chisel and hammer to get the last one out.

 

[boborgera]

I would pull the others out and use a chisel and hammer to get the last one out.

:agree:Usually one or two good hits and it will spin out.:thumbup:

 

[Bootie]

Stuck Bolt

http://www.sears.com:80/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00952155000P?prdNo=12&blockNo=12&blockType=G12

:agree::agree:

 

[mdminc]

Frozen Parts

I have used Kroil from Kano Laboratories for years. I have loosened bolts that I could not get off with a three foot breaker bar.

Put some one, leave it for 15 minutes, put more on and leave it over night. I have never had it fail.

Good luck.

 

[Pennyrick]

Bolt is out Cupholder is installed

Here is an update on that stubborn bolt.

Went to Lowes and bought an Easy Out kit and tried to use it with our big Black and Decker drill... not enough room between the dash and the bars to get the drill into the bolt.

Back to Lowes to buy a smaller drill. Smaller drill is battery operated with not too much power. That bolt is hardened so I had to lean on the drill to get the Easy Out to bite. Result... no movement in the bolt at all.

Back to Lowes to buy a saw blade for the Dremel Tool. Was able to get a cross cut across the face of the bolt but did not have a flat head insert for my socket set that was wide enough to reach both sides of the bolt.

Back to Lowes to get a wider flat head. They don't sell the wide one as a single so I had to buy a complete set of socket inserts for flats, phillips, allens, etc. Leaned on the 3/8" drive socket ratchet with the flat head in place.. no movement on the bolt.

Took a chisel and tried to break the bolt loose with a couple of hammer blows (as Lemonster suggested) until my wife told me to stop beating on her bike's handlebars.

Back to Lowes to get a carbon drill strong enough to bite into the bolt as I finally decided just to drill it to oblivion.

As I pulled into the garage, my wife met me with the chewed up bolt in her hand. While I was on my sixth visit to Lowes she worked the chisel into the head and worried the damn thing out.

She now had the cup holder installed and it looks great. Here are a couple of photos.

There is a moral in all this somewhere.

rickrae

 

[Campverdefela]

Geeeez, all that for a cup holder. Good job wife, what would we do without them and believe me mine tells me that all the time....

 

[spyder3]

"There is a moral in all this somewhere."

Ride the bike to Lowes next time!!!:roflblack:

Here is an update on that stubborn bolt.

Went to Lowes and bought an Easy Out kit and tried to use it with our big Black and Decker drill... not enough room between the dash and the bars to get the drill into the bolt.

Back to Lowes to buy a smaller drill. Smaller drill is battery operated with not too much power. That bolt is hardened so I had to lean on the drill to get the Easy Out to bite. Result... no movement in the bolt at all.

Back to Lowes to buy a saw blade for the Dremel Tool. Was able to get a cross cut across the face of the bolt but did not have a flat head insert for my socket set that was wide enough to reach both sides of the bolt.

Back to Lowes to get a wider flat head. They don't sell the wide one as a single so I had to buy a complete set of socket inserts for flats, phillips, allens, etc. Leaned on the 3/8" drive socket ratchet with the flat head in place.. no movement on the bolt.

Took a chisel and tried to break the bolt loose with a couple of hammer blows (as Lemonster suggested) until my wife told me to stop beating on her bike's handlebars.

Back to Lowes to get a carbon drill strong enough to bite into the bolt as I finally decided just to drill it to oblivion.

As I pulled into the garage, my wife met me with the chewed up bolt in her hand. While I was on my sixth visit to Lowes she worked the chisel into the head and worried the damn thing out.

She now had the cup holder installed and it looks great. Here are a couple of photos.

There is a moral in all this somewhere.

rickrae

 

[johnnyrocket]

stubborn bolt

Here is an update on that stubborn bolt.

Went to Lowes and bought an Easy Out kit and tried to use it with our big Black and Decker drill... not enough room between the dash and the bars to get the drill into the bolt.

Back to Lowes to buy a smaller drill. Smaller drill is battery operated with not too much power. That bolt is hardened so I had to lean on the drill to get the Easy Out to bite. Result... no movement in the bolt at all.

Back to Lowes to buy a saw blade for the Dremel Tool. Was able to get a cross cut across the face of the bolt but did not have a flat head insert for my socket set that was wide enough to reach both sides of the bolt.

Back to Lowes to get a wider flat head. They don't sell the wide one as a single so I had to buy a complete set of socket inserts for flats, phillips, allens, etc. Leaned on the 3/8" drive socket ratchet with the flat head in place.. no movement on the bolt.

Took a chisel and tried to break the bolt loose with a couple of hammer blows (as Lemonster suggested) until my wife told me to stop beating on her bike's handlebars.

Back to Lowes to get a carbon drill strong enough to bite into the bolt as I finally decided just to drill it to oblivion.

As I pulled into the garage, my wife met me with the chewed up bolt in her hand. While I was on my sixth visit to Lowes she worked the chisel into the head and worried the damn thing out.

She now had the cup holder installed and it looks great. Here are a couple of photos.

There is a moral in all this somewhere.

rickrae

That sounds like my kind of luck, I did that at Ace hardware once, after the third time the guy at the store said he saw me get out of the car looking like I was ready to kill someone and he though oh oh what did we do wrong, we both had a good laugh and when I got home I fixed what I was working on. Thanks for sharing this story:roflblack:

 

[Havasu Rider]

And I always thought I was the only one that this type of thing happened to. :roflblack:

 

[NancysToy]

The Rule of Fours

The Rule of Fours:

For any given project-
1. It will take four times as long as planned,
2. It will cost four times as much as planned,
3. It will require at least four trips to the store.

 

[jomamma1]

OK, for a little "hind sight". Anytime a small bold or screw is stuck to the point of rounding off the head one should always stop and re-think what one is doing. Next, try first turning the stuck bolt/screw in the "tighten" direction" to see if you can break the bond and go back and forth from loosening to tightening. The next thing I try (and this has worked many, many times for me) is to apply heat. If an open flame is out then try a large soldering gun and apply the tip directly to the head of the bolt/screw. If all this fails then consider getting drunk and attacking the problem later after the hang-over is gone.

Joe in Modesto

 

[woodchuck]

stuck bolt

OK, for a little "hind sight". Anytime a small bold or screw is stuck to the point of rounding off the head one should always stop and re-think what one is doing. Next, try first turning the stuck bolt/screw in the "tighten" direction" to see if you can break the bond and go back and forth from loosening to tightening. The next thing I try (and this has worked many, many times for me) is to apply heat. If an open flame is out then try a large soldering gun and apply the tip directly to the head of the bolt/screw. If all this fails then consider getting drunk and attacking the problem later after the hang-over is gone.

Joe in Modesto

Take it from an old millwright. Like jomamma1 said, try tightening the bolt because when it moves just a little bit it will help with bringing the bolt out. I have done this many times and it worked for me. But as far as applying heat by the handle bars, be very careful.

 

[BentGamer]

Another method: "Tapping" the bolt/screw as you try to loosen it. Sometimes it takes 3 hands.