[krukster86]

Hey all,

I am lacking expertise in the use of bolt extractors, in that I have never used one before or shopped for one . Any brands from major retailers that you would recommend specifically for this type of use?

Next up: How exactly do you use it? I gather that you drill a pilot hole (very small diameter drill bit) in the center of the head and use the proper extractor to yank the f**ker out. The thing is, I am not looking to remove the engine from the frame, so can all this be accomplished?

Thanks in advance!
Mark

 

[Bird76Mojo]

What bolt is broken? If it's just a rounded head then I'll send you something to get it out. Or you can cut a slot in it and use an impact driver with a flatblade.

Posting a picture in this situation would help greatly.

GB :mrgreen:

 

[krukster86]

Its the screws on my engine casing, specifically the left and right crankcase covers which I tried to remove for polishing. I tried using a screwdriver to take them out after some liberal addition of liquid wrench, but they would not budge. Now the "phillips heads" look like diamonds now.

Took some pics, but camera did not like to take close up pics and they all came out blurry.
Best I could do:

 

[66Sprint]

OK...Lets do it old school.... You will need a #3 phillips driver, an 8mm bolt about 6 inches long, and a hammer.....
Place the threaded end of the bolt on the screwhwad you want to remove...
Hit the bolt on the hex head several good whacks with the hammer (until the "dome" of the screw head "flattens a bit and partially closes the "maltese cross" back towards being a Phillips "cross' again)... Then tap the phillips screwdriver in with the hammer WHILE twisting it counterclockwise... The phillips head screw should "break free" and unscrew... Steve
If this fails (it usually works) there is one more "cheat" to try....

 

[krukster86]

OK...Lets do it old school.... You will need a #3 phillips driver, an 8mm bolt about 6 inches long, and a hammer.....
Place the threaded end of the bolt on the screwhwad you want to remove...
Hit the bolt on the hex head several good whacks with the hammer (until the "dome" of the screw head "flattens a bit and partially closes the "maltese cross" back towards being a Phillips "cross' again)... Then tap the phillips screwdriver in with the hammer WHILE twisting it counterclockwise... The phillips head screw should "break free" and unscrew... Steve
If this fails (it usually works) there is one more "cheat" to try....

I like old school, it tends to be cheaper I'll give it a try

 

[crazypj]

Good idea cos if you break an extractor (and they break pretty easy) your in deep doo doo
BTW, that's the way I usually get the damn things out, except I use a flat punch instead of a bolt to 're-form' screw head.
'Lost' my impact driver probably 30 yrs ago and never replaced it
PJ

 

[Bird76Mojo]

An impact driver is a necessary tool, and I think everyone should have one. They do have their place. I've used the method Steve is describing and it works very well. I've also driven the phillips head into the screw to help reshape the cross. Then used the impact driver. The phillips heads (pack of like 20) are available CHEAP at Sears, in the bargain bins by the main isles. I broke a few, but it got all of the screws out.

The main thing to break them loose sometimes is by hitting them, you're actually breaking the bond that has formed over the years from being overtightened, stressed, frozen, thawed, etc. You'll hear some of them actually "crack" when they let loose. When replacing engine bolts I often use one drop of blue loctite and don't overtighten, and anti-seize on anything that will be removed frequently.. The sparkplugs ALWAYS get anti-seize.

Good luck man. If that fails there's always the dremel..

GB :mrgreen:

 

[MilestoGo]

Here's another technique that is extremely inexpensive. Get a pair of vice grips that still have a good bite and an accurate locking mechanism and very carefully grab the dome of the screw. When you're sure you're not going to prang the case with the pliers, put a little force to it and it will "pop" right loose. After the threads have been un-seated, take your screwdriver and finish the removal. This, of course, considering that you'll be replacing all the screws - the vice grips aren't nice and leave teef marks on the head.
I believe that the process why these screws and bolts get "stuck" is due to electrolysis between two different types of metal -- cases being aluminum and the bolts of some ferrous metal.

Tom

 

[Bird76Mojo]

I forgot to mention the galvanic corrosion. Good call Tom. That's why I swear by the anti-sieze. It prevents it pretty much completely. No matter the types of metal in contact with one another..

GB :mrgreen:

 

[MilestoGo]

OK...Lets do it old school.... You will need a #3 phillips driver, an 8mm bolt about 6 inches long, and a hammer.....
Hit the bolt on the hex head several good whacks with the hammer (until the "dome" of the screw head "flattens a bit and partially closes the "maltese cross" back towards being a Phillips "cross' again)... Then tap the phillips screwdriver in with the hammer WHILE twisting it counterclockwise... The phillips head screw should "break free" and unscrew... Steve
If this fails (it usually works) there is one more "cheat" to try....

Something to note: If you're working around the magneto/stator side of the engine, you need to take care not to whack the screws so efficiently as to de-magnetize the magneto. I've always been cautious of doing so after reading that you can render your magneto a big dead rotating mass if you hit it too hard...
I understand that you can actually change the polarization of the magneto if hit by another metal object. If I'm wrong on this, please set me straight.

Tom
GB,thanks for the call out...

 

[66Sprint]

Tom, Your fears are unnecessary albeit theoretically correct... You would have to strike the alternator rotor directly and extremely hard to demagnetize it...... Actually, striking the "puller" that is used to remove the rotor from the crankshaft (while it is screwed into the rotor itself) is an integral part of the removal process, and does not adversely affect the magnetism... Of course, if the puller is used correctly, the force of the blow is transferred to the crankshaft, not the rotor.......Nonetheless, the rotor is essentially floating within, and has no direct contact to the outer crankcase covers or those bolts.
Steve

 

[MilestoGo]

Point taken. We should all just bang away then. Oh-that doesn't sound very gentlemanly does it?
I just wonder what effect the PO of my CB160 33 years ago had when they attempted to remove the alternator by beating it with a hammer -- leaving about a dozon cashew shaped divots 1/16inch deep. The charging system has never been impressive and I'll soon put a new non-selenium rectifier on and see how that works.

 

[66Sprint]

Directly beating on the alt rotor could have damaged it.... Especially if they left divots.....But, I'll bet that it will still attract steel parts..... I may have a spare 175 rotor if that would work, I'll have to cross-reference the part numbers.... I believe the sloper and verts shared that part, and the sloper parts will definately fit a 160.... I'll check, cause now I'm curious.... Steve

 

[crazypj]

Something to note: If you're working around the magneto/stator side of the engine, you need to take care not to whack the screws so efficiently as to de-magnetize the magneto. I've always been cautious of doing so after reading that you can render your magneto a big dead rotating mass if you hit it too hard...
I understand that you can actually change the polarization of the magneto if hit by another metal object. If I'm wrong on this, please set me straight.

Tom
GB,thanks for the call out...

Nope, the theory is correct but I've never actually seen it happen (or heard of it happening)
I have seen flywheel magneto's where people got frustrated trying to remove them and beat the outer shell so hard the 'glue' holding the magnets failed (or heated them up with propane, oxy, whatever and destroyed them that way)
If you know how threads work, you know beating screw head actually loosens them.
If you did a development of thread you would have a ramp the angle of screw engaged length, the length would be the circumference of screw multiplied by threads (roughly speaking)
A 6x1mm screw will have a hypotenuse angle of approx 1mm high by 9~mm long.
Someone better at trigonometry than me can work out the angle in degrees (its same as helix angle of screw, I think?)
In effect you have two wedges going in opposite directions, wrapped around a bar.
It would probably be easier to understand with a drawing :lol:
PJ