Help - before I really strip it

2007 RSV front right gas tank bolt won’t come loose and is stripping.

how do I get it out?

if I slot the head with a dremmel will the rest Of the head be strong enough to Handle the more than 62ft pounds to unscrew it. Just barely got the left side out

they were out 20,000 miles ago. Guess I should have replaced them with headed bolts then.

how do I proceed @cowpuc ?

thanks

VentureFar...

If I remember correctly they are 5mm allen wrench. I would take my best 5mm allen socket on a 3/8 drive extension and insert it into bolt and then pinch the outside with a vise grip and try to turn it.

If I remember correctly they are 5mm allen wrench. I would take my best 5mm allen socket on a 3/8 drive extension and insert it into bolt and then pinch the outside with a vise grip and try to turn it.

Thanks but the head is too strong to pinch.

62 lbs is way to tight. All I ever did was snug them up good. If you torqued them to 62 ft lbs I don't think you will get them out.

Neil can you lay the jaws of a pair of vice grips flat against the washer that is behind the head of the bolt?? So the jaw of the vice grip is perpendicular with the shaft/head of the bolt?

If you can lay that jaw set against the washer,, grab the largest set of good vise grips you have,, place the top jaw on top so when you are turning the bolt to loosen it you are pulling against the bottom jaw and pushing the top jaw.. Dont be afraid to get a real good bite on the bolt head, adjust the jaws so you can barely close them and snap it on.. Now break it loose..

If the above is not possible because the bolt head is in a tight spot I would take your dremel and cut a hex head on the round surface of the bolt head.. Do you have a set of verniers? If so take a socket that is close in size to the OD of the bolt head but slightly smaller,, measure the distance between the hex flat surfaces on the socket,, take a marker and paint the bolt head black so you have a surface to scribe into.. Now take the vernier tips and lightly scribe the socket measurement into the marked surface,, repeat until you have a hex head scribed.. Now take your dremel and using a cutoff blade remove the material to form a hex head.. While you are grinding, take the socket and occasionally check it to see how close you are. If it feels like it only has a few more thousandths to go,, put the socket on the head and smack it in place with a hammer,, drive it on there brother!!

Now take a hand impact driver and use it to loosen the bolt.. Put it on and smack it good..

Make sense?

I had very good luck with both of these methods.

1) Using a new allen in a socket set up , do not use a ball end allen. Use a hand impact tool and smack it hard.

2) Using a new allen in a socket up, do not use a ball end allen. Using a good sturdy breaker bar, apply force in loosening direction and smack the joint on the breaker bar so the shock wave goes straight down the axis of the allen.

I am remembering that I have an impact driver left from my teen years. I’ll try that first.

Venturefar...

2007 RSV front right gas tank bolt won’t come loose and is stripping.

how do I get it out?

if I slot the head with a dremmel will the rest Of the head be strong enough to Handle the more than 62ft pounds to unscrew it. Just barely got the left side out

they were out 20,000 miles ago. Guess I should have replaced them with headed bolts then.

how do I proceed cowpuc ?

thanks

 

VentureFar...

I would drill the head off. Drill bit approximately the same diameter as the bolt (5mm?). Drill only far enough to remove the head. this should allow you to take the tank off and there should be enough of the stud available to get a vice grip on. With the pressure of the washer off, it should turn out.

Two options here.

First is the allen wrench and vise grip idea.

From the picture it appears to be a stainless steel SHCS which usually is relatively soft comapred to an alloy SHCS.

Tighten the vise grips as tight as possible over the head with the allen wrench in place and then turn both the allen wrench and the vise grip at the same time.

Second option is to carefully drill through the center of the fastener.

As a reference the standard tap drill for an M5 x 0.8 is 4.2mm or a #19 drill (0.166").

You don't want to drill that big. What you want to do is drill out the center to relieve some pressure.

Start with something like a 1/8" or 9/64" drill.

Just make certain that you are drilling as straight as possible through the center of the fastener.

Will still need to use the allen wrench and vise grip to turn it out.

One of three things will probably happen.

1. The SHCS comes out and all is well with the world.

2. It completely strips out. If this happens grind the head off.

3. It twists the head off. If this happens grind the body off square.

Using this method provides an advantage in cases 2 or 3.

You already have a hole straight through the body of the fastener that was started in the center rather than have to try to get a hole in the center.

If the head twists off, odds are that an easy-out or screw extractor will not not work and you will have to drill it out any ways.

If you have access to a LH drill that is close to tap drill size you can try that.

Often times it will relieve enough pressure at some point and the drill will bite into the body and back out the remainder of the bolt.

Worst case scenario is you have to use a tap drill and re-tap the hole.

This must be done with care as it is extremely easy to get the tap started and actually cut out the existing threads.

In all likelihood it will be too soft to cut a slot and use a screw driver.

Good luck.

Argo

Always try the non destructive methods first.

If you can get at it, try the vice grips first. that is the fastest and easiest method.

Next choice would be a good hex bit in the impact driver.

62 ft lbs is WAY to tight, I am surprised that that much torque did not snap the bolt.

Are you sure it was not supposed to be 62 INCH Lbs?

I would drill the head off. Drill bit approximately the same diameter as the bolt (5mm?). Drill only far enough to remove the head. this should allow you to take the tank off and there should be enough of the stud available to get a vice grip on. With the pressure of the washer off, it should turn out.

Agrengs this appears to be the easiest plan B.

plan a is I found my 50 year old impact wrench. Just locating a 5mm 3/8 drive now.

thanks for the suggestion.

Or plan c. Just don’t change my spark plugs.

VentureFar...

I would drill the head off. Drill bit approximately the same diameter as the bolt (5mm?). Drill only far enough to remove the head. this should allow you to take the tank off and there should be enough of the stud available to get a vice grip on. With the pressure of the washer off, it should turn out.

Yep, that's what I,d do, and have done....

Next option I use a lot if it breaks off is to lay a nut over the broken bolt and weld it inside the nut. Almost all back out with no resistance while still hot from the weld.

If you're going to use the visgrip trick, put the grips on as explained, as tight as possible, then open them up, turn a wee bit on the setting of the grip, squeeze again, and repeat. Doing this 4 or five times will give a better bite on the piece involved.

Next option I use a lot if it breaks off is to lay a nut over the broken bolt and weld it inside the nut. Almost all back out with no resistance while still hot from the weld.

Is there a rubber grommet in the middle of that to melt from the welding heat.

That tab is also connected to a tank of gasoline, heat travels thru steel pretty good........

Sparks around gas always makes me nervous. I have seen what happens when the 2 mix.

Is there a rubber grommet in the middle of that to melt from the welding heat.

 

That tab is also connected to a tank of gasoline, heat travels thru steel pretty good........

 

Sparks around gas always makes me nervous. I have seen what happens when the 2 mix.

Thats why said after the bolt breaks off. If it’s broken the tank comes off with no problem and can be put safely out of the way.

Thanks all.

good news!

bolt came loose with my 1967 impact driver.

too bad no one suggested that I sell mine and buy a new star venture. Probably would have taken that suggestion. ..

VentureFar...

Thanks all.

good news!

bolt came loose with my 1967 impact driver.

too bad no one suggested that I sell mine and buy a new star venture. Probably would have taken that suggestion. ..

 

VentureFar...

As I am sure you already know my brother,,, you are ALWAYS more than welcome !!

Hey ya lop eared brother by a different mother of mine varmint,, you wanna hear something that should make you (it did me )? :banana:1967 is exactly the year that I bought my little hand impact driver from Boston Motors in Muskegon Mi.. As you know,, back in the day it was almost impossible to do any form of serious work on our motorcycles without this basic tool as EVERYTHING was phillip screwed down and it was standard practice to not be able to get the screws out without one of those little jewels.. Sincerily Neil,, it was my very first actual tool of my very own cause it was one tool that was not in Dads tool box.. Here's mine (See Pic)..

Glad it all worked out @VentureFar,, now get back to work writing another one of those awesome reviews for Ultimate (but ulimately for us!!!) and forget about that new one,,, your bike now has a brand new bolt in it that has got to be good for at least 200,000 more miles!!

Rock n Roll

Puc

I recently used my handheld impact driver to break loose 3 tiny screws on Taryn Manning's carburetor. Those little devils were insisting they'd rather strip their tiny heads than break loose with a screwdriver.

I will admit that I was nervous about cracking the carb body, but a few judicious taps on each one broke the surly bonds of thread locker, and out they came.

I gave the impact driver the MVP award on that one. They are incredibly useful.

Plugs replaced.

new front gas tank bolts installed “lightly”

Thanks all

VentureFar...

If you can lay that jaw set against the washer,, grab the largest set of good vise grips you have,, place the top jaw on top so when you are turning the bolt to loosen it you are pulling against the bottom jaw and pushing the top jaw.. Dont be afraid to get a real good bite on the bolt head, adjust the jaws so you can barely close them and snap it on.. Now break it loose..

 

If the above is not possible because the bolt head is in a tight spot I would take your dremel and cut a hex head on the round surface of the bolt head.. Do you have a set of verniers? If so take a socket that is close in size to the OD of the bolt head but slightly smaller,, measure the distance between the hex flat surfaces on the socket,, take a marker and paint the bolt head black so you have a surface to scribe into.. Now take the vernier tips and lightly scribe the socket measurement into the marked surface,, repeat until you have a hex head scribed.. Now take your dremel and using a cutoff blade remove the material to form a hex head.. While you are grinding, take the socket and occasionally check it to see how close you are. If it feels like it only has a few more thousandths to go,, put the socket on the head and smack it in place with a hammer,, drive it on there brother!!

Now take a hand impact driver and use it to loosen the bolt.. Put it on and smack it good..

Make sense?

This actually worked for me. Thanks!

This actually worked for me. Thanks!

,,, that brings my historic average of ideas that worked up to 11% !! You are more than welcome @BruceyE !! Glad it worked my friend:thumbsup:!!

Puc