Stubborn Allen bolt...any ideas?

#1

I am trying to remove a LSD. I have nearly everything undone except 1 allen bolt holding on the passenger axle. the bolt is stripped on the inside and round on the outside.

I tried vice-grips and even a small pipe wrench to try and break it loose. All of the others came out fine.

Any ideas??

Jason

#2

1.Make sure to soak the bolt from both ends with some penetrating oil and then try again with vice grips.
2.hit the head of the bolt with a hammer a few times to shock the threads, sometimes this loosens them up.
3. my favorite, use a flat file to make two sides of the bolt flat, then use a wremch that fits or the vice grips on it to get a better grip.
4. use a torch to heat up the flanges around the bolt.
5. Pound the next biggest size Allen wrench into the stripped out hole.

  1. NOT RECOMENDED but fun, sawzall the bolt in half between the two flanges. CAUTION this will destroy both the axle and the output flange on the diff but boy it feels good using a sawzall!!

Hope this helps!

Beer Tech Brian

#3

If the head isn’t recessed (I can’t remember) you can grind the head off.

#4

smack a torx bit with a hammer into it so it “creates” new points then try it

or you could grind the head off and use an ez-out

#5

BT Brian learned these tricks in prison, take his advice or fear the shank.

#6

arakele wrote:

[quote]smack a torx bit with a hammer into it so it “creates” new points then try it

or you could grind the head off and use an ez-out[/quote]

If you grind off the head you can get vise-grips on the shank after you disassemble it.

#7

here are some tips
http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/101-Projects-98-Bolt-Removal/101-Projects-98-Bolt-Removal.htm

#8

+1 - cut off with a grinding wheel and use a stud remover to remove the remainder of the bolt after you slide the half shaft off.

#9

I had one of those…I prevailed with the vice grips but is was tough.

#10

use vice grips and put tension on the bolt (stick a flathead screwdriver under bolt head, or better yet stick it between flanges)

#11

Sometimes these things require the most basic of approaches…

Have you tried to drop an F bomb on it?

#12

When all else failed, I did this on several of these on my prior Audi project car.

Get the tightest fitting allen socket you have that fits the ‘hole’. Pack the hole with valve grinding compound and then tap the allen socket into the hole. Add heat, penetrants and appropriate cursing. This worked on every one of the bastard Audi motor mount bolts.