Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech stripped allen screw

Looks like I made a newbie mistake. Taking off my pipes and I stripped the allen head screw closest to the chain. Damn, it wouldn't budge. Any ideas? I'm just staring at it.

Thanks.

Vise grips!!!

spray it with some kind of penetrating oil and try it in the morning. Or take off the foot peg hanger, remove the pipe and youll have better access to grab it with a pair of vice grips. Good luck

Dremel tool, cut a flat screw driver slot.

drill

OK, If yer talkin bout the peg support thingy
it's kinda sunk in.
A BFH and sharp chisel will break it loose.
Oh, I have guys on my crew that think stareing at
something some how gets it done.
Wrong answer!
Even if it's the wrong way, doing something at lest
will teach you something!

Thanks guys. With enough pressure and some WD 40 I got it moving (this is one of the screws that holds the pipes on beneath the rear foot pegs). It's moving but not releasing. The directions from Thunderbike warned that this might happen, but say I need a gas welding torch to melt the thread locking stuff. This is beyond me. Has anyone else had this problem?

Naw, Remove the peg hanger, drop the pipe then
attack the stuborn SOB!!

Heat it, tap on it, and try to tighten it a little before
trying to loosen it.

Good Luck!
Uncle Charlie

It is probably not rusted on just locked up. Heat will do the trick, even a propane torch should help. After years of wrenching on hard used Jeeps and dirtbikes and living in a snow belt I have delt with tons of rust and stubborn bolts. If it is rusted try PB Blaster. Really great stuff. If it is really bad spray and soak overnight.

Liquid Wrench (oil) works great. Apply the oil, and tap the bolt gently but repeatedly with a wrench or screwdriver. It set up vibrations that allow the oil to penentrate.

Also, if all else fails, get a dull chisel and make a notch on the periphery of the bolt head. Then use a hammer and the chisel (in the notch) to force the bolt counter-clockwise. This always worked for me when I was a MC mechanic. If this still fails, and if the bolt head is in the open, a "stud remover" could get it out. That is a special socket-like head that closes and grips with teeth when turning counter-clockwise. Last resort-drill & use an "easy out". Since it is already turning a little, most likely it won't break off, just don't try to turn it to quickly, as the friction makes the bolt hot and can cause it to break. Go slow.

Not everyone has access to a mig welder, but I have taken a nut that just fits over the head of a stripped bolt and welded it to said bolt. Between the heat of welding and the bigger nut to grab, the problem bolt walks right out. I've used this method on broken studs as well.
I bought my little 110 volt welder 15 years ago and couldn't live without it.

Thanks to all. I finally gave up and took the pipe to the dealer in Ridgefield, CT. Then he couldn't get it off or even get another mouting plate off a spare pipe he had laying around. Finally, after a broken drill bit or two, he got it. Only charged me $10. Very cool of him.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

I think everyone was confused at to what screw you meant.
It appears you were talking about one of the pipe hanger bolts. Lots of them strip when trying to come apart, they actually break loose inside the pipe where there is no way to get to them.
Mine did the same thing, I ground the head of the bolt off and just slipped the pipe hangers off and installed the hangers on the Tpipes. Been there, done that.
Glad you got it off, now on to them ThunderPipes and get some face relaxing cream, you'll be needing it soon.

I don't remember those being allen head bolts.... design change? I had to dremel one or two of mine off too. Just tossed my stock pipes today finally. They were all rusty anyway...