Stripped allen heads $#%@&%
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful SW Missouri Ozark Mountain Country
Stripped allen heads $#%@&%
I usually don't talk like that but I'm flustered!!
I get home tonight and shut off the bike. 1/2 hour later, go out to start the bike (taking my little girl to a volley ball game), and it backfired once and that's it. Wouldn't start. Pull plugs, they look good, got good fire. Pull the air cleaner to remove the gas line and blow back through it and find rounded allen head bolts. I was able to get 2 of them off, but the other one is stuck. I was able to get to the gas line and blow through it and got the bike started once I got everything put back together. BUT......
I think my problem is a vacuum leak. Lets refer to the photo.
This is supposed to be my setup. Although my filter looks like the one in the lower photo.
Bolt number "5" which holds the whole thing to the motor, pulled through the back plate and will not keep it tight. Actually it's a steel insert that pulled through and will not hold now. I believe this is causing a vacuum leak between the carb and the intake. Sohave another back plate off of a 94 Fatboy, which will have to have a fitting installed to be able to use my crankcase vent tube with it. No big deal. But I can't get the other allen bolt out (number "6" in the photo). It's got a smooth round head, so I can't get a pair of ViceGrips on it either like a cap screw.
So any ideas as to how to get the sucker out?
I get home tonight and shut off the bike. 1/2 hour later, go out to start the bike (taking my little girl to a volley ball game), and it backfired once and that's it. Wouldn't start. Pull plugs, they look good, got good fire. Pull the air cleaner to remove the gas line and blow back through it and find rounded allen head bolts. I was able to get 2 of them off, but the other one is stuck. I was able to get to the gas line and blow through it and got the bike started once I got everything put back together. BUT......
I think my problem is a vacuum leak. Lets refer to the photo.
This is supposed to be my setup. Although my filter looks like the one in the lower photo.
Bolt number "5" which holds the whole thing to the motor, pulled through the back plate and will not keep it tight. Actually it's a steel insert that pulled through and will not hold now. I believe this is causing a vacuum leak between the carb and the intake. Sohave another back plate off of a 94 Fatboy, which will have to have a fitting installed to be able to use my crankcase vent tube with it. No big deal. But I can't get the other allen bolt out (number "6" in the photo). It's got a smooth round head, so I can't get a pair of ViceGrips on it either like a cap screw.
So any ideas as to how to get the sucker out?
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
1.) cover the carb intake with a rag or tape
2.) use toothpaste or valve lapping compound ( grit) on the end of your tool
3.) use a dremel to cut a slot for a screwdriver in the head
4.) get left handed drill bits from the snap on truck to drill out
the 94 is for a "head breather" and may not mate up easily at the heads.
what about you get a hi flow air cleaner kit, either screaming eagle or ness ?
------- blow through gas line ?
like fuel line?
if you think your have a vapor lock problem, think about checking the fuel line routing, and make sure the fuel cap is vented.
---and you could alway blow into the gas tank to push fuel into the float bowl
intake leak, yeah probably if the carb isn't mounted tight, something will be leaking
mike
2.) use toothpaste or valve lapping compound ( grit) on the end of your tool
3.) use a dremel to cut a slot for a screwdriver in the head
4.) get left handed drill bits from the snap on truck to drill out
the 94 is for a "head breather" and may not mate up easily at the heads.
what about you get a hi flow air cleaner kit, either screaming eagle or ness ?
------- blow through gas line ?
like fuel line?
if you think your have a vapor lock problem, think about checking the fuel line routing, and make sure the fuel cap is vented.
---and you could alway blow into the gas tank to push fuel into the float bowl
intake leak, yeah probably if the carb isn't mounted tight, something will be leaking
mike
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 5
I'm just going to address the "remove" bolt issue. My best luck with a stuck bolt as you describe is to take a sharp, HARDENED chisel that it the right size for the task, a hammer appropiate to the size of the job, and then to "work" the bolt out by striking it to force it out in the right direction, in this case counter clockwise.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 12
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
Take a torx bit and tap it in there good, then using a hammer driven impact driver. That's what we use and it works 99.9% of the time. Harbor freight sells the impact drivers for around $20.00 and every bike mechanic should have one. Hope this helps.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 371
Likes: 16
From: Durham, north east England
Other things I've seen done (if there's access) are weld/braze/solder the allen key in the bolt or even Araldite glue and left overnight in one case!
Good luck!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,520
Likes: 57,070
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
I'll chime in also ... many times guys have had problems removing an allen head bolt ... be sure that the allen socket/wrench that you are using is in excellent shape ... if it looks marginal you can try using a hack saw to cut the worn end off of the wrench and try again ... I've had success with several times ... you could also use a bench grinder to grind off the worn end and clean up the edges with a file .... Good Luck Brother.
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
For future reference some metric keys are close in size to inch ones, but not quite close enough! Using the wrong key can start the problem.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Likes: 1,524
From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
I'm just going to address the "remove" bolt issue. My best luck with a stuck bolt as you describe is to take a sharp, HARDENED chisel that it the right size for the task, a hammer appropiate to the size of the job, and then to "work" the bolt out by striking it to force it out in the right direction, in this case counter clockwise.
Thread Starter
|
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful SW Missouri Ozark Mountain Country
1.) cover the carb intake with a rag or tape
2.) use toothpaste or valve lapping compound ( grit) on the end of your tool
3.) use a dremel to cut a slot for a screwdriver in the head
I thought of doing this last night, but if it's as tight as the others, I'll just tear the head up.
4.) get left handed drill bits from the snap on truck to drill out
I have a Snap-On left handed drill bit and bolt extractor set.
the 94 is for a "head breather" and may not mate up easily at the heads.
Looks like it will fit, but I will investigate it further.
what about you get a hi flow air cleaner kit, either screaming eagle or ness ?
In the plans.
------- blow through gas line ?
like fuel line? Yeah, sorry.
if you think your have a vapor lock problem, think about checking the fuel line routing, and make sure the fuel cap is vented.
Not vapor locked, but sludged up screen.
---and you could alway blow into the gas tank to push fuel into the float bowl
intake leak, yeah probably if the carb isn't mounted tight, something will be leaking
mike
2.) use toothpaste or valve lapping compound ( grit) on the end of your tool
3.) use a dremel to cut a slot for a screwdriver in the head
I thought of doing this last night, but if it's as tight as the others, I'll just tear the head up.
4.) get left handed drill bits from the snap on truck to drill out
I have a Snap-On left handed drill bit and bolt extractor set.
the 94 is for a "head breather" and may not mate up easily at the heads.
Looks like it will fit, but I will investigate it further.
what about you get a hi flow air cleaner kit, either screaming eagle or ness ?
In the plans.
------- blow through gas line ?
like fuel line? Yeah, sorry.
if you think your have a vapor lock problem, think about checking the fuel line routing, and make sure the fuel cap is vented.
Not vapor locked, but sludged up screen.
---and you could alway blow into the gas tank to push fuel into the float bowl
intake leak, yeah probably if the carb isn't mounted tight, something will be leaking
mike
I'm just going to address the "remove" bolt issue. My best luck with a stuck bolt as you describe is to take a sharp, HARDENED chisel that it the right size for the task, a hammer appropiate to the size of the job, and then to "work" the bolt out by striking it to force it out in the right direction, in this case counter clockwise.
I'll chime in also ... many times guys have had problems removing an allen head bolt ... be sure that the allen socket/wrench that you are using is in excellent shape ... if it looks marginal you can try using a hack saw to cut the worn end off of the wrench and try again ... I've had success with several times ... you could also use a bench grinder to grind off the worn end and clean up the edges with a file .... Good Luck Brother.
Still afraid to break something.
Thanks guys for the suggestions. I will report back when I've fixed it or made it worse.
Last edited by Gunslingertom; Mar 14, 2012 at 06:32 PM.