One thing that wasn't mentioned. Use a larger drill bit, the size of the threaded shaft, and drill the head off. You can then pull the part and have access to the bolt which will usually come out easily then.
Also, go by a good tool store and check out some of the specialty extraction sockets. Some will grip bolts that are completely rounded or never had grip surfaces at all.

 

​​​​​​​Great idea...and the certain fix if the others don't work!

 

Years ago, took a part to a machine shop in Nashville that was operated by a fella partial to Harleys. All the guys I rode with back then recommended him as a guy who could make metal conform to his will Asked him to fabricate an axle to run my super glide front wheel on a wide glide and took my 9 year old son with me to pick it up a few days later. The shop was dark, greasy, and looked totally filthy, parts and tools everywhere. We saw him in the back, working on something, and walked in. I hollered at him, he looked up, motions me back and as we walk up, my son and I heard this man curse in tongues. I'm no saint, and to hear me in the garage sometimes meant stay away from dad, but what we heard was symphonic cursing. Filthiest, crudest, vile, straight from hell language, yet poetic in it's deliverance. After picking up my axle, it was a work of art, and heading home I realized my boy should have stayed in the truck. Well, my boy turns forty in two weeks and hasn't forgotten a word he heard that day, actually does a really good impersonation of one of the best old school wrenches I ever met.

 

The socket idea didn't work but the Mac torx pounded in with an impact on it did ! I have an arsenal of tools but drilling with left hand drill bits and extractors is usually the last resort and the rear bolt has very limited access .

 

Great story! I remember many of these old school shops, worked in one for several years as a part time gig, doing body work!


Don't know if you've checked out this show yet, but it promises to be interesting...'Garage Rehab', wherein Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage fame resurrects failing auto shops, much like the 'Bar Rescue' model...it's on the Discovery Channel, I think...not certain...Tuesday nights. A little of Rawlings goes a long ways, but I doubt that anybody doubts his business acumen!

 

I'll look for, thanks!

 

veekness & thecoach......I know we have hijacked this thread, glad he got his bolt out safely.


One more ole' story and I'll hush. Remember my Dad leaving the shop one evening, I was just a "pup" yet and he ask if I wanted to go, sure Dad, where we going. We're going to hire a mechanic that can work on these Triumph's and BSA's. OK, I hardly knew what a Triumph or BSA was. I was only interested in the mini-bikes sitting in the metric shop. Took me to a old garage that looked like a car garage until you got inside, then motorcycles everywhere. Heard Dad call out, Bernie, hey, over here. Nestled down between a couple of Harley's, this tall (6'2" or so) and skinny (maybe a 150 lbs. was this "tat'ed" up, greasy, long pony tail guy with oil dripping from his elbow said, how can I help you. Do you want a job, he looked around and said, I think I have one. Dad said, I'll pay you what every you want. He was at our shop the next day. Dad knew he had the rep' of being the best mechanic in our town and Dad would make money with Bernie. What I didn't realize was the education that I was going to get for the next few years. Bernie had the kindness heart of about anyone I have ever known, would take time and teach a kid to do simple jobs which would lead into major jobs. See, I would do anything for him just to please him so I could stay back in the shop. My mom would trust him to when he would say, I'll bring him home when we're finished. All this time later, 50 years or so, don't ever know what happened to him, but I sure wish I had kept in touch........farewell, Bernie.

 

Back together and running ..... and the little ball bearing others have talked about , there really is one in the new one !! Don't ask how I know . . .

 

This started thread started out on how to help a guy get out a dirty rotten stripped starter motor mounting bolt .... They can be a PITA to get to ,, All ended well.

It ended up with some Old School wrenching advice and stories from people that were taught and learnt basic mechanical skills from guys that were from a bygone era ...
As above , I was lucky enough to have one of these guys in my life ....
God bless all the Bernie's out there !!!!!!

 

Great to hear. Same thing happened to me a few months ago and, on advice from my local Indy, I got mine out the same way you did. They said they use that method all the time and it almost always works.