HELP ME PLEASE: how to remover a stripped allen screw

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HELP ME PLEASE: how to remover a stripped allen screw
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flag jagarcia89
O+
Posted: Nov 12, 2010 at 9:24 Quote
norcorider121 wrote:
TeeRex wrote:
There's also the ghetto method if the screw head is not recessed. Carefully cut a slot in the screw head with a hacksaw, then use a large flat bladed screwdriver to unscrew it.

But using extractors is the better method, as people have already stated.
+1 , i have down this a few times with stripped star shaped disc break bold ones.. take less then 2 minutes and has not failed me yet

cant do this because the top cap bolt sits recessed down in the top cap
flag altrac
Posted: Nov 15, 2010 at 0:23 Quote
TeeRex wrote:
jonbikes wrote:
Simple fix requires a 2 page debate? .

2 pages??? That's nothing, you should check out the 8 page thread on Rotorburn on the stuck pedal. Very entertaining.

Now that I understand what the problem is, to the OP, if you refuse to follow all the good advice in this thread and just get some Easiouts (The Hoover of screw extractors) you could also just take the bolt head and top cap off with an angle grinder, destroying the top cap and bolt in the process, then punch the star nut out the bottom of the steerer tube from the top. This would also be the end of the star nut. You would then just need to buy a new star nut, top cap and bolt (all pretty cheap parts) then refit.

In case you hadn't gathered, this is a very agricultural solution. But it would work.

Really - take it to your LBS.

Agricultural solutions are the best solutions!
flag TeeRex
Posted: Nov 15, 2010 at 3:01 Quote
sk8kid33 wrote:
norcorider121 wrote:
TeeRex wrote:
There's also the ghetto method if the screw head is not recessed. Carefully cut a slot in the screw head with a hacksaw, then use a large flat bladed screwdriver to unscrew it.

But using extractors is the better method, as people have already stated.
+1 , i have down this a few times with stripped star shaped disc break bold ones.. take less then 2 minutes and has not failed me yet

cant do this because the top cap bolt sits recessed down in the top cap

Well, strictly speaking he actually could, but it would be the end of the road for the top cap (as you imply), because he would have to saw through it and the bolt head.

Now that I think about it, that's a little bit less agricultural than my other suggestion involving the angle grinder.....and it would save the star nut....and it would be cheaper than a set of screw extractors....
flag DARTHVADER7
Posted: Nov 22, 2010 at 16:55 Quote
well i got the screw off by cutting into and screwing it out, thanks for the tips. but after i did that and switched forks, the damn steerer tube snapped on my argyle
flag TeeRex
Posted: Nov 22, 2010 at 17:45 Quote
DARTHVADER7 wrote:
well i got the screw off by cutting into and screwing it out, thanks for the tips. but after i did that and switched forks, the damn steerer tube snapped on my argyle

Bugger... after all that, how annoying. Hope you didn't axe yourself when it happened.
flag DARTHVADER7
Posted: Nov 22, 2010 at 18:48 Quote
TeeRex wrote:
DARTHVADER7 wrote:
well i got the screw off by cutting into and screwing it out, thanks for the tips. but after i did that and switched forks, the damn steerer tube snapped on my argyle

Bugger... after all that, how annoying. Hope you didn't axe yourself when it happened.

i know right. luckily i was fine, i couldnt believe it happened, i just walked off my bike and sat down and looked at it
flag altrac
Posted: Nov 23, 2010 at 0:21 Quote
DARTHVADER7 wrote:
TeeRex wrote:
DARTHVADER7 wrote:
well i got the screw off by cutting into and screwing it out, thanks for the tips. but after i did that and switched forks, the damn steerer tube snapped on my argyle

Bugger... after all that, how annoying. Hope you didn't axe yourself when it happened.

i know right. luckily i was fine, i couldnt believe it happened, i just walked off my bike and sat down and looked at it

What you mean you didn't kick it and walk off in a bad mood. That's what I would have done!
flag DARTHVADER7
Posted: Nov 23, 2010 at 9:07 Quote
altrac wrote:
DARTHVADER7 wrote:
TeeRex wrote:


Bugger... after all that, how annoying. Hope you didn't axe yourself when it happened.

i know right. luckily i was fine, i couldnt believe it happened, i just walked off my bike and sat down and looked at it

What you mean you didn't kick it and walk off in a bad mood. That's what I would have done!

i almost pick it up and threw it, but then i stopped and was like, i like my wheel ill be nice to it, but fu*k my fork! haha
flag jakep3595
Posted: Nov 23, 2010 at 9:18 Quote
just tack weld another bolt on top of the one in there and use that to remove it
flag Demo-250
Posted: Nov 23, 2010 at 11:21 Quote
united-bmx09 wrote:
just tack weld another bolt on top of the one in there and use that to remove it
Facepalm
flag srapp
Posted: Nov 23, 2010 at 11:44 Quote
welding is one of the best ways to free bolts. The heat breaks the seal too. Use wet cardboard or firecloth to protect paint etc from sparks.
flag jakep3595
Posted: Nov 23, 2010 at 12:00 Quote
srapp wrote:
welding is one of the best ways to free bolts. The heat breaks the seal too. Use wet cardboard or firecloth to protect paint etc from sparks.
exactly
flag Demo-250
Posted: Nov 23, 2010 at 12:09 Quote
I wasn't saying that you can't do that. Although I would never personally do it on my bike... I have done it on some big equipment we had to work on though. Kinda sucks when you have a 5 foot snipe on your wrench and you end up breaking the head off the bolt. haha

But yeah, I was giving you the face palm because you didn't read the thread... he already had the bolt out.
flag jakep3595
Posted: Nov 23, 2010 at 12:19 Quote
haha i only read the first page my bad
flag funkymonkey144
Posted: Nov 23, 2010 at 14:00 Quote
this happened to me..... so I loosened the pinch bolts on my stem and rotated it anti-clockwise. The friction meant that the top cap stayed in the same place and i was able to twist it looser, then it was loose enough for even the rounded allen to turn it Smile

 


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