Broken valve cover bolt...

[exzachtly1]

Yes on the 90 degree angled drill. Its a no brainer after that. heat the dog snotm out of it, someoil to soak in , and the left handed drill bit should start it coming out.

Heat is the best way to break the corrosions grip on the threads...when its in an applicable location.

Chuck, just a quick question regarding the heat - when I heat it up that much, is it advisable to wait for it to cool before actually doing any drilling? Is there any concern around the aluminum of the head cracking from heat + drilling?

[Agemax]

you can heat it to a very high temperature without worry, i would stop if the head starts melting!!!!!!
the higher heat not only breaks the seal between the bolt and the head it causes the aluminium to expand, faster than the steel bolt, this makes it easier for the bolt to come out

[loud et]

Hi Adam! Yes, the tire has been holding up great and seems well balanced. Thanks again. I'll be doing my rear tire shortly, I just got all the stuff I need - irons, new valve stem, etc. etc... Good to know about the zip tie method, I was actually gonna do that but I might skip it now.

I am feeling optimistic about the stripped bolt tonight but I also think it is going to be my final attempt... if I can't do it with the tools I have then I am going to put things back together and hope it doesn't leak (it wasn't leaking before). If it gets to that point and it is leaking, then I might just hit you up for some assistance

Was my arm still in the cast when we did that? I cant remember? lol That broken arm ordeal of mine lasted forever....
Anyways, I will give you a call sometime soon to catch up. Also I am riding my 650E alot lately, I have new tires sitting here to go on it.
Talk to ya soon
440 781 2910
Adam

[exzachtly1]

Was my arm still in the cast when we did that? I cant remember? lol That broken arm ordeal of mine lasted forever....
Anyways, I will give you a call sometime soon to catch up. Also I am riding my 650E alot lately, I have new tires sitting here to go on it.
Talk to ya soon
440 781 2910
Adam

Yup, you were in a sling at least. Hopefully I can get this bike ready to ride and we can go riding sometime.

So I tried again, and failed again - I believe this is a lost cause at this point. Got the right angle drill, which fit, applied heat with a propane torch, used PB blaster again and again. Drilled with cobalt bits, snapped the first one (1/8") because the hole was slightly off center. Tried the left hand bit for a while but it's too large and wasn't making any progress. Dull maybe? I don't know, I used cutting oil.

Tried every speed, slower, faster, more pressure, less pressure... still not making much progress.

The grabits are dull on the drilling end so they aren't helping. Have not been able to get a bite with the extracting end at all.



/end rant

I'm going to leave it alone and put it all back together when I get my shims. Hopefully it won't leak. I'm done doing damage, will probably have to put something on it to patch the holes I made when I missed with my center punch early on in the process. Soooo so so disappointing, oh well.

Edit: here's a picture of where it's at. As you can see I missed with the center punch a few times. And the hole is slightly off center. Is it possible to continue with this? On further research it appears that the craftsman cobalt bits I bought are not that great at cutting through steel after all (according to reviews on sears website). Can anyone recommend a good brand available online in case I have to try again later? All the bits I have are apparently crap.

[loud et]

That thing doesn't look so bad.
I think there is still a real good chance to get it out.
I know the positioning makes it hard to see and access, but its not hopeless.
Wish I could get my hands on it.
Other members may chime in....but that may be one you can drill straight through if necessary, and it does not intersect the inner engine where the oil is.
Then you can nut and bolt it, as opposed to just a bolt.

[chuck hahn]

Start with a small bit..say 1/8 and drill all the way thru..step up to a 3/16 and drill all the wayn thru..then the next size till you have hollowed out most of the core..but not into the threads yet.

Next, take a sharp pic and get between the case and the shell of the stud and bend the threads into the center of the now hollowed out bolt. Fold in and go a bit deeper and fold it in some more.

This will give you a pl,ace to grip it with needle nosed pliers and get to twisting and working it loose. When it starts to move, go back and forth with oil to grind up the corrosion..back it out a little more each time. Patience is key here. Wiggle and back it out, oil, wiggle and back out, oil....

[Agemax]

yep, start with a smaller drill bit, say 3mm, and gradually get bigger. drill right through the bolt.

[exzachtly1]

All good advice. I just have to find some drill bits that actually work

I'm wondering if in my initial attempts (with the grabit things) if I actually hardened the steel by going at it for so long with no cutting fluid. Probably heated it up pretty good. I've read that this can happen.

Anyways, the right angle drill has been returned so my plan is to try putting things together as is, see if it leaks after riding for a bit, and address the issue later if it does. I'll have to either buy some kind of right angle attachment or go rent the thing again.

I'm still fairly sure that if i can just get a good hole started with a 1/8" and maybe bump up a size after that, the extractor should be able to get in there and pull it out. I just wasn't able to get a good hole started for the extractor at all.

Also I realize that this has become a super long thread for a broken bolt, but clearly I am new to all of this... learning a lot here, thanks for all the wisdom.

[Agemax]

how much clearance do you need to get a straight vertical shot at it?
just an idea, if you remove the exhaust, place a trolley jack under the engine and remove the engine mount bolts, you can swivel the whole motor round slightly without actually having to take it out.

[exzachtly1]

how much clearance do you need to get a straight vertical shot at it?
just an idea, if you remove the exhaust, place a trolley jack under the engine and remove the engine mount bolts, you can swivel the whole motor round slightly without actually having to take it out.

Not much. In fact, I feel like this angle is slight enough that I should be able to get a shallow hole in there and attempt the extraction bit... take a look at these pics and tell me whether you'd try...





Only thing I'm missing is some sort of adapter to allow me to attach a twist bit to my 12" extension. It's one of the hex quick release types.

[Agemax]

yep i reckon thats close enough. have you got a dremmel? one of those with a 3mm drill bit will get in there easily

[exzachtly1]

yep i reckon thats close enough. have you got a dremmel? one of those with a 3mm drill bit will get in there easily

Nope, no dremel. I've thought about buying one, but I still think I would need a right angle on the dremel, there is only about 6" of clearance there.

[chuck hahn]

Well, I can tell you for a fact that Three Bond 1194 will seal it where the bolt is missing.

You will need to clean the area so no oil residue is left on the engine or the cover. put a thickish smear of the goop on the engine for an inch on each side of the hole and on the cover. Install the gasket and stick it down to the engine where the goop is. Put on the cover and snug it down. Let it sit overngiht to harden up.

This will seal it for sure, but be mindfull that the repair will eventually need done. AND when you take off the gasket again its gonna be stuck to the cover and the engine and get destroyed upon removeal.

But, it will get you up and riding it for the trip. Just a temp band aid .

[recycled64]

Nope, no dremel. I've thought about buying one, but I still think I would need a right angle on the dremel, there is only about 6" of clearance there.

If you get the Dremel, if you also get the cable drive attachment, hang the Dremel itself with whatever you can hang it with, you should be golden from that perspective. Also, there's a reason that knowledgeable restorers keep themselves supplied with liquid nitrogen, sometimes getting the stuck object super-cold, and applying a pencil-flame propane torch to the surrounding area, not the stuck object, and carefully using a narrow chisel to aforesaid object in the loosening direction can be effective.

[retcol]

WOW, what a great tool, I wonder if they sell these down in the lower 48?