How can I get out a rounded off alan key bolt?

How can I get out a rounded off alan key bolt?

 

File opposite sides down until a spanner can get hold of it?

 

I can't get to the sides of the bolt though.

 

drill it out

 

Will I have to rethread the hole?

 

get me a picture, i can help

 

DONT bloody drill it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


tap a groove in the side with a flat head n drive it round n out!!!!!!!!



tap down on the head of the bolt to loosen it a lil bit b4 you tap the groove

 

exactly what typhoon183cc said.....

i used a chizzel to make a nice groove lol

 

Good point but! when that fails drill it out lol but 99% of the time it works

 

Good ideas ^

If you can get to the head you can also cut a line into it (hacksaw) and use a flathead screw driver to get it out . Lots of Wd40 before hand though.

I like the tap around idea though ^^

 

tap around does is for me every time :good: never failed me to this day!!!!!

 

I will try this at some point, not that Im asking for any rounded bolts :rant:

 

if youve ever got a broken bolt/thread and theres some left to grip on to, heat it up with a hot air gun and get some grips on it

 

I always hear about heat guns but have never seen one in action

when you say grips do you mean "waterpump pliers" ? or molegrips? as molegrips arent as good as people say they are

 

i use mole grips or a vice if theres room....

but get some heat on it, get it real hot, and the broken stud or bolt should unscrew

 

water pump pliers unk:

best tool ever made.

 

^^ Recently used a set of Smurfs and they worked for me over molegrips so I have invested in some! Worth getting I would say!

Got to get a heat gun at some point in my life though lol

 

have a look on ebay, i picked a hot air gun up brand new for about a tenner or something like that

infact i just used it this week end to get a snapped exhaust stud out of a barrel i just sold to a lad

 

I hate rounded bolts, my worst nightmare when it comes to bikes, but ye the tapping, and heat gun method works just fine. :mrgreen:

 

mole grips all the way. Make sure they're a good set tho that'll take some serious pressure and abuse.

Clamp em on REAL tight and then stick a lever through the middle of the jaws to rotate the bolt