Sheared bolt

[Tyrone ORourke]

On my current project bike, a 1964 CZ 125, the clutch lifter is acctuated by means of a perpendicular lever mounted on a plate that is bolted onto the alloy engine casing by 3 bolts.

Unfortunately one of the bolts is sheared off, so there is about half of a headless bolt stuck in the threads.

What is the best thing to do about things like this?

Should I drill down the center of the bolt, with a tiny bit, then keep drilling with bigger bits till the bolt is gone and then remake the threads? Or is there some easier way of doing this, like drilling a small hole and jamming a tapered bit of metal in the hole so that I can unsrew it??


Many thanks in advance

Tyrone

[Big B]

get a bolt extractor set (basically a set of left handed drill bits and extractors) it's close to your small hole and tapered metal theory. when you get the bolt out, run a tap through to clean the threads. if you screw that up, you'll have to drill and helicoil.

oh yeah, don't skimp on the extractor set, get something decent. i got mine through snap-on, however irwin (the company that makes vise grips) makes a decent set for considerably less.

[NorthernPete]

the whole drilling out thing works...but be sure about the size of your taps and the bolts available before hand. and take it easy...

Easy outs work well if you have them.

[Tyrone ORourke]

Righto, thanks for the input. Will have to see what I can do about extractor sets.

At any rate I will take your words of caution to heart, as a helicoil would be something I want to avoid.