Removing crash bars

[Bear]

I've finally lost patience with the rust on a set of SW Motech crash bars on my 2010 GS so I've removed them prior to assaulting them with an angle grinder. The four big fasteners into the engine (two each side) came out with only a modicum of violence but the poxy little M6 screws at the top of the lower bars are another matter. One came out but the other snapped, leaving about half it's length behind and only a few mm sticking out of what I think is part number 2 on this page from realoem: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sh...25-BMW-R_1200_GS_10_0450,0460_&diagId=46_1133 I'm soaking it hourly with whatever aerosol lubricants I can find but so far it won't budge. There's barely room for a self-grip wrench on the remains of the screw and putting a drill down it doesn't appeal. Has anyone any suggestions for shifting it without taking the tank and telelever off to get up close to it? Here's a couple of links to photos of the offender: https://photos.google.com/u/1/photo/AF1QipPy5FbnNhnPTZf4Xtv9CRl_r5vmOAAKz4h4HpGE and https://photos.google.com/u/1/photo/AF1QipMhqk-gBQXPY7W2bTc6K6SyAg30qRuAequTA_aq

 

[UturnTony]

I have my bars off too and know exactly the bolts you mention; mine came out ok. as it happens and are being replaced with stainless steel bolts.
Forget easing oil as that won't do anything for you but, heat may and realistically sounds like, the only chance you have and if this means
the tank off so be it; it's easy enough to do and will allow a better sight and access to the bolt. If you still can't shift it drilling seems the
only other chance you have. Someone may happen along and suggest an easy out, if they do, don't waste your time and money as it'll not do the job.

 

[Bear]

It's looking like the tank is coming off as whatever I do will involve getting close to the offending fastener. I agree entirely that an easyout is a bad move, as even if I manage to drill a big enough hole to get one in it's entirely likely that it will expand the piddling M6 screw I'm trying to remove thus defeating the object of the exercise. Lubricant sprayed on may or not be helping but I can't see it doing any harm so I'll give it some more while I fire up the REPROM as I've not had the tank off this bike before.

 

[Bear]

The tank is now off although it doesn't give much more room to work. I tried drilling into the offending screw and destroyed several HSS drills in the process. I've made a tiny dimple in the end, the sort of hole that says drilling most of the b****** out and shifting the rest with a tap isn't going to work. For the cost of it a freezer spray from Screwfix as Halfords don't sell it any more it's worth a try.

 

[mikeyboy]

The tank is now off although it doesn't give much more room to work. I tried drilling into the offending screw and destroyed several HSS drills in the process. I've made a tiny dimple in the end, the sort of hole that says drilling most of the b****** out and shifting the rest with a tap isn't going to work. For the cost of it a freezer spray from Screwfix as Halfords don't sell it any more it's worth a try.

It’s probably a stainless bolt,
HSS drills won’t touch it,maybe excessive drill speed also will have hardened the surface.
You need a cobalt drill ,nice and slow so that it cuts and doesn’t overheat

 

[Bear]

The rust on the head of the offending fastener suggests that it's not stainless although it's possibly tarnished from being inside a mild steel sleeve. It's possible that I span the drill a little too quickly as the only thing that would get in is a replica Dremel that spins to about 30k rpm with a 3.2 mm bit in it's collet. My local fastener merchant might well stock cobalt-tipped drills so I'll try drilling again but much more slowly.

 

[mikeyboy]

30000rpm,no wonder the drill bits are buggered.
They will have melted!
You only need maybe 100/200 rpm so the drill cuts,

 

[waggy]

Can you cut a slot in the top and get a flat head screwdriver or bit in it and a long wrench on it?

Sent from my COL-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[BillyBoxer6]

Never tried it, but would spraying said Bolt with Liquid Nitrogen (I think that's what it is?) help?
I'm talking about the stuff that Plumbers use to Freeze Water Pipes.

 

[harry]

Not saying these will do your job but have a look at Engineer brand pliers designed for broken screw removal. They are expensive but very good.

Worth having in the tool box and come in various sizes.

 

[Bear]

I've been heating the fastener with a hot air stripper then soaking it with Plus-Gas and then a freezer spray from Screwfix. So far no progress. There's an oil line in the way which I was wondering about removing. I can't see any issues with just undoing the bottom end where it clamps to the engine as the top is rubber but I'd value comments from those more knowledgable than me.

 

[UturnTony]

I can see no reason for not removing it. I assume there will be some oil knocking about to contend with. The bottom union is below the sump oil level but as i
don't know without checking if that is feed or return i can't say whether there will be any oil drainage from the sump or not. There is a bracket going to the
broken bolt so when the pipe is removed it'll give a bit more bolt to play with.
Once the pipe is removed and assuming you can get a decent grip on the broken bolt i can only think you need, using a gas torch, to get the bolt, captive nut
assembly pretty damn hot to stand any chance of turning it out. A heat gun isn't going to do it i'm afraid.

On a brighter note, having re-sprayed my bars i'm just in the process of putting them back on. Looking good they are

 

[landmarkjohn]

As previous poster, cobalt drill bit at low speed, cool the drill bit frequently in water. Work your way up from small size 2, 3, 4mm....patience, patience. Sounds like a right awkward bstd, good luck.

 

[Bear]

Well, I'm intrigued. Removing the oil return pipe seems to lose about a litre or thereabouts which doesn't matter as the bike is due for an oil change anyway. I tried grinding a screwdriver slot in the damaged screw and all it did was split like a rotten tooth so I ground the rest off to give me a vaguely flat surface. I then drilled into it going up in small steps and with a spanner between the end of the screw and the crankcase in case the drill jumped through. What puzzles me in that I would have expected some sort of line to show where the screw ended and the frame began but I can't see one. Tomorrow's task will be to put an M6 tap, extravagantly lubricated, through the hole to see what it looks like. If the worst comes to the worst I'm sure my local fastener merchant will take money in exchange for an insert of some sort.

 

[mikeyboy]

Well, I'm intrigued. Removing the oil return pipe seems to lose about a litre or thereabouts which doesn't matter as the bike is due for an oil change anyway. I tried grinding a screwdriver slot in the damaged screw and all it did was split like a rotten tooth so I ground the rest off to give me a vaguely flat surface. I then drilled into it going up in small steps and with a spanner between the end of the screw and the crankcase in case the drill jumped through. What puzzles me in that I would have expected some sort of line to show where the screw ended and the frame began but I can't see one. Tomorrow's task will be to put an M6 tap, extravagantly lubricated, through the hole to see what it looks like. If the worst comes to the worst I'm sure my local fastener merchant will take money in exchange for an insert of some sort.

I see tears putting an m6 tap through.
The broken screw will move and jam the tap ,if you snap it you’ll have a whole load of pain.
Buy a high quality helicoil set,
Go straight through with a good sharp cobalt drill.( not at 30,000rpm)
Helicoil ,job done

 

[Bear]

There's an obstacle in the way of drilling carefully and tapping for an insert: the left-hand cylinder. That's possibly why my questionable engineering methods took so long to get anywhere. In the end I did what Mikeyboy told me not to do and recut the thread with an M6 tap. It's not a perfect thread but there's no great load on it as there are so many big fasteners holding the crash bars on that one paltry M6 isn't gong to make a huge difference. Doing the job has started me thinking about something else but that's for a separate post.
Thanks Mike for the helpful suggestions: I've learned something new from you.