stuck bolt

[silver fox]

help? i have a set of engine bars which bolt into the bottom of the engine on my 99 1150 gs. The problem is i want to remove them to get them powder coated, but its stuck? Got the nut off, but the 8mm allen bolt will not budge! Is it threaded through the engine case, or is it only threaded for the bolt. I've hit it with a hammer as i turn, i've tightened it first , i've used wd40, but it still wont move???????

Many thanks for any advice, Steve, not my wife!

 

[ELIMINATOR]

Same problem here, but different bike. try using an impact driver, or perhaps heat. Impact driver didn't work for me, ain't done the heat thing yet. Partial success with daily dripping of ACF50 on offending bit. Partial success means the nut came off, but the bolt is still stuck. Don't rush it, could end in tears.

 

[Noel]

I can recomend a loctite product called freeze and release about £3.50 a can but has got me out the pooh a few times now.

 

[silver fox]

Surley, the heat from running the engine would work if heat was the answer???!!!! As for freeze spray, i'm in Germany, and not sure of thr Deutch version of freeze spray, any ideas?

 

[Jon]

Tried heating it?

Had the same problem with some H&B bars on an ADV that had been dropped on that side. Bolt was twisted and wouldn't move.

Heating it sorted it.

 

[ELIMINATOR]

By "heat" we mean as in blow torch heat

 

[Jon]

By "heat" we mean as in blow torch heat

didn't want to insult the man....................

maybe a nice rug or heated blanket

 

[littleredrooster]

If it has a nut on the back of it, it is unlikely to be threaded into the engine case as well. Controlled violence is possibly the answer. Heat it, hit it!

 

[Fanum]

If it has a nut on the back of it, it is unlikely to be threaded into the engine case as well. Controlled violence is possibly the answer. Heat it, hit it!

Heat maywell be the answer but NOT ON THE BOLT.......

The idea of using heat to loosen things is that heat makes things expand......so by heating the bolt itself, it'll probably be stiffer to undo, not easier.

You've got to heat the sourrounding metal, hoping that it will expand enough to leave the cool bolt slightly looser!

I always wonder about this when people instantly start shouting 'use heat' for anything that's stuck.

 

[ELIMINATOR]

I thought that heating the bolt caused the local aluminiumto expand at a greater rate than the steel, as aluminium has a greater coeficient of expansion. Also that this would "break" the oxidised area (asuming that it was oxidisation causing the jam in the first place)

 

[littleredrooster]

I thought that heating the bolt caused the local aluminiumto expand at a greater rate than the steel, as aluminium has a greater coeficient of expansion. Also that this would "break" the oxidised area (asuming that it was oxidisation causing the jam in the first place)

Yup - exactly. The popular misconception of using heat is that it expands one part away from t'other. Not necessarily true! By using heat to expand the parts, it often has the effect of 'breaking' a rust (or oxide) seal. Ergo, to remove a stuck bolt, heat the bolt not the surrounding area. When it cools, it can usually be persuaded to move.

 

[Gas'd Off]

shouting 'use heat' for anything that's stuck

The usual reason for a bolt being stuck is corrosion. If you heat the offending area the subsequent expansion whether it is the bolt or the thread will expand everything and 'Crack' the corrosion bond. It is not about expanding the thread so the bolt can move it is about breaking the bond
OOPS! There's an echo in here

 

[ELIMINATOR]

Just removed a seized nut & bolt on my Honda CB-1, used the hand held grinder at work. I got fed up with subtlety.

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Now ther's a man with little patience

 

[ELIMINATOR]

I was actually remarkably patient, I had tried for about three weeks. Soak bolt head, nut, any gap between engine & frame with ACF50. Impact driver, mallet. Disc grinder was the weapon of choice, shouldn't have ponced about in the first place. Still took about 90 blows with the "Thor" 3lb mallet. each blow raised a puff of aluminium oxide.