Stripped allen head bolts.

[Drey]

There are three striped out allen head bolts on the end cap of my racing pipe on my quad. I need to take my spark arrestor out and cant get the tail cap off due to them being striped out.

There isnt enough surface to get a vice grips on. So far the only idea I have is to take a die grinder and make them flat head screw style and get them out with a mondo huge screwdriver. Any other ideas?

 

[badmix]

What about pounding a bigger sized allen wrench or a phillips in there.

I would also spray it down with WD40 or that PR blaster stuff, Also maybe get a rubber hammer and lightly tap the outside to break up anything keeping them from coming out. Dont beat on your exhaust to dent it, but tap around the outside near the bolts. Possibly even put heat to it.

 

[OffRoad]

can you weld a nut to it?

i weld 4 sides of the nut and fill the center with weld. it worked for me to get some samurai door bolts off.

 

[badmix]

can you weld a nut to it?

i weld 4 sides of the nut and fill the center with weld. it worked for me to get some samurai door bolts off.

Normally those allen bolts are reccessed down and if he welded near them, its a good chance he could burn holes in the endcap itself, which is probably aluminum, sometimes mild steel.

 

[Drey]

Yeah its all alum exhaust, I have access to a tig but dont trust my skills that good.

 

[Jason4x4]

drill them, it will stay centered on the allen

 

[USSkoval]

You can try and tap a torx bit into them, sometimes you get a good bite that way.

 

[AZ79K5Project]

Have you tried the screw extractors? I have had luck with them.

Edit: Something like these: http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/browse.jhtml?catId=IrwinCat100497
or these: http://www.amazon.com/EXTRACTOR-SCREW-SPIRAL-SET-4PC/dp/B00008KISI

 

[topless jackass]

I second the drilling idea. after you get it off you might be able to grab the remaining studs with visegrips

 

[EIB8400]

Start with the torx bit and if that doesn't work just drill them out.

 

[toomany]

I third the drilling method. Use a left handed drill bit too. If they are the same style bolts as a lock out...then once you drill the head off you can unscrew the stud with some vice grips.

 

[Fabrimacator21]

If you can cut a slot in it for a screwdriver you should be able to weld it. If you weld it start by welding a washer that is fairly smaller then the head to it (the hole of the washer that is). Then weld a nut to the washer. Thats your best bet for not causing damage. Tig won't cause you any damage because you won't have splatter and it's alot more controlable. You can't even poke a hole in aluminum if your machine is set up for steel... it'll just goober up the tungsten.

Cutting a slot for it works most of the time and is usually how I get stripped allens out without a welder. But you can end up grinding too deep and breaking it in two... then your screwed.

I'd just try and cut a shallow slot in it and see if it will budge... Should be able to get a thinner screwdriver in there. Just be careful about going too deep with the slot.