Rounded head

[mac]

I've got a dome headed allen bolt on the elise that's started to round quite badly. I've tried as best I could with the obvious tricks (imperial key, torx key etc) but had no luck. The bolt is blind so I can't get something a slightly larger size hammered in.

I've got a set of the silverline damaged nut removers but these don't seem to want to grip on the domed head. Has anyone had a positive experience with the liquids the you can apply to the head to improve grip?

It's the top, front clam fixing - the one that goes in just below the windscreen and is accessable on with the door open.


TIA


Mac

[Mikie711]

Could you not get a small stilson or small vice grips to get a bight on the outer edge of the bolt. They shouldn't be that tight as they crush the fibreglass of the clam so shouldn't take much to get it to turn.

[robin]

File two flats onto the sides and use a spanner?

Cut a slot in the dome with a hacksaw blade, then use flat bladed screw driver?

Use a small sharp chisel and punch the thing round a 10th of a turn at a time?

Cut a slot in the clam so that you can remove the clam and leave the bolt behind; then remove the bolt with better access?

You could remove the door, possibly, and then drill the bolt head off, but that might leave a nightmare to remove the rest from the rivnut afterwards.

Cheers,
Robin

[BiggestNizzy]

Use a small sharp chisel and punch the thing round a 10th of a turn at a time?

I find an M12 spirol point tap is ideal for this.

[Rich H]

Can't remember what the access is like but drill the head off and deal with it then?

[mac]

There's about enough room to get an get the bolt out - it's blind and recessed!

I had (and still am) considering cutting the clam (non visable area) and repairing once I've got the bolt out. It would appear that a piece of mild steel has been used as a strengthener and that it's corroded itself to the bolt requiring additional force to rotate it.

It's the only one left to remove before I get the clam off - god only knows what joys I'm going to find on the rear clam!

[robin]

If you cut a neat slot with a dremel or something like that's probably the easiest thing to do; the bolt may not come out at all without WMD.

Cheers,
Robin

[roadboy]

Is this an S1 or S2. If its an S2 the best way is to separate the metal bracket from the clam (where it is bonded) then rebond it once you've got the bolt out.

If its an S1 then grinding the head off the bolt then removing the bracket (2 x M6 bolts) that it winds into to deal with the rest is the most effective option.

HTH

Dan

[mac]

Thanks for the replies.

Dan, it's an s2. Never thought of breaking the bond - any suggestion on the best way to do that without damaging the clam? I've got another plan A before resorting to that though - I'm going to chemical metal an allen key to the bolt but I doubt it will take the torque.


Mac

[roadboy]

Cheese wire looped round the back and pry it off gently with a big flat blade screwdriver.

HTH

Dan