broke a bolt off on the crankcase

[sniperd]

a bolt on the right crankcase cover of my blaster got sheared off when i was torqueing it down, I tried a screw extractor and that broke off.

What do you guys recommend i do to get this out of there?

[Kane]

Well, thats a hard spot to be in. I'll avoid the whole "how the hell did you snap a cover bolt" thing.

If you have some of the extractor extending out of the hole, you can heat the piece up gently and try locking some needle-nose vice grips onto it. But, then, they rarely break leaving anything sticking out. If the case hole is one of the few that has access from the backside, you can purchase an extended drillbit and drill the bolt from the backside until it hits the extractor and then punch (gently) it out. Expect the drillbit to be useless after simply contacting the extractor, so do it right the 1st time. As the case is mag-aluminum you can't have a shop plasma-burn the extractor out.

Where is the hole exactly?

[sniperd]

Its the top right bolt that holds the right crankcase cover(clutch housing cover) on.


Im thinking about just running without it until i have to re-do the bottom end eventually and have it out and can get a drill press to it and drill it out then go 2 size larger on it..... Good idea or no?

[sniperd]

Originally Posted by Kane

Well, thats a hard spot to be in. I'll avoid the whole "how the hell did you snap a cover bolt" thing.

Trying to actually torque something down when i should have hand tightened it, F the manual on something like that.

[Kane]

Hear that. Well, unless you have the engine already out I'd wait to do the job until you do. Just put a dab of gasket sealer on the seam if it leaks. Clean the outside real good with alcohol or such so the sealer will stick. I've seen probably a million machines with a clutch cover bolt missing and they didnt leak. It's not the "right" way to do it but at least it allows you to ride until you can get the engine out to do the job right.

[sniperd]

i put the cover back on and ran it for a few and it didnt leak one bit, Thanks for the help kane.


a note to anyone in the future, Just get some loctite and use a small wrench and tighten it with 1 hand, any (and i mean ANY) excessive pressure will have the threads being destroyed or a bolt snapped off, either sucks. The aluminum doesnt hold up to *shit*