Not a good day. Have a problem with one of our log loaders. Went to change out the Rexroth slave spool only to find that some $%#@*&^ before me, tired to take the allen head bolts out with a speed ball allen wrench and broke the ball off in the bolt. Little sucker takes a 3/16 allen wrench and is set down in a hole about 3". Anybody have a tip for getting it out. I tried picking at it with an "O" ring pick but too hard to get a purchase on it. The ball rocks in the socket, just can't seem to get it out. I thought maybe a carbide bit but I don't have one small enough with a long enough shank to fit down the hole. Tried to buy one and can't find what I want. HELP!!! :Banghead
Can u get some vise grips down the hole and grab the outside of allen head? Magnet maybe? Pressure washer blowing down on it may force it out , try a needle grease gun by putting the needle down past the ball and try to force out? Good luck. doug
Unfortunately, the hole it is down just has clearance for the bolt head so maybe 9/16". Hard to get anything down to it. Gum on the end of a stick hahaha. Got to laugh about this kind of thing, but would I ever like to have a word with the guy that broke the allen wrench off. Hopefully he learned from his mistake.
I was going to say get a round neodynium magnet and epoxy it to a bolt to reach in, but I really like the pressure washer idea.
Maybe a small stick with some super glue? or a really small welding rod, try to get it to weld on so you can pull on it? Ive done the welding rod on stuff like that before just not that small.
can you drill it? maybe one of those extensions that you use in a drill or die grinder? drill it, drive an e-z out in it and pull it out.
The magnet Idea might just work. Pressure washer not in the cards, machine in bush and no water on service truck (yet) I thought about a welding rod but with my luck, things would go sideways in a hurry. I have a new valve to put on. The problem is something went though the spool and scored the crap out of it so now it sticks. polished the daylights out of it but no good. If worse comes to worse, will get a zip disc and cut through the side of the block and cut the head off the bolt but am afraid I might pollute the system and cause more damage. Big hammer came to mind and practice my golf swing. The allen key will be hard as the hubs of hell so drilling would be next to impossible. I wanted to get a long carbide burr for my die grinder but can't find one that will reach, hence the problem
do you mean letting a welding rod stick to it and pull it out?
I'm sure that is what PS66x4 meant, have done that in the past but on bigger things
How about compressed air?
Can you tip it upside down and whack the socket head?
Y'all stole my good ideas, (magnet and welding), so I'll just pick on Delmer: Yes, you can turn a log loader upside down, I've seen it done, but it's not reccomended.
Don't want to go to that trouble, fine, pack a little black powder into the socket, hopefully around and under the "ball head", carefully brush/vacuum the extra out of the hole, and drop a match.
Seriously, a 6" long shank carbide burr is readily available on ebay. - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/130963159264?lpid=87 What about a socket type stud remover - whether you have the room around the head of the bolt & if it will grip it :beatsme - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/331065212521?lpid=87
Ooh, now THAT'S a GOOD idea!
Here's an Idea that could work. Welding rod to it, but with a twist. Get a wooden dowel that just fits down the hole then drill a hole down the center of the dowel just big enough for the welding rod. Now carefully slid it in the hole and the dowel will keep the welding rod centered. Could even use a section of coat hanger if you don't have small enough welding rod. If it's loose enough to wiggle you don't need a perfect weld to pull it out. If you use this idea and it works you buy coffee next time I'm in town! If it doesn't work you didn't here it from me!:tong
I like it!!!!! It just might work.:notworthy It is such a small hole to go through I was scared to put a rod down it, fearing that I would hit the side of the valve or weld the hex ball to the bolt. Never though of a dowel. Coffee is definitely on me if you ever get up my way, heck, its on me even if it doesn't work.:drinkup
I was thinking drilling out the ball would be tough, but if you end up welding the whole mess together it would just make it easier to drill off the whole bolt head (unless you'll then have to tip the truck upside down to get the valve off of the headless bolt???). I've drilled stuff like this with ordinary masonry carbide bits, just sharpen them up and keep sharpening until you're through, go slow. Grind down the sides of the carbide so it will just slide into the hole and it will be centered.
Have you tried a telescoping magnet? You never know, might get lucky.
Yair . . . wornout wrench . As I understand stud is three inches down what in effect is about a 9/16'' pilot hole? Would it be possible to make up a carbide tipped cutting tool bevelled to take off the outer diameter of the capscrew until such time as you can thin the wall of the hex cavity to the stage you can bust the ball out of there with a pin punch? Having done that it should be possible to flip it out of there with a blast of air and then go in with another tool and mill the head completely off the capscrew so you can then lift the assembly off the stub. All this presupposes you have a decent small magnetic base drill/mill and have room to jury weld a heavy duty base. A bit of messing around but could be a better option than risking contamination of your hydraulic system. Woops . . . Delmer beat me to it, he's suggesting much the same. Cheers.
Allen's are usually pretty soft will drill with any bit then pound an easy out or some other pointy object in there with a bit of taper and pull!........TIO
This is a common problem in heavy industry too. I've always been able to get the piece out with compressed air. The most creative solution I saw was watching another mechanic take an energized 24VDC coil and sliding it up on the broken Allen wrench to make an electro magnet and fishing out the broken piece with it. Good luck, Tom
"Have you tried a telescoping magnet? You never know, might get lucky." That's a magic wand right there Willie.
LoL, at times they can be Rob.
Till the magnet pulls out of the "magic snap on wand" :Banghead :cussing that will make you go take a break & think what you done wrong in your past life!! yes it did happen to me & its not funny!!!
FSERVICE...there has to be a helluva story associated with that. :falldownlaugh
If the broken piece is loose in the socket. Maybe a shop vacuum hose taped to a small piece of tubing. Doing this has saved the day for me many times for those hard to reach places.
it never fails its either really HOT or cold/snowing when this customer calls & says his wrench sick/busy to fix something.. ( read already screwed up something or broke something off when he tells the boss to call me) it was 102 out at a demo site no shade to be found. get there their wrench is leaving (to go somewhere cooler im sure) stops me as im pulling up & says " you might have a little trouble with 1 of those bolts holding that valve on" I thought yea whatever when I got to looking at it he had broke 1 bolt off & the other he broke the allen key off in the bolthead.... thought this is worth a shot got out trusty snap on magic wand "bonk" pulled up on it & it felt really light that's when the sweat dripping in my eyes I thought "no way there is no piece of anything on the end of my wand" wipe sweat & start to think its time for a break & think bout why I love my job so much
Drill it and use an easy out, or even a long shank screw?
Slide a piece of copper tubing over the head of the allen bolt, then run a stick of welding rod down the tubing to the bolt. The rod won't stick to the copper tubing. Could you drive an internal torx socket over the head of the bolt?