Date:         Wed, 21 Jul 2004 09:28:52 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Damn!  Rounded over CV Joint Bolt!!!!
Comments: To: Tom Young <tomyoung1@COMCAST.NET>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Tom,

I did one on our syncro in May with vise-grips, as long as you have a quality pair and get them nice and tight it works well. I would not worry about the pounding if you try to puond a socket on to it, you are only on the flange, not the joint itself. Another option to consider, tool companies sell extraction tools that look like sockets but have several sharp, blade like protrusions inside of them. You put the tool over the offending bolt or nut and the blades dig in as you turn your ratchet. I have not used one, but the technicians at the dealership I work for like them.

Mark in AK

----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Young <tomyoung1@COMCAST.NET>
Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 7:19 pm
Subject: Damn!  Rounded over CV Joint Bolt!!!!

> Hi all:
>
> Removing CV bolts today, got over-confident and rounded out one of the
> Allen-head bolts.  Thank goodness it was on the trans side.  Since
> I'm going
> to remove the trans anyway I can just drill out the head of the
> bolt and
> deal with the stub later.  But, I'd kind of like to see if I *can*
> get the
> bolt out properly.
>
> I've seen suggestions to use vice-grips.  Frankly, I've never had much
> success with the vice-grip method and, given how tight these bolts are
> seated, I'm not too optimistic about that method.
>
> I've seen suggestions to use a 1/4" Allen-head socket and pound it
> into the
> rounded-over head of the bolt.  Since I'm going to re-use the CV
> joints, and
> not disassemble them upon removal, I'm a little leery of the
> "pound it in"
> method.
>
> Has anybody tried carefully cutting a "slot" in the head, like the
> slot in a
> screw head, and removing the bolt with an appropriate
> "screwdriver?"  (I
> have screwdriver-head sockets, so I can get good leverage on the
> bolt that
> way.)  Just figure it's a logical thing to try, but maybe somebody
> else had
> tried it, and can comment on how it works?
>
> TIA.
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Tom Young                       '81 Vanagon
> Lafayette, CA 94549         '82 Westfalia
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>