Stuck allen bolts

I'm cleaning up a coffee machine. Two of the four 5mm allen bolts on the boiler are well and truly stuck. In fact I've damaged the heads now.

What next? Cut a slot, and use a large flat-bladed screwdriver?

Daniele

Reply to
D.M. Procida
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Are these structural, ie holding a pressure vessel together? Or they just stop bits rattling around?

Reply to
GB

If you didn't manage to loosen them with an Allen key, I rather doubt that a screwdriver in a cut slot is going to fare a great deal better. You need to apply a penetrating oil, I would use PlusGas. Once that has had a chance to work, start off by trying to tighten the screws. That way, unless you have rounded them off entirely, you should be working against undamaged faces on the head. Once they move, even just a little, you should then be able to unscrew them without too much trouble.

Colin Bignell

Reply to
Nightjar

Torx bit, preferably with 3/8" drive hammered in as square as you can. If that fails then Dremel cutoff tool, split the head like a chocolate orange, then remove completely.

Reply to
The Other Mike

Drill them out. Easy with allen heads as you already have a centre. If an allen key won't budge them, I doubt cutting a slot will either.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

"D.M. Procida" wrote in message news:1ksiydi.1c9nw1r1klnvbN% snipped-for-privacy@apple-juice.co.uk...

Can you apply heat to the bolts, with a decent soldering iron/gun or similar, without wrecking surrounding material? This in combination with penetrating oil (as Nightjar's post) might give you a bit more chance. It's also worth giving them a thump with hammer & punch if this will not damage the machine. Trying to tighten first is V good advice. Nick.

Reply to
Nick

Years ago I sold a hot water pressure washer to a firm that revamped industrial coffee packaging machinery.

Coffee is an incredible adhesive - they used to use breakers to get the bolted down feet off the floor.

Cleaning it off was a nightmare - 150 c water at 70 bar just about did the job.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

If there's enough of the socket left, it might be worth trying an impact driver (12V will be plenty) I had a stuck-and-almost-nackered Pozi screw, no amount of pressure and force would move it. Used the ID (if the head had sheared it saved drilling) and in about 1.5s the screw was out!

Reply to
PeterC

You might be able to hit a torx bit into the hole - I've recovered allen bolts in that fashion before.

Reply to
Clive George

try this.

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Reply to
F Murtz

Biggest Torx bit you can hammer into the chewed hole.

Other than that, angle grinder.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Definitely. Or failing that, even a good whack with a hammer might free things up.

Reply to
Jules Richardson

boiler are well and truly stuck. In fact I've damaged the heads now. What next? Cut a slot, and use a large flat-bladed screwdriver? Daniele

Everyone seems to be assuming they are countersunk with no sides accessible. If they are cheeseheads you might be able to get a grip with a mole wrench.

Robert

Reply to
RobertL

Indeed. Or any other form of abuse to the heads.

Reply to
ARW

boiler are well and truly stuck. In fact I've damaged the heads now. What next? Cut a slot, and use a large flat-bladed screwdriver? Daniele

If they are cheeseheads you might be able to get a grip with a mole wrench.

I assumed they were socket cap screws, but I would not expect a Mole wrench to provide better torque than the original Allen key, particularly if they are small. OTOH, a Mole wrench in combination with one of the other suggestions might help if the head is large enough to be gripped properly.

Colin Bignell

Reply to
Nightjar

+1

I have to say that would be my solution to this. It does assume that the bolts are in the same plane!

Reply to
Fredxx

If I do drill them out, what next? Do I need to recut the thread in the hole, to the next size up?

Daniele

Reply to
D.M. Procida

Remove the allen bolt head, and then use a gripping device to remove the rest of the bolt sticking out after removing the "bolted item".

Reply to
Fredxx

With the head removed and the part the screws are holding removed too, you should be able to get grips of some sort on the remaining part and screw it out - unless the thread is seized, it shouldn't be tight once the clamping pressure is removed.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Snap. ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

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