GRRRRR! Broken bolt on my RC300.

[hamster]

Bummer. :cry:

 

[poweredbypies]

Drill a small hole and tap an appropriate size torx bit in?

 

[JeRkY]

It is the drilling the hole bit that makes it difficult. The "cut off" end of the stud is not flat and the drill is more likely to wander wildly off centre and damage the frame than cut into the comparatively soft aluminium surface .

setting it up on the mill next week will give the best chance of drilling the axis of the stud, I'll probably start off with a left handed drill, chances are that could well bite enough to solve the problem, if not it will leave me a hole with which to try an easy out.

Then if it there is any further trouble, I can mill the hole thing into oblivion and helicoil to an M5.

 

[poweredbypies]

Not got a centre punch to give the drill a fixed start point?

 

[JeRkY]

Yes, but would still rather use a mill at work than a black and decker at home.

 

[dbmtb]

Guy has a milling machine and people with home workshops are making other suggestions...

Gotta love this place.

 

[petitpal]

Having tried to stupidly drill out a bolt on some VP pedals a year or so ago and chewed away large amounts of alloy then yeah - mill and skilled people every time.

 

[Rampage]

Guy has a milling machine and people with home workshops are making other suggestions...

Gotta love this place.

lol

Passing an electric current through 15% v/v solution of sulphuric acid would dissolve the bolt and leave the aluminium untouched (unless its anodized).
I'm not sure what it would do to paint either.

 

[JeRkY]

Gun metal grey anodised

I did consider that route but we do not have the capability in house and the milled solution, if done right, should be less damaging.

 

[porschenut911]

Easy to drill if you have the skill. I do it all the time, last week I drilled out 2x m2.5 sheared bolts from middle burn rs1 cranks and retained the original threads. M5 a walk in the park! I always use a handheld dewalt cordless as far more accurate than trying to set something up level.