Immovable Crank Bolt

[berkshire_rider]

Anyone have any advice on how to free up a 8mm crank bolt? I can't budge this thing, even though I have the correct tool to remove it. The last time it was in the shop, they put some blue lock-tite on it, and I believe this is why it's being stubborn. I need to send the arm in for a warranty issue, and can not remove it. :help: :confused:

[Westy]

If it is the loctite that is binding things up a little heat should help.

[-dustin]

and a cheater bar.

[berkshire_rider]

If it is the loctite that is binding things up a little heat should help.

Tried that, no luck. :( Guess I'll have to take it to the shop.

[johnbryanpeters]

Heat's difficult in this circumstance. You would really want to heat the axle more than the bolt, which is impractical. I concur that the shop would seem the best bet.

[Lexx D]

A 6' long pipe on the end of an allen key should do the trick.

[vwmtnbiker]

A 6' long pipe on the end of an allen key should do the trick.

i'd have to agree, leverage is sometimes your best friend when it comes to sticky bolts and such, just dont break it! gotta be careful and listen to it, when you can hear its' screams of pain and agony its time to stop :devil:

[johnbryanpeters]

i'd have to agree, leverage is sometimes your best friend when it comes to sticky bolts and such, just dont break it! gotta be careful and listen to it, when you can hear its' screams of pain and agony its time to stop :devil:
It takes a lot of ruined parts to learn to recognize those cries. :dead:

Take it to the shop. If they screw it up, they get to fix it.

J

[binary visions]

I agree that taking it to the shop is the best solution.

If you're dead set on fixing it yourself, remove the opposite side crankarm and apply heat into the axle on that side... Ideally, if you have a longish, thin attachment for a propane torch that can get the heat way down inside the axle - that will be far more effective than heating the outside of the crank bolt. You'd have to get outside of the bolt pretty hot to do any significant heating of the threads.

That's assuming you have a hollow axle, of course (you didn't say what kind of BB you had).

If you use a cheater bar, make sure you use it on an allen key you don't care about, instead of your expensive Pedros T-handle or what-have-you.

[Kornphlake]

Why not try getting a set of metric allen bits you can attatch on a ratchet. I got a set a few years ago at Lowes for like $10, the beauty is you can put one of those guys on a breaker bar and pop off the tightest bolts then you can put it on your torque wrench and accurately tighten bolts so this kind of thing doesn't happen again. Unlike cars and bikes, tools hold thier value quite well, just buy them and you'll never regret it. I've even bought cheap tools from Auto Zone when I know I'm going to be pounding on them when the appropriate tool hasn't been invented (for example the vice grip style pliers I clamped on the rusted on oxygen sensor and proceeded to whack with a hammer,) they are really good about replacing broken tools.

[berkshire_rider]

i'd have to agree, leverage is sometimes your best friend when it comes to sticky bolts and such, just dont break it! gotta be careful and listen to it, when you can hear its' screams of pain and agony its time to stop

It's screaming. I came close to stripping it last night.

[berkshire_rider]

Why not try getting a set of metric allen bits you can attatch on a ratchet. I got a set a few years ago at Lowes for like $10, the beauty is you can put one of those guys on a breaker bar and pop off the tightest bolts then you can put it on your torque wrench and accurately tighten bolts so this kind of thing doesn't happen again. Unlike cars and bikes, tools hold thier value quite well, just buy them and you'll never regret it. I've even bought cheap tools from Auto Zone when I know I'm going to be pounding on them when the appropriate tool hasn't been invented (for example the vice grip style pliers I clamped on the rusted on oxygen sensor and proceeded to whack with a hammer,) they are really good about replacing broken tools.

Good advice. I'm buying additional tools as the need to do so comes around. The ratchet / allen bits idea sounds like a good one. I allready have a torque wrench.

[biggins]

post it on e-bay and sell it.

[Wumpus]

You can use a torx driver to keep from rounding out the hole(or after they round it).

[johnbryanpeters]

You can use a torx driver to keep from rounding out the hole(or after they round it).
Would you care to defend the first part of that statement? Exactly why should a Torx bit work better than the tool for which the bolt was designed? :confused:

J

[OGRipper]

When used correctly blue loctite is ordinarily not that stubborn. Sounds like maybe they didn't use enough and you've got a dry bolt seized in there. Take it back to them.

But if you want the challenge for yourself, try some Liquid Wrench too, especially if it's a hollow bb axle. Just lay the bike on its side with the stuck bolt down, then drip some LW down to soak the bolt. Give it a couple hours or overnight, then use the cheater bar approach.

[Jeff 151]

If the bb spindle is hollow what about taking off the left crank, leaning the bike over on its driveside, and shooting tri-flow down the spindle and letting it sit for a while. Maybe blow some air down there to help it penetrate. Never heard of anyone loc-titing crank bolts. Bearing grease and elbow grease always kept mine tight. Depending on your set-up you may be able to cut the spindle off on the driveside, or maybe even remove the bb with the crank on it. This could work on some ISIS systems with like a hammer and flathead screwdriver. Better with two people working in sync. Disclaimer: Ideas proposed are lunatic and may result in bad things.

[berkshire_rider]

Disclaimer: Ideas proposed are lunatic and may result in bad things.

http://www.anchoredbygrace.com/smileys/spit.gif

[vwmtnbiker]

sounds like its time for some air tools! impact gun anyone? :D seriously though drilling it is a possibility, i'd use that only after the head has been sufficiently stripped out and only as a last resort. but in theory if you get a bit thats just larger than where the head meets the rest of the bolt you can drill through it and it will pop the head off, this does not help with salvaging the bottom bracket but at least you get the crank off and can remove the BB from the frame.

[Jeff 151]

oh snap OGripper, I totally missed your post and repeated your idea, whoops