phulin

I have an old bike I'm trying to sell where one of the bottle cage bolts is broken off a little below the head. I've drilled a hole (of the recommended size), but I can't get my screw extractor to grab - even after rubber mallet-ing it in, it just spins in the hole. I've been using a crescent wrench to turn it. Any ideas? Am about to take it to an LBS and ask for help, because a friend expressed interest in the bike and I don't want to sell it to him with broken bolts.

Additionally, I'm trying to install fenders on the front, but the (recessed) brake bolt is 100% frozen. It's not stripped, but no matter how hard I crank on the allen wrench, the wrench just bends. I've tried Liquid Wrench to no avail.

Airburst

For the bottle cage bolt, this thread has a few ideas.

As for the brake nut, what do you mean you're bending the wrench? As in you're actually bending the allen key permanently? That's usually fairly hard to do without rounding out the bolt...

If you have a ratchet (as in for a socket set), try buying an allen driver of the relevant size that fits it, and using the ratchet to get the brake nut off once you've let the Liquid Wrench soak in. I very much doubt you'll bend the ratchet handle.

Bianchigirll 

How deep is the hole and what size extractor are you using? The hole needs to be fairly deep so the extractor can bite into the screw. Is this a steel or alloy bike?

Pics would be helful as far as the brake goes, and I don't mean to insult you your are turning the nut the correct way? I even get turned around sometimes if I am on the wrong side of the bike or I have it upside down for some reason. What kind of Allen wrench are you using? If it is a multi trype tool get some regular Allens witht he longer handle. Socket types are nice but pricey and I always thaought the bit was a slightly longer than it needed to be.

Andrew R Stewart 

H2O bolt- You could continue trying to extract it (although my experience with extractors is that if the bolt is frozen in the threads an extractor is often a no go). You could drill out the bolt, trying to not nick the boss, then retap the boss. You could remove the boss completely and replace with a Rivnut one (although i hate them. Even with a good epoxy bond they can break loose in time). You could leave all as is and use a cage with a tab then just hose clamp it in place (this is the "on the tour" repair and why I use said cages).

Brake nut- How important is the brake to you? If you can access the center bolt through the unserside of the fork you could saw the center bolt in two. You could drill out the recessed nut. You could remove the caliper arms and such then cut/grind the front side of the center bolt away.

What ever you do for either repair, and for any future assembly, use lube on the threads of just about everything. When I had my shop in Cleveland I suggested this to every one who came in to buy parts. With a salt mine only a few miles off shore we saw a lot of rusted components. Andy.

FBinNY 

Odds are the extractor won't bite because the screw is soft and the bonding is stronger that the material. The EZ-out ends up acting as a reamer and shaving rather than biting the screw. Sometimes cutting, filing or grinding off the head flush helps by taking the tension off the screw, otherwise drill it out with a 4mm or #19 drill, then re-tap.

When re-tapping try to find the first threads in the frame, so the tap follows the original thread, rather than cutting away material from the frame.

If this isn't a brazed boss in one part with the frame, simply drill out the boss (6mm drill) and replace it (riv-nut). Using a riv-nut is also an option if a brazed boss is hopelessly stripped.

ksisler

[Partial QUOTE=phulin;15211269] ...Additionally, I'm trying to install fenders on the front, but the (recessed) brake bolt is 100% frozen. It's not stripped, but no matter how hard I crank on the allen wrench, the wrench just bends. I've tried Liquid Wrench to no avail.[/QUOTE]

Look on ebay; search for "fender mount" You should find a plastic plug think that slides up into the underside of the steerer and expands to lock in when you tighten the screw. The thing has a slot in it for the brake bolt to pass. The plug then has a threaded hole or two to mount your fender to. If needed you could put spacers to locate the fender to your specs. I don't think it uses the mount that comes wiht the fender, suspecting you would just find the right spot and drill a hole though the top of the fender for the mounting bolt to pass thru. If so, then use a stainless bolt. I think the kit was $8 or so.

Spld cyclist

With screw extractors, sometimes I have found that the recommended drill bit size isn't always the best size. You could experiment with a different size extractor in the same hole or a different size hole.

phulin

It's an aluminum frame, and the boss is integrated into the frame. The break in the bolt is about 3 or 4 mm below the surface of the tube. The hole I drilled is pretty deep - I would be surprised if that were the problem, but maybe it is.

For the brake bolt, yes I'm using a real allen wrench. I also grease everything I touch when working on my bikes, but this bike was seriously neglected before I got my hands on it (for free, but I had to repair a lot of stuff to get it rideable again). The wrench bends temporarily - maybe 45 or 50 degrees before it matches my ability to crank on it. I'm definitely turning it the right way, but either way I've unscrewed the nut on the other side enough that it would turn either way normally.

The brake isn't that important. I've heard other people recommend just unscrewing the brake and trying to tap out the nut. Maybe i'll try that. I don't think it's that important to post pics - it looks exactly like a normal brake mounting job, just the nut won't turn.

onespeedbiker

If you have already drilled a hole in the bottle cage bolt, if it is near centered drill out the entire bolt,then use bigger and bigger bits until you are just short of the threads; the odds are the action of the bit will unscrew the bolt. As far as the recessed nut you may need better allen wrenches, however it may be the recessed nut is stuck in the fork, not the brake axle threads. You might want to try disassembling the brake from the front and then try a unscrew it from the front; hopefully there will be lands for a cone wrench..

Kimmo

That's what I'd do. Pretty much guaranteed to work, IMO.

phulin

Okay, tried to unscrew the brake from the front. The head on the main brake bolt was almost stripped and is now totally stripped. Sigh... Maybe I'll be able to free it by unscrewing it as much as I can and tapping.

Airburst

It must either be very long or made of rubber to bend through 45 degrees without permanently yielding...

As for your main brake bolt, are you referring to the thing on the front of the caliper?

Clawed

On the bottle cage bolt, find a sequential set of left handed drill bits. Start small and drill out in steps. The CCW twist of the drill will eventually bring out the remains of the bolt, usually before doing too much harm to the boss threads.

phulin

Okay, got the brake bolt out, but it was still frozen in the nut - I just managed to shear it in half. Is there somewhere I can buy a new set of hardware? None of the usual suspects seem to have it (Niagara, Universal). Or should I just buy a new set of calipers? The original was 2004 Sora.

onespeedbiker

??? I know this is counter intuitive, but standard right hand (clockwise) bits are what should be used. The grooves in the bit are cut opposite the direction the bit turns; therefore even thought the bit is turning to the right, it will unscrew the stuck stud the direction the bit is cut.

FBinNY 

Having done this dozens of times I can state with authority that a LH drill will have a slightly greater chance of lifting the bolt. It isn't the flutes that count but the cuting lips. The lips bite into the screw's steel and push the material forward. Since the drill is turning to the right so will the screw. Whenever I can (on through holes) I remove the head and let the drill push the screw out the bottom (if it will).

A left hand screw will bite into the screw the same way, and possibly lift it against the thrust you apply. It becomes a question of ramp angle and balanced forces, and fine threads will often lift, while coarse thread ones won't.

So if the head is on, use a left drill and hope for the best, if the head is off use a RH drill and push it through.

ultraman6970

If its steel, for that bottle cage screw, you can drill it in. With carbon fiber and aluminum frames you can try extracting but with steel lugged frames maybe is better drill in the screw. It will fall inside of the tube then to the BB shell, then you take it out.

phulin

Okay. I'll try drilling it through then - should just be able to tip over the frame and have it come out the seat tube, right?

pierce

usually it takes a fair amount of shaking and tapping to get all the bits out of the tubes, as the joints are often flanged inside. unless you want to drill it with the frame upside down, it seems to me taking out the BB is the best way, otherwise stuff will fall down there then be real hard to shake out.

phulin

Thanks for the help, everyone - both problems fixed. Just waiting on a new front brake to arrive. I nicked the threads on the bottle cage bolt a little, but after regreasing the bolt it went in fine.