Anyone got any experience of undoing Harley Star Bolts - I have tried a longer bar, the star socket worked on one of them then broke.
So I then used a Air Hammer and that unbolted 2 more, then broke.
So I still have 2 more to undo and the only other thing I can think of using is an impact screwdriver- any thoughts, before I go out and buy one.
Oh and I did soak them in PB penetrating Catalyst for a week before starting.
Pic enclosed of offending bolts.
Paul
sidecarbrit - 10/6/2010 6:33 PM
Anyone got any experience of undoing Harley Star Bolts - I have tried a longer bar, the star socket worked on one of them then broke.
So I then used a Air Hammer and that unbolted 2 more, then broke.
So I still have 2 more to undo and the only other thing I can think of using is an impact screwdriver- any thoughts, before I go out and buy one.
Oh and I did soak them in PB penetrating Catalyst for a week before starting.
Pic enclosed of offending bolts.
Paul
When I first got my former 1982 Shovelhead FXS, it had three bad rotors. They had to come off so that they cold be replaced. They were not star bolts but they had small Allen socket heads. There were like 15 of them to come out and I managed to get two out. The others stripped.
So, since the rotors were scrap anyway, I took a 3" disc grinder to them and cut a notch across each one, like a notch for a screwdriver. I then used a sharp chisel and a large hammer and they came out.
Nowadays, I would probably TIG weld a nut on top of each one. If you were careful, you could miss the rotors and no damage would be done. You could shield the rotor with a piece of steel with a hole in it.
Before you go any farther, though, I would try some heat on each bolt head. Not much heat, just enough to get the bolts up to around 200 deg. F. That will melt the gray HD Loctite, which is what is holding them.
Good luck.
if a little heat wont get them out then welding a nut on almost always will - the heat of the welding shrinks the bolt. it also works to remove broken bolts - drill into the broken bolt most of the way through and then weld the hole filled and weld a nut on. the weld thru the center of the bolt will shrink it quite a bit and pull it away from the threads.
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