Removing a stripped bolt from motor mount to motor?

ESK8 Mechanics
1

Does anyone have advice on removing a small stripped bolt (with a hex hole for allen wrenches)?

2017-10-30 18.24.22.jpg2138×2851 1.52 MB

I have tried one of those hardened-something drill bits specifically sold for removing stripped screws/bolts, without success. It just made the hole larger and more conical. Of course, the problem is that the bolt head is buried in the motor mount pocket, and I don’t want metal shavings going into the motor.

I need to both spin the motor head around so that the 3 leads go towards the VESC and not up in the air, and soon I need to attach some hall sensors to it, also requiring removal. But if I can’t get the motor off the mount … sad panda.

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I’ve heard some people have success finding a slightly larger TORX and hammering it into the stripped hex, then torquing that out.

You can also try heating up the area around the thread to help release it. Soldering iron will give you directional heat. The goal is to get the area around the thread to expand and not the bolt.

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Before using one of those stripped screw removers, drill a small hole into the head of the screw so it has better grip. If the threads are siezed from corrosion, heat the screw up, and try and put beezwax on the threads, it pulls its self to heat, which will grease the threads.

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Dremel and cutting wheel! If you can get in there with a cutoff wheel, you can make a slot on the screw head and take it off with a flat head screw driver. This method has never failed for me as long as there is enough space to get a cutoff wheel in there

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im saving this one for later.

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^^ I would do exactly this. Cut the slit with a cutting wheel. You may have to gouge into your motor mount sightly if needed.

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I was thinking of slicing off the sides of my button head screws and using pliers to twist it, but this idea sounds much better.

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Easiest and quickest way is to use a torx bit and hammer it in. I have done this plenty of times now. Don’t over tighten the bolts next time just use plenty of loctite.

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IF you are going to go with the torx bit and a hammer I would suggest using one of the impact screwdrivers.

Like this:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Powerbuilt-7-5-in-Impact-Driver-Kit-648002/204505142?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|G|0|G-BASE-PLA-AllProducts|&gclid=Cj0KCQjwm9vPBRCQARIsABAIQYduML3jrWdRHEy43rMoHe-Nm-6WX1FYRH9PlJdZK0JxhoRfnPimjhUaAkhsEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJrG2Jy9mdcCFRFjfgodHPEDWQ

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The bad thing with using a torx like that is that more than likely you will ruin the bit.

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Thanks, everyone. Tried hammering in a torx, but didn’t work as well as I hoped. At one point, not sure if in this particular bolt hole, I may have used non-removable loctite by mistake. If so, that added insult to injury.

I did use my super-f***ing hot soldering iron to heat up the bolt. Then, I managed to basically just keep increasing the size of a drill bit until it basically matched the diameter of the bolt head, causing the bolt head to be completely removed (leaving the bolt body in the hole). That allowed me to remove the motor from the mount, albeit with only 3 of the 4 bolt holes usable to reattach to the mount, which I’m fine with.

Again, thanks for the advice!!

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12

Rubber Band trick?

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Now that the motor is out of the mount, there should be enough of the screw Sticking out that you can clamp down on it with a vise grip and turn the screw out so you will have all 4 mounting holes to screw into.

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