Help rounded off cylinder head bolt

Yes I am the same Nick who posted about replacing the cyl head gasket, You can see how it's going from this!!

Thanks for the advice.

Nick, try a 16mm hex socket, not a bi-hex, it might just bite enough. I had a rounded head bolt once on an engine I was rebuilding for a customer and it came out ok with a 16mm surface-drive type. Badger.

Hi Badger,

Do you mean the type with 6 flat sides rather than a conventional multi sided socket?

Yes.

Get one thats used with impact drives. They have a thick wall, 6 sides and are almost unbreakable. I know that Partco sell them to Kwick-Fit and we all know how tight Kwick-Fit do up nuts. They are quite expensive compared to hobby ones and are probably only available from garage motor factors not domestic suppliers like Halfords.

On or around Tue, 30 May 2006 17:54:17 GMT, "Nick" enlightened us thusly:

only sort of sockets to go for, IMHO. I hate 12-point sockets.

the only loose nuts at kwik fit are the ones wearing overalls. Derek

Seconded more grip- beware if you buy flat drive sockets at Machine Mart the deep a/f set are certainly not what they are supposed to be where the metric are very odd . Most impact drive sets come with some decent hex sockets painted tho not chromed.

Derek Found a cure for droughts I just say I'll pop out and replace the fluid /oil in........... and it p*ss*s down

I find you can't beat those (black) high-impact molybendum surface drive sockets. The bi-hex ones just round the corners off tight nuts. Can be a bugger in confined spaces where you can't get 1/6th turn at one go without moving the socket round though.

Alex

Whats the point of 12 pointed sockets when everyone owns a ratchet??? Six pointed ones are sooooo much better . I was just testing as I know the answer to the question is "cheapness of manufacture" Steve the grease

I use both 6 & 12 sided ones - I use the six whenever I can, but sometimes I need a long lever bar rather than use a ratchet, and the 12 sided then gives me a little more chance of getting a part turn in when in a tight spot. And, of course, no one seems to make six sided ones in Whit sizes, not all metric or a/f sizes are near enough, but I can still get Whit sized sockets in 12 sided.

Karen

Karen

As the bolt is knackered and you will probably replace it you have 2 options ,weld a nut on top of the bolt this will give you something to grip and the heat will free the bolt up a bit or drill the head of the bolt and take the cylinder head of and then try mole gips , weld a big nut / bar etc to the bolt

Its not f> R L driver wrote:

Steve:

The bolts that hold the brake caliper to the axle are 12 sided. Thus, a 6 - sided will not do the trick.

Jack

Nick:

Turning the head to get leverage is a bad idea. Heads are typically located with pins and will not rotate as you describe. Subsequently, two methods are used to take out stripped bolts:

1: Hammer a socket 1 size below the recommended size, use ratchet as previously attempted. 2: Drill it and use an easy-out (extractor). Be sure not to put too much leverage behind the extractor otherwise it may shear off and really "screw" you. Sometimes applying gentle heat will help with extraction.

God luck, Jack

They are available as impact sockets - I've got a couple of sets. The local supplier I got them from no longer seems to exist, but they available online