Bolt for removing rear seats rounded off

[jesus]

On the middle bit that holds the back of the rear seats in, the torx screw has basically rounded off, the outer bit is circular so no idea how to remove it. Any suggestions?

 

[Bluebeard]

Hammer, chisel, done.

 

[-Leigh-]

Cry.

Either, drill it out, hammer and chisel, or smash a socket over it, if it's soft, although imagine it's too hard for that, so hammer and chisel.

 

[powey]

Either hacksaw/file 2 flat sides and use a spanner

or a stilsons

 

[jesus]

It's reinforced steel I'm told so a drill will do feck all unfortunately!

 

[Tom]

Saw a big slice into it and use a big screwdriver.

 

[powey]

Saw a big slice into it and use a big screwdriver.

That wont work as the threaded end is usually exposed to some corrosion

 

[-Leigh-]

Saw a big slice into it and use a big screwdriver.

Ariba

EFA.

I imagine it will be too tight for a screwdriver?

 

[172Ben]

U got a welder?

Failing that i just drilled it out

 

[jesus]

Nope don't have a welder, was it hard to drill?

 

[Laura]

socket, hammer , job done

 

[172Ben]

Its pretty hard stuff.

I just buthered the bracket so i could get the seat out, then drilled it afterwards.

 

[AlexG]

grinder.

 

[Bodge!]

Fire! do do do do do do Fire!

Stilsons?

 

[bomber]

It's reinforced steel I'm told so a drill will do feck all unfortunately!

whats reinforced steel? if its a harder form of steel, so long as u drill slowly, not flat out like most people think it will give. or use a hard plate drill, although they tend to shatter easier

 

[Struggler]

curved mole grips?? monkey wrench?? rounded bolt removal tool??

hammer a socket on??

is the bolt completely in?? or is it half out??

 

[powey]

whats reinforced steel? if its a harder form of steel, so long as u drill slowly, not flat out like most people think it will give. or use a hard plate drill, although they tend to shatter easier

In ref to what bomber has said use oil as a lubricant/coolant. works a treat


Hi bomber x

 

[DannoTheGreat]

i got mine to turn a few times, then rounded. i used a curved vise grips an it come out ok

 

[Rob]

If the bolt is out a bit, then I'd saw/file two sides flat and then use a spanner.

 

[Ben..]

Once you get some flat sides on it, chuck WD40 on it, then undo as much as possible...then more WD40 then screw it back in , then undo as much as poss....etc

this is what i had to do to get the oil right down and get that fecking bolt out!

 

[Hutchie]

gotta be so carefull with them.

 

[DMS]

I've now got this same problem. The f**king thing has rounded off!
Nothing I've tried has worked so far, so tomorrow I'm going to file / grind a couple of flat sides onto it and get the adjustable spanner on it. If that doesn't work, I need someone with a spot welder

 

[Henry]

can you get to the thread underneath the car, or is the beam/tank/etc in the way?

 

[edewer]

i ust hacked the head off it and have left the stump! covered with a little duck tape!

 

[DMS]

can you get to the thread underneath the car, or is the beam/tank/etc in the way?

No idea. I'd like to know though - might give me a couple more options.

i ust hacked the head off it and have left the stump! covered with a little duck tape!

Not a bad idea actually. If I could hack the head off it the bracket would lift over the top I bet.
I suppose I could then drill the thread out whenever I could be bothered, or get some mole grips on it underneath the car and take it out the wrong way if that's possible?

 

[Henry]

if you can get at enough of the thread from underneath, try wire brush/wd, and then wind it up by locking a couple of nuts onto the thread

 

[Bluebeard]

if you can get at enough of the thread from underneath, try wire brush/wd, and then wind it up by locking a couple of nuts onto the thread

Seriously, you're wasted working for royal mail!!

 

[Henry]

ahaha! i'm going through a lazy patch; it might stick for a while - haven't decided yet

 

[Jonny1*2]

socket, hammer , job done

Won't work on that bolt. They are a b*****d to get out at the best of times. Copper grease everytime is the way forward. Get the angle grinder on it, just try not to set fire to the seats

 

[_WILL_]

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/18643/Drill-Bits/Specialist-Drill-Bits/Screw-Extractor-Set

 

[latza]

i had this problem, the bolt is seriuosly hard and tight. in the ned i had to weld a nut ontop so i could get a proper socket on it.

 

[DMS]

Sorted it! This is how I did it...
Yesterday I had managed to get the bolt out a good 7 or 8 turns before it rounded off, so some of the thread was exposed. I decided to spray some WD40 onto the thread and around the hole then tighten it back up a couple of turns - my thinking was that it'd make it easier to get it out when I managed to find a way to do it.
I went out today and brought myself a set of good quality drill bits. I first used a 4mm drill bit to drill down inside the bolt hole. Then I used a 6mm drill bit to drill into the existing hole (my cordless drill is a bit puny).
The result... I had more or less turned a T40 hole into a similarly sized hex bit hole.
I hammered the right sized hex bit into this hole, attached my ratchet and associated extensions and proceeded to undo it with very little difficulty.
Ironically, I can tighten and untighten the bolt very easily now - all the way in and all the way out again.

Pic, because I'm proud of myself and my newfound mechanical ability:

 

[jesus]

Wiggle used an angle grinder on mine, then I kicked it. Job done!

 

[macrae99]

self grip pliers does the trick along with a load of DW40! will take longer than it would with an angle grinder though