Stihl 044 cylinder bolt help!!

[cottonwood1]

Hello all,
I am rebuilding my 044, putting in new rings and piston. I have done this to many saws and as I was removing the cylinder bolts on this saw I had two of the four bolt heads get rounded, so now I am at a lost on how to remove the two bolts. Any help would be great!! Never had this happen out of ten saws, or with hex bolt heads. Thanks for the help!:msp_smile:

 

[blsnelling]

Can you grind the heads of with a carbide burr?

 

[JDNicol]

Are you using right size bit T27? Is it worn? Have you picked out all the dirt from the heads?
Dirt will stop the torx bit going far enough into the head of the bolt and can give the impression the head is rounded when you try to undo it, when in fact it isn't.

 

[cottonwood1]

I did clean them out but I am thinking it still may be dirty and that is why it feels rounded. I was using the right wrench. I thought of the grinding idea too, but want to save it if possible first. My last option is to tack weld the bit on and then break it free. Hoping that it wont get to that point. Seems like any project you do there is always one or two nuts or bolts that want to make the project a pain in the butt. Should be an easy thing and now I am doing a rescue mission LOL! Thanks for the ideas sure will try them all.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

I did clean them out but I am thinking it still may be dirty and that is why it feels rounded. I was using the right wrench. I thought of the grinding idea too, but want to save it if possible first. My last option is to tack weld the bit on and then break it free. Hoping that it wont get to that point. Seems like any project you do there is always one or two nuts or bolts that want to make the project a pain in the butt. Should be an easy thing and now I am doing a rescue mission LOL! Thanks for the ideas sure will try them all.

IMO the bolt is junk once a driver turns in the head. I'm sure they don't cost that much.

What is the condition of your driver? Many times a bad driver can do in a good bolt.

When I worked in a tool room of a thermoforming plant we used sheet rock screws a lot for fixtures for secondary ops and such. If someone came in and wanted to use a hex bit and I saw them allowing it to slip, that driver bit would go in the trash. Once they slip, they always slip.

 

[cottonwood1]

Sorry I meant I want to save it from being a welding or cutting the head off project. If I cant get it to break using the other options I will have to do that. Yes the bolts and wrench I dont care I can get more for cheap, its my falling saw so hoping to save as much time as possible and hoping the bolt God's will let me get them out in a normal manner. Not looking good however.

 

[Jacob J.]

Try using a hex driver. Sometimes with Torx-drive bolts, they get stripped but you can jam a hex driver in there and get them out that way.

 

[Fish]

show us a pic of your driver, of the whole thing and the tip.

It might be time to invest in a Wiha.....

 

[blsnelling]

I meant the head of the bolt.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Like Brad said, you may need to disasemble the saw more than you wanted to depending on which screws, but you should be able to mill the head off with something, pull the jug and get it out with pliars or vice grips.

 

[cottonwood1]

As Blsnelling and ZeroJunk said I think that is the only route yet. I was able to get one more out with a new sharper wrench and tapped in in a bit, however the last one is not working and that one i can get to with a grinder. I am going to take the saw down and cut the head of the bolt lift the cylinder and visegrip the remaining thread out. If I run into an issue with that i will PM some of you. Thanks to all for the help I DO!! appreciate it a lot!!! Need to get it done and get the saw back to work. Thanks again!!

 

[herkomer]

wel surprising to see that the easy solution has been missed. got to the hardware store and buy a long 1/4 in drill bit. drill the head out till it pops off. then off comes the jug and cut a slot in the bolt and take it out with a screwdriver.

 

[Fish]

As Blsnelling and ZeroJunk said I think that is the only route yet. I was able to get one more out with a new sharper wrench and tapped in in a bit, however the last one is not working and that one i can get to with a grinder. I am going to take the saw down and cut the head of the bolt lift the cylinder and visegrip the remaining thread out. If I run into an issue with that i will PM some of you. Thanks to all for the help I DO!! appreciate it a lot!!! Need to get it done and get the saw back to work. Thanks again!!

What size wrench??????

 

[rupedoggy]

It may be to late for this info. Look at the bolts you have removed. If you see whitish material in the threads then a thread locker was used. You can get it to release by heating to 350 degrees in most cases.