Removing top cap allen screw thats stripped

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Ethan

Active Member
Hello, title sums it up really.

The allan in one of my bikes top caps on the headset is close to completely stripped.
Normally I would take a chisel to it so I can fit a screw driver in and remove it like that, but that won't work as its recessed into the top cap!
How on earth can I remove it without knackering the top cap? I don't seem to have any torx bits!
My only ideas are to glue the allan key into it, or cut a few mm off the allan key so its unworn again and hope for the best!

Ideas would be very welcome
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Any chance of a photo?
 

AnythingButVanilla

Über Member
Location
London
I saw something on pinterest the other day that suggests putting a rubber band under the screwdriver/allen key to fill in the shredded gaps and give it some grip. I've not tried it myself but it's surely worth a go.
 
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OP
Ethan

Ethan

Active Member
Any chance of a photo?

I'll put one up tomorrow if I can't sort it out!

Buy a top quality Allen bit.... like a Wera.
and a cheapo set of Torx in case that fails

The allen keys I've got are pretty decent, it's just the one I need sees the most use so its pretty warn - Hence saying I might cut a bit off. It will essentially give me a new let without having to pay for it :becool: I am a tight arsed student to be fair :laugh:

Drill it out, carefully

Might have to give that a go, if all else fails!

Weld a bolt into the hole and wrench it off.

I stripped a bolt with an allen key, not a chance I'm taking anything capable of welding near my carbon fiber! :laugh:

I saw something on pinterest the other day that suggests putting a rubber band under the screwdriver/allen key to fill in the shredded gaps and give it some grip. I've not tried it myself but it's surely worth a go.
That might just work, it shouldn't be in there to tight seeing as it wasn't put in with the proper torque as it's not a bike I use often and I had a bad case of lazy last time I took it apart. I'll give it ago tomorrow!

This is not a helpful question, but..................how the feck did you strip it in the first place...???
:laugh: your answer to that is as good as mine
 

classic33

Leg End Member
Hello, title sums it up really.

The allan in one of my bikes top caps on the headset is close to completely stripped.
Normally I would take a chisel to it so I can fit a screw driver in and remove it like that, but that won't work as its recessed into the top cap!
How on earth can I remove it without knackering the top cap? I don't seem to have any torx bits!
My only ideas are to glue the allan key into it, or cut a few mm off the allan key so its unworn again and hope for the best!

Ideas would be very welcome
How tight in is the bolt? Is it completely recessed, so as to make none of the head accessible?
Get a drinks can & cut a small strip off. Wrap this round, anti-clockwise, the next key size down. But no more than twice around & try with that. If there's any of the head socket left intact again drinks can cut a strip off, wrapping it round a new allen key anti-clockwise. For both of these you are going to have to leave some beyond the end of the key to bend back over, to avoid it slipping out as you insert the allen key.

Small nut & bolts of the same size as the required allen key. Lock two nuts down firmly onto the bolt & turn using a spanner.

If you can cut the allen key, then the chances are you will only succeed in ruining it. In cutting it you'll destroy the hardening used to make it.
 

jim55

Guru
Location
glasgow
hammer in a close fitting torx bit (a wee bit too big obv )and get a ratchet on it ,i used this method for a recessed brake nut in forks and it worked a treat ,much easier than drilling it out precisely
 

BLUE(UK)

Active Member
First tighten up the other bolts which should leave the stripped one a bit less tensioned, use an oversized torx bit hammered in to loosen as has been said.
 
Stud extractor as mentioned above is the best solution but I have managed in the past by hammering a slightly oversized screwdriver bit into the recess and then turning it. You want the bit lined up across diametric corners, not the flats of the allen socket.
 

02GF74

Über Member
use a dremel to cut a slot into the bolt head being careful to too damage the cap. then use a screw driver to unscrew.
if that fails, use 6 mm drill (same diameter as bolt) to drill off the bolt head. you can then hammer the star fangled nut down the steerer and out the other end, you can reuse the star fangled nut - again by cutting a slot in the bolt with a saw, you will be able to unscrew it.

i would not recommend using stud extractor as there is risk of the small diameter drill snapping as you try to drill the bolt and then the stud extrator itself snapping, in both cases leaving a much harder steel inside the bolt - unless you are able to clamp the steerer in a drill press.
 
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