More dumb RZR problems - How to remove a broken $3 bolt from your $1500 transmission?

[LargeOrangeFont]

So the RZR lost drive this morning out in the desert on the way back to camp on our final ride of the trip. No biggie, probably a belt. We just loaded it up on the trailer, I’ll fix the belt when I get home.

So I get home, pop off the vent tube and this is laying there..Great. This is a 10.9 metric bolt.. torque is only supposed to be like 40 ft lbs.

I get the CVT cover off, the belt is fine, secondary clutch pops off the transmission input shaft.. but the rest of the threads on that bolt are stuck about 1 1/2 inches deep in the center of that transmission input shaft... probably held by loctite because it does not seem to be loose. It broke right where the threads start in the input shaft, so I don’t have to worry about damaging those threads if I drill it out.

Any ideas on what to do here, should I try to apply some heat first in hopes of releasing the loctite? Go straight to drilling and extraction?

To end on a positive note... a picture of a better time when it ran under its own power.

 

[Yellowboat]

Take it too a edm shop. They can fix it super fast and easy.

 

[WhatExit?]

Set it on fire, let insurance buy you a new one?

 

[lbhsbz]

I would start by making a drill bushing. Make it longer than the hole is deep, so you can get it out. Find someone with a lathe to center drill it, and use that bushing to keep your drill centered while drilling the broken piece. I would apply some heat to shaft...not too much, and go at it with left hand drills and lots of cutting oil. Low RPMS and high feed. I'd build some chip clearance into the bushing...say for the 3/16" bit, make the hole 1/4" or 5/16" for a 1/2" depth or so at the bottom. Peck at it...10 revolutions or so, remove the bushing and clear chips, repeat. It'll likely come out while your doing this. If not, go for an extractor. I'd find a long torx bit before I used an EZ out...

 

[Carlson-jet]

That looks a little scarry.

I'm a fan of left handed drill bits myself.
How hard is it to pull that shaft?

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Set it on fire, let insurance buy you a new one?

This has legs..

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I would start by making a drill bushing. Make it longer than the hole is deep, so you can get it out. Find someone with a lathe to center drill it, and use that bushing to keep your drill centered while drilling the broken piece. I would apply some heat to shaft...not too much, and go at it with left hand drills and lots of cutting oil. Low RPMS and high feed. I'd build some chip clearance into the bushing...say for the 3/16" bit, make the hole 1/4" or 5/16" for a 1/2" depth or so at the bottom. Peck at it...10 revolutions or so, remove the bushing and clear chips, repeat. It'll likely come out while your doing this. If not, go for an extractor. I'd find a long torx bit before I used an EZ out...

A drill bushing is what thought as well if it comes to that.. pretty easy and low risk to drill the bolt that way..

 

[*BN*]

It should come out with ease, should not have loctite or any other adhesive.

Should come out with an ez out.

Also some have had them just vibrate out by running the motor.

Brian

 

[Uncle Dave]

Last time this happened we drilled two holes side by side into the bolt until we could get a screwdriver in it and pull it out.

UD

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Take it too a edm shop. They can fix it super fast and easy.

If I decide I’m too scared to touch it.. I may call a mobile EDM guy..

http://www.boltguy.com/

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

It should come out with ease, should not have loctite or any other adhesive.

Should come out with an ez out.

Also some have had them just vibrate out by running the motor.

Brian

This is the secondary sadly.. it does not turn when the engine is on.

I have see that work with the primary bolt though.

 

[lbhsbz]

Other alternative...take a file to that shaft and if it's not too hard, tap new threads (larger) into the currently non-threaded portion of the hole...use a shorter bolt with larger threads. I imagine it's hardened though...so that might not work too well.

 

[*BN*]

Think outside the hole for a second.. nut loose on bolt, turn engine on, nut falls off.

Doesn’t need to turn, vibration is your friend. Not saying it’s a sure thing but has worked.

EZ OUT, is the quickest sure thing.

Brian

 

[Rondog4405]

Bet that rhino is running tits right now ! Lol..jk. Suxx man.. Shouldnt be having bullshit like that going on a new rzr! Well i cant talk...im in parker sxs-less still!

 

[DEEZNUTS]

Polaris somehow manages to source the shittiest hardware ever.

No idea what country they achieve their 10.9 rating from, a kid with crayon draws that on I'm sure of it. Cant tell you what I have done to their shit. Vato zone grade 5 seems superior...

 

[mjc]

Is it still under warranty?

 

[nowski]

When in doubt EDM it out...

 

[spectras only]

That would be an M 11 metric bolt. Find a 9 mm diameter steel stock and have it turned down to 8.8 mm so it will fit into the shaft's threaded hole. Cut it two inches long and drill it with a center drill first on a lathe, to make sure the hole will be dead center! Then, drill the piece with a 6 mm drill. Place the piece/sleeve into the shaft;s hole, using a 6 mm drill, drill into the broken bolt. The hole in the shaft is longer than the fixing bolt so you'll feel when the drill passed through. Remove the sleeve. You can do two different procedures. #1, find a long torx bit that's larger than 6 mm, tap it in with a hammer. Heat the shaft slightly to loosen loctite if was used originally. It may come out easily. #2, if the broken bit doesn't budge using the torx, use a 9 mm drill to enlarge the 6 mm hole to weaken the broken bolt's wall. You can then re-tap the thread with 11 mm tap, using cutting fluid. You will be looking to get an ARP bolt afterward, no less the 8.8 grade.
The bolt was probably a grade 4.6 [ black bolt ] made in China.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

That would be an M 11 metric bolt. Find a 9 mm diameter steel stock and have it turned down to 8.8 mm so it will fit into the shaft's threaded hole. Cut it two inches long and drill it with a center drill first on a lathe, to make sure the hole will be dead center! Then, drill the piece with a 6 mm drill. Place the piece/sleeve into the shaft;s hole, using a 6 mm drill, drill into the broken bolt. The hole in the shaft is longer than the fixing bolt so you'll feel when the drill passed through. Remove the sleeve. You can do two different procedures. #1, find a long torx bit that's larger than 6 mm, tap it in with a hammer. Heat the shaft slightly to loosen loctite if was used originally. It may come out easily. #2, if the broken bit doesn't budge using the torx, use a 9 mm drill to enlarge the 6 mm hole to weaken the broken bolt's wall. You can then re-tap the thread with 11 mm tap, using cutting fluid. You will be looking to get an ARP bolt afterward, no less the 8.8 grade.
The bolt was probably a grade 4.6 [ black bolt ] made in China.

Probably.. but was stamped with 10.9. No way it should have broken.

 

[spectras only]

Probably.. but was stamped with 10.9. No way it should have broken.

,

OK, it was a 10.9 grade bolt, so it shouldn't have broken.

Ps; looking at your picture again, it looks like a 12 mm bolt, possibly?

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

,

OK, it was a 10.9 grade bolt, so it shouldn't have broken.

Ps; looking at your picture again, it looks like a 12 mm bolt, possibly?

It is a 10mm bolt.

I think I am going to take it to a local EDM shop and just call it a day.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Update:

We are back in business! I took the RZR to Jerry’s Broken Drill and Tap Removal in Santa Ana. His website is Brokentap.com.

Super cool stand up guy, he got me in and out this morning in less than 2 hours and he extracted the piece of broken bolt out of the input shaft of the RZR. The input shaft was fine luckily.

I got another 10.9 grade flanged bolt that is 5mm longer than the stock bolt from McFaddendale, and I’m ready to go again.

 

[Bigbore500r]

View attachment 715479 Update:

We are back in business! I took the RZR to Jerry’s Broken Drill and Tap Removal in Santa Ana. His website is Brokentap.com.

Super cool stand up guy, he got me in and out this morning in less than 2 hours and he extracted the piece of broken bolt out of the input shaft of the RZR. The input shaft was fine luckily.

I got another 10.9 grade flanged bolt that is 5mm longer than the stock bolt from McFaddendale, and I’m ready to go again.

Should start an instagram page "@heypolaris" for shit like this

 

[ArizonaKevin]

View attachment 715479 Update:

We are back in business! I took the RZR to Jerry’s Broken Drill and Tap Removal in Santa Ana. His website is Brokentap.com.

Super cool stand up guy, he got me in and out this morning in less than 2 hours and he extracted the piece of broken bolt out of the input shaft of the RZR. The input shaft was fine luckily.

I got another 10.9 grade flanged bolt that is 5mm longer than the stock bolt from McFaddendale, and I’m ready to go again.

Glad you decided not to burn it haha

 

[Bigbore500r]

Glad you decided not to burn it haha

You don't decide to burn the RZR....it decides to burn you!

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Oh an FYI -

When the bolt broke and the belt started slipping I got a check engine light for a misfire. Apparently this is fairly common when you lose forward drive in the RZR. I also got a faulty speed sensor code (which also turns off the EPS) trying to pull the RZR on the trailer.

Both codes and the check engine light went away after driving the RZR for about 30 seconds, and the EPS light turned off.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

You don't decide to burn the RZR....it decides to burn you!

Correct.. that is what the fire extinguisher is for

 

[WhatExit?]

 

[gqchris]

Glad ya got her fixed sir!!