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Broke quickdrive bolt + more headache

J
Mar 19, 2018
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0
1
I have a 2013 800 RMK. Last season the lower bolt on the quick drive system sheered off. I ordered the new ARP bolts and washers which were recommended here on this forum.

So, today I finally got around to doing the repair. All was going well, I used a metal drill bit to bore a small hole in the center of the bolt. Next I used an easy out. I got about three turns in and could see the bolt beginning to twist out when all of a sudden the tool broke! I've got a piece of the easy out tool sheered off inside the bolt. I proceeded to use my tap to try and knock it out and even tried to use dremel but no success.

I'm thinking my next move is to bring it down to my local polaris dealer and get them to remove the the bolt or even just replace the lower gear. Is this my best course of action? Maybe its just time to just get an 850 :face-icon-small-win
 

SRXSRULE

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Aug 25, 2002
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well, its a little late.... but this is very common when using an "easy out". you have to be VERY careful if your going to use this method. Personally I almost never use an easy out, I almost always get my mig welder in there are carefully weld on the broken bolt a little at a time until you have a stud to either weld a nut onto or grab with vise grips. This is just a general method, and not specific to your situation.
The other method I use is just drill out the bolt using 2 or 3 drill bits and finish with the required bit needed for the tap of the size of the bolt your working on. Many times you can just use the tap to get the remaining thread out.
With the easy out broke off in there your only option is to weld onto the broken tool and get it out of there. you may have to weld the tool and broken bolt and remove them both together.
Unless you have a GOOD dealer.... they wont try or be able to get it out. They will just say you need a new driveshaft.
Good luck!
 

BeartoothBaron

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Nov 2, 2017
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Easy outs should come with a warning: "5% of the time, it works all the time." I've pretty much given up on them – I've broken a couple, and can't say I've ever successfully used one. I've got another tool, I think it was from Craftsman, that I've found works better. It's got a short flattened cone head, enough to get a little torque, but much less likely to break. Like SRX said, you're in a rough spot. Easy outs are made of very hard material, which makes them nearly impossible to drill out, and for that reason I view them as a last resort.

Anyway, unless you can get the broken easy out free (fish around with a needle nose), what I'd suggest is to take the driveshaft out before you try anything else. Then, if you can't get anywhere, take it to a machine shop. They'll be a lot more likely to save the day than the dealer...
 
J
Mar 19, 2018
7
0
1
Thank you for the insights! Not to self, don’t use easy outs. I’m probably going to Replace the drive shaft as I’m noticing some bad scaring on the teeth. Probably from the spindle slipping after the bolt sheered off. Again, thanks for the help guys!
 
A
Nov 26, 2007
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Elko, NV.
Another thing that works well is giving the broken a little heat with a propane torch prior to backing it out, it softens the factory loctite. I've done several combining an easy out with heat. Without the heat I'm pretty sure I would have broke the easy out.
 

kiliki

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take your dremel with a cut off wheel and cut a flat line across the center and use a big flat blade screw driver and a bit of heat working it in and out with a bit of oil to get it started. provided you can get it in there
 

SRXSRULE

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It just so happens I had to remove a few broken bolts today. This is an exhaust manifold bolt on a GM truck engine. Very common for the head to break off on these just from heat cycles, age, bad design.
Ive removed about 200 of these over the last 10-15 years!
Took 10 minutes to remove 3 (after the manifolds were removed).

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Sage Crusher

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For the money get the hex drive Axle out of a 2016-2018 Axys and put your 8 tooth drivers on them
Takes a 10m x 1.25x 45 just a bit deeper ( longer) bolt than the pro's to takes the shear factor away ,,,

ARP part # 663-1006
 
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