HELP - Rounded off headset bolt

[PaulSecteur]

Hi,

I have been asked to have a look at this bike (halfords crossfire), it has an adjustable handlebar stem.

The adjustable bit is the reason Im looking at it, it is done up tight but still allows the handlebars to move a mil or 2 up and down. A bit un-nerving whilst riding. It seems there is too much play in the teeth so they dont quite mesh together, so its being changed to another stem... and thats the problem.

Someone has rounded off the headset bolt. I hve tried to get some pliers on it, but the flanges are low and chamfer in.

Any words of advice before I get drastic?

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Either araldite an Allen key in there and let set overnight, or chain drill around the bolt head into the soft alloy headset bung.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Or grind the bolt head off, if the bolt is still seized in the star nut, knock the star nut thru the forks and put a new star nut in.

 

[HovR]

Worst case scenario drill it out and buy a new bolt and headset cap (and star nut). You'd be pretty hard pressed to damage anything else whilst doing this.

But as this bolt isn't (or shouldn't be) under much torque then using a damaged screw extractor or bromptonfb's araldite method is likely to work, as long as there is no corrosion.

 

[accountantpete]

Cut the top cap off with a hacksaw. then pair of pliers.

Or cut across the nbolt with a hacksaw and use a large flat-headed screwdriver

 

[Herzog]

Cut the top cap off with a hacksaw. then pair of pliers.

Or cut across the nbolt with a hacksaw and use a large flat-headed screwdriver

This^^^