My trip just got worse , bike trashed , keys stolen and I have been attacked

[jerryz]

Its all got worse and im feeling completely broken

All was going well got to Bordeaux , traffic awful ,,
Booked a site on the Dunes at Biscarosse , but before that a detour directed me into Biganos a tiny little place with some unpaved roads ,I was directed under a low bridge by the cops and a warning sign damaged my solar panel and then the trailer hit a bump ,? and 2 of the cargo straps broke , and the ducati fell off . now im blocking the road , The police are shouting , but then 2 nice locals come and help me move the bike and van to a safe place .. But a car full of young arabs appears and they chuck a rock and I get hit , one of them grabs my keys and hits me again as he tries to get in the van ,I hit him with a spanner . and then they drive of laughing ..but with my keys

Im in a bad state , advised to go to hospital , but im not leaving the van , police have now disspeared, ? the 2 locals help me resecure the bike to the trailer , and it now has 4 heavy duty 50mm straps instead of the30mm ones , but the trailer is not good , I have worries about it now I think its bent and the securing points are sharp and can damage the cargo straps ,even the metal hooks have been damaged one snapped , The bike is a sorry state ,, the lost keys a re a bigger problem , , now I have no keys for the bike ,, I do have spares for the van ..I got to the site last night in the forest by the dunes ,, I have applied a bandage to the head wound ...and will head to local hospital

went to the gendarmarie 20 mins ago, police know about the incident ,,but I dont think anything will happen

I really have come to the end of the line,, I just trying to summon up some energy to start returning home ,, this holiday has been a disaster , no bike , no faith in the trailer , i feel crushed ...may be I should go home and give up on Motorhoming

 

[jerryz]

I finally got my ADHD diagnosis last week, at the age of 62.
It is such a relief, so many things make sense now.
Next decision is whether to try medication or not.

My thoughts exactly ,

 

[jerryz]

Yes not getting hot enough, get hot than a spray with wd watch out for fire.

yes i am rady for the fire already ha ha its so near other plastic parts

 

[jerryz]

I don’t think heat is going to be the answer as you are trying to heat up such a mass of metal. Possibly work if you had oxy ac bottles. Or the weld a nut on trick. I just went for the drill through the middle and keep increasing size to just keep the threads. Then tap extracted the final part. Could have used a tap if that hadn’t worked.

Yeah thats a possibility but holding the drill straight is a problem on one of them , I would use cobalt drills and I have taps etc But Stud gripper extractors have always worked before

 

[ChrisL]

If you have a small metal chisel and can get a swing with a hammer on it you may be able to start it moving by holding the chisel at 45 degrees to the top of the stud and tapping in an anticlockwise direction, hopefully that will break the corrosion free and allow the stud extractor to work. That method has worked for me in the past.

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[Northernraider]

Yeah thats a possibility but holding the drill straight is a problem on one of them , I would use cobalt drills and I have taps etc But Stud gripper extractors have always worked before

Yes you need a steady hand but I've found the screw in extractors to be brilliant . If access is easy enough I've drilled a 3mm hole in the centre then put the extractor in the drill and on reverse it usually comes out in seconds. A good centre punch before drilling.

 

[eurajohn]

Yes you need a steady hand but I've found the screw in extractors to be brilliant . If access is easy enough I've drilled a 3mm hole in the centre then put the extractor in the drill and on reverse it usually comes out in seconds. A good centre punch before drilling.

You've been lucky easyout type extractors more often than not either strip out or more often shear off (especially the smaller ones), then you are in the sh1t

 

[Northernraider]

You've been lucky easyout type extractors more often than not either strip out or more often shear off (especially the smaller ones), then you are in the sh1t

Used them for years and never had an issue. ..I've had to take a sheared wheel stud out with them before too and worked a treat.

It helps if you've a decent quality set though as they're not all created equal

 

[Nanniemate]

I finally got my ADHD diagnosis last week, at the age of 62.
It is such a relief, so many things make sense now.
Next decision is whether to try medication or not.

Your fine in my eyes without medication

 

[jerryz]

I dont trust eaziouts seen a lot of problems with them over the years when they shear off . reverse drill bits are sometimes good .

If you have a small metal chisel and can get a swing with a hammer on it you may be able to start it moving by holding the chisel at 45 degrees to the top of the stud and tapping in an anticlockwise direction, hopefully that will break the corrosion free and allow the stud extractor to work. That method has worked for me in the past.

yes that has worked for me before ,, i have now soaked the 2 studs in brake fluid as some say it is better than penetrating oil we shall see, lucky im in no hurry to get van back on road .

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[Northernraider]

I dont trust eaziouts seen a lot of problems with them over the years when they shear off . reverse drill bits are sometimes good .

yes that has worked for me before ,, i have now soaked the 2 studs in brake fluid as some say it is better than penetrating oil we shall see, lucky im in no hurry to get van back on road .

Well using an easyout I reckon I'd have had them out by now

If I've managed to get rusted sheared bolts out of 60 year old motors with them they gotta be worth a shot. .

Or you could keep flogging the same dead horse with heat and grippers. If its steel in to alloy you could be a while.

 

[jerryz]

Well using an easyout I reckon I'd have had them out by now

If I've managed to get rusted sheared bolts out of 60 year old motors with them they gotta be worth a shot. .

Or you could keep flogging the same dead horse with heat and grippers. If its steel in to alloy you could be a while.

Not mole grips its a Snapon stud puller , but yes looks like drilling will be next option but im going to leave it a day or so whilst I fiddle with the Ducatis and the damge under the van .

when working in subsea industry we had a lot of seized in stainless bolts where people had not put them in with Aqualube or Copperslip which was the rule or used the correct torque setting due to vbeing lazy .so Stainless into Ally or into Stainless or plated and coated cast Steel and sea water and 5000 volt 400Amp currents could make things difficult and eziouts often broke off resulting in need for spark erosion gear

 

[KiwiKampers]

I love the way these posts flit between mechanical problems and mental health problems.

 

[Carpmart]

That picture that was posted way back of the sheered stud had a good bit still protruding.

Save yourself all the hassle and borrow a welder and get a nut on the stud. The answer is still to weld as per Landy Andy suggestion. The heat will work… a hobbyist approach of a butane torch is spreading mild heat over a big area.

You want the heat concentrated on the stud as it’s the heat differential between the stud and where it is screwed into that creates the different expansions rates.

 

[tinkertaylor]

Hit the stud with a copper mallet to shock the threads, heat around the stud not on the stud, try and take heat away from the stud with a heat sink, a large metal object......If all else fails make a jig so you can center over the broken stud and drill out with cobalt drills. The jig can be made using the removed manifold, Mark out the hole centers, secure with the removed pins and then drill away. The holes in the jig for the broken pins should be tapping size, or smaller , for the stuck pin.

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[Onemanandhisdog]

Saw a Youtuber using an induction heater/coil thing the other day, heated a bolt red hot in seconds just holding the coil over it, alas a quick look on amazon and they are 200+ quid.

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

Most garages have the induction heaters now.

 

[jerryz]

I used induction heater working offshore for stubborn seized bolts , we also had access to oxy/acetylene kit but im not spending £200 for a tool I will probably never use again ,,

I am asking all my neighbours if they have a welder , as im new in this area , my pals in Sussex have welders and it would have been easy to get one to come and weld 2 8mm nuts on ,, but here im stuck for the moment

 

[Carpmart]

I used induction heater working offshore for stubborn seized bolts , we also had access to oxy/acetylene kit but im not spending £200 for a tool I will probably never use again ,,

I am asking all my neighbours if they have a welder , as im new in this area , my pals in Sussex have welders and it would have been easy to get one to come and weld 2 8mm nuts on ,, but here im stuck for the moment

So if you’re familiar with induction and oxy gear, you know that you’re not getting enough heat in!

The outcome will always be the same with a butane torch and penetrating fluid, your just wasting time and effort; you need to find a way of doing something different. Have you thought about hiring a welder or put out a help wanted request on your local Facebook page.

 

[Onemanandhisdog]

Have you thought about hiring a welder or put out a help wanted request on your local Facebook page

Or start a new thread asking for a local member with welding gear, not many will see it buried in here.

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[tinkertaylor]

If you weld a nut on it will only be as strong as the base of the thread, which will be the weakest link. Heating the stuck bolt expands the bolt and makes things more difficult, you need to Heat the surrounding area (expand it) and keep the bolt cool so it doesn't expand.

These are great for stud extraction


Stud Extractor Broken Bolt Remover Heat Treated Alloy Steel Bolt Extractor Tool for 1/4in-1/2in (6mm-12mm) Rounded Studs Extractor

Amazon.co.uk

 

[jerryz]

If you weld a nut on it will only be as strong as the base of the thread, which will be the weakest link. Heating the stuck bolt expands the bolt and makes things more difficult, you need to Heat the surrounding area (expand it) and keep the bolt cool so it doesn't expand.

These are great for stud extraction


Stud Extractor Broken Bolt Remover Heat Treated Alloy Steel Bolt Extractor Tool for 1/4in-1/2in (6mm-12mm) Rounded Studs Extractor

Amazon.co.uk

I am already using one of those its usually does the job , but this time its not doing anything . On either of the studs ,,, in fact its mangled them so now cant put a nut on them .

Im now sure that drilling them out is only option

 

[Northernraider]

I am already using one of those its usually does the job , but this time its not doing anything . On either of the studs ,,, in fact its mangled them so now cant put a nut on them .

Im now sure that drilling them out is only option

If its an m 8 stud , grind flush , drill a 3mm hole in the centre , try an easyout ... if that doesn't work then up the drill size to a 5mm, then a 7mm , that will leave a thin bit of the original stud that should just prise out ... but if you have a full set of easyouts just keep trying the next size up.

 

[jerryz]

I have now drilled one of the studs out to 7mm drill bit and re Tapped it,with 8mm ,, so its now fixed did try an ezi out but as expected it was a waste of time ,,

The other stud i will try and drill out tommorow but to get a drill at it will have to lossen the radiator

spoke to a mechanic who works nearby , he says the Ducatos are notorious for rusted bolts in engine and 9 times out of 10 he has to drill them out ,, he has welders and induction heater and extractors but he said my experience is quite normal with fiats he said its not unknown to have to remove the manifold and the seized bolts to an engineering shop or spark eroder for removal .

 

[Puddleduck]

I love the way these posts flit between mechanical problems and mental health problems.

I am sure that mechanical problems worsen mental health problems and in some cases can be a cause of said issues.

However solving the mechanical problems is a joyous event and cause for celebration with a lessening of mental health issues.

(Sorry if the above sounds flippant, I am very well aware of how serious poor mental health can be and that it is not well understood having personal experience of the issues.)

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[jerryz]

I am sure that mechanical problems worsen mental health problems and in some cases can be a cause of said issues.

However solving the mechanical problems is a joyous event and cause for celebration with a lessening of mental health issues.

(Sorry if the above sounds flippant, I am very well aware of how serious poor mental health can be and that it is not well understood having personal experience of the issues.)

No your spot on , I have been restoring motorcycles as a pastime for over 50 years ,, and worked in offshore industry , and yes mental health can be affected especially when frustrated or well tried methods fail .. mind you having a diagnosis of ADHD recently give me some comfort

 

[Puddleduck]

No your spot on , I have been restoring motorcycles as a pastime for over 50 years ,, and worked in offshore industry , and yes mental health can be affected especially when frustrated or well tried methods fail .. mind you having a diagnosis of ADHD recently give me some comfort

I rode a motorcycle when much younger but wouldn't be able to get on one now.

These days a disability scooter would be of more use to me but I would have to be careful as to which to choose as I don't have a driving licence. Actually I am not sure that a disability scooter would be safe unless it had a "dead man's handle". Not looking for sympathy (it is what it is) but I would hate to injure anyone which is why I stopped driving.

 

[Northernraider]

I rode a motorcycle when much younger but wouldn't be able to get on one now.

These days a disability scooter would be of more use to me but I would have to be careful as to which to choose as I don't have a driving licence. Actually I am not sure that a disability scooter would be safe unless it had a "dead man's handle". Not looking for sympathy (it is what it is) but I would hate to injure anyone which is why I stopped driving.

That's an interesting observation, I've not been on a mobility scooter but how is the acceleration operated? I assumed it was a twist type handle like a motorbike/scooter . You would think they'd have it sussed incase someone had a heart attack or something while riding one.

I worked with a guy once who had a heart attack driving his car .... he survived but it was pure luck.

The crazy thing was he had went to the boss saying he felt unwell with chest pains and needed to go home and they let him drive ...it did bring about a change in policy at work after that though so some good came out of it.

But he left the a92 dual carriageway doing 60mph and ended up In a ditch , fortunately no other vehicles involved.

Survived that heart attack but sadly died of another one a couple of years later ... only 54 aswell .

Makes you think , vehicles don't really have a dead man pedal either.

 

[Puddleduck]

From the buying guide:

The controls for most mobility scooters are located on the handlebars. Operators use their fingers and thumbs to control the scooters. The forward controls are generally on the right-hand side and the reverse controls on the left. Some mobility scooters have these controls reversed for left-handed users.

But different scooters appear to have different controls. We are going well off topic so I will start a new thread.

 

[jerryz]

OK TOTAL SUCCESS The bolts are all out ''HOORAY''

Drilled a pilot hole 3mm in last bolt but had to shift radiator to get more access,,, even so the pilot went a little off center , drilled it to bottom then used a 5mm drill ,,, then used a super hard titanium dremel router bit in my drill and rounded it all up ,soaked it again in oil had a cold beers then put 6.5mm drill down hole and on reverse all the remaing thread came out , threads are rusty but have cleaned it all up so now all 4 of 8mm holes are ready for the next step which is fit the throttle actuator but i will use copperslip and torque it all to 30ft lb

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[Carpmart]

OK TOTAL SUCCESS The bolts are all out ''HOORAY''

Drilled a pilot hole 3mm in last bolt but had to shift radiator to get more access,,, even so the pilot went a little off center , drilled it to bottom then used a 5mm drill ,,, then used a super hard titanium dremel router bit in my drill and rounded it all up ,soaked it again in oil had a cold beers then put 6.5mm drill down hole and on reverse all the remaing thread came out , threads are rusty but have cleaned it all up so now all 4 of 8mm holes are ready for the next step which is fit the throttle actuator but i will use copperslip and torque it all to 30ft lb

Great news!

Have you used helicoils before? If you’ve any damage they are great and IMHO, give a better fixing than a taped hole ever will.

At the very least run a tap through and clean up the threads.