Independence Day & Removing broken studs and bolts

Orangeman · July 04, 2013, 06:10:22 PM

Wish all you good Cletrac Guys a wonderful 4th of July holiday.

My little HG still sits in the garage waiting its turn to be restored. Broken bolts in the frame to transmission mount.... so am thinking it would be better to change out the tranny. Any good ideas on how to remove those broken studs where the main frame couples to the front of the transmission?

Any comments appreciated.

Thank-you...Orangeman

Blake Malkamaki · July 04, 2013, 09:16:18 PM

Happy Independence Day to you too Orangeman... and to everyone else on the Cletrac site.

Sorry, not much help on HG things, but I'm sure the advice will come pouring in from all the HG/OC-3 guys out there.

Blake

Doug424 · July 04, 2013, 09:17:06 PM

I've removed a lot of those broken off studs, and each one seems to be different. Sometimes you get lucky with a screw extractor, but in most cases I end up drilling them out. Just be careful when you drill to get the hole on center. Try an extractor first, I have had the best luck using the Ridgid screw extractors. I think others make a similar style too. It's the type that sort of looks like a spline, you drill the right size hole, drive it in, then they have a sort of a nut that slides on the spline. This type doesn't spread the stud out like the left hand tapered style you often see. Adding some heat to the casting before you try to remove often helps too. If all else fails, you'll have to drill it out and when you get real close to the threads they usually come out. This is assuming the studs are broke off where you don't have anything to grab on to. If you do have enough to get vise grips on, you might get lucky. Again, apply some heat to the casting if they won't come out easy. Good luck !!!!

Blake Malkamaki · July 05, 2013, 11:38:13 AM

One thing I would like to add to Doug's response: get yourself some real beeswax and have it handy. If you are trying to remove broken studs or bolts, and you have to heat the area, put a little beeswax on the broken piece so that the heat melts the wax. Melted wax is very thin and the capillary action between the two parts will draw it in. Then, even after the parts cool, you will have a micron layer of wax in there that will lubricate and help you get the stud or bolt out.

If heating parts, the beeswax works much better than penetrating oil as it does not burn off immediately. Plus, excessive heat is not needed to get the wax into the voids between the parts.

This really works!

Blake

Bert · July 05, 2013, 06:39:30 PM

Try using a thing called a Quick Center tool. They advertise that their tool will self center on a broken stud or stuck bolt allowing it to be

drilled out. I have not needed to use one (yet!), but they have been mentioned on other tractor sites. Worth a try! Bert

Blake Malkamaki · July 06, 2013, 05:44:43 AM

Bert, that sounds like a wonderful tool. Never heard of it before. Do you know who carries them? Thanks.

Quote from: Bert on July 05, 2013, 06:39:30 PM
Try using a thing called a Quick Center tool.

Orangeman · July 06, 2013, 12:01:19 PM

Hi Guys: Thank you for all the good information. The centering tool seems like it would work really well. Also the beeswax should help as well. I think what I should do is split the tracks and pull the transmission so that I can work on it from above.

This machine is in real nice shape with the exception of the broken studs. I not sure what an operator would have to do to break the studs off at this point. Only thing I can think of is that the machine was being operated on some ground that had very abrupt grade changes and once the machine cleared the vertical profile all the dead load was transferred to the end of the frame and front of the transmission which resulted in snapping off two of the studs.

There is no replacement for a good operator!

Be well guys and thank you for the info. Appreciate it!

Orangeman

Bert · July 06, 2013, 02:17:06 PM

Orangeman: Go to their website- quikcenter.com. They can be ordered individually or in sets, coarse or fine thread. Bert

Doug424 · July 07, 2013, 12:58:18 AM

I think the reason you find those front mounting bolts broken is the side mount bolts work loose. When they do you get a condition where the transmission case tilts in relation to the frame, and it puts stress on those front bolts.

mikegt4 · July 10, 2013, 09:58:47 PM

Quote from: Doug424 on July 07, 2013, 12:58:18 AM
I think the reason you find those front mounting bolts broken is the side mount bolts work loose. When they do you get a condition where the transmission case tilts in relation to the frame, and it puts stress on those front bolts.

X2

I have to tighten the bolts quite often on my OC3, sometimes several turns. My OC3 (1951) is one of the last of the "bolt on" frame machines produced before they went to the final frame design. It does have the advantage of easy trans removal but that is about all. On the other hand my OC46 seems to have been built around the transmission and I need to get into it to replace a 50 cent shift rail detent spring. It will actually "fall" into reverse if the the machine is stopped facing uphill.

Gazer61 · July 16, 2013, 12:52:59 AM

Orangeman
I also have a 51 OC-3, with the same frame setup. One thing you want to check for is a crack in the casting around the stud. I had a broken stud in the trans casting and found a crack ( see my thread "51 OC-3 reassembly for some pics)
I agree with Doug424, My Dad's frame came loose a few times and that is what caused the broken stud. I have taken broken bolts out by adding a blob of weld on the end and use vise grips to turn it. Another method is to weld a nut to the end and as you may have guessed, use the nut to turn it. The mechanics of it is that the bolt heats up and the casting stays cooler, this sometimes breaks the rust. You need to be careful not to weld the two together