Yep, it's true

Doc Harley

TY 4 Stroke God
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Snowmobile
'17 Sidewinder LTX SE
I know.... I laughed at them for saying to replace bolts every time. Now who's laughing....
Not the easiest bolt to extract with a very tiny bit exposed. Advice??
IMG_20231019_180557798~2_copy_942x689.jpg
 
Screw extractor; I had to do that last year.
 
Carefully......weld a nut to it....
 
Advice?
#1. Don't break them off LOL
#2. Drill it for EZ-Out. Before EZ-Out, heat case around it. Aluminum will expand more than steel screw. Should be loose after heat is applied. Insert EZ-Out and it should unscrew.
#3. Only tighten screws to about 12 ft lbs. The factory torque spec is too high. The case is sealed with a good o-ring. No need for excessive torque. No pressure inside case; there is a vent.
I've used my screws many times without problems.
 
Yup - all of the above.
Use an Easy out - be patient drilling it. You may want to take a dremmel and flatten the face so its easier to drill in to.
I would hit it with the heat gun to loosen the loctite when extracting.
Good luck.
MS
 
Also - when i have the chaincase apart I run the bolts over a die to clean the threads - removing any loctite and then wash them with gas or brake clean. Do the same with a tap on the bolt holes in chaincase. Be real gentle though. Use brake clean to flush them out. It helps clean the threads up - ready to accept the bolt with new loctite. No need to replace bolts - just keep them clean. Been using the same ones for 6 years now.

When i install the chaincase bolts i usually only use a 1/4 drive ratchet. The tightening sequence is real gentle - no need to get viscous or next thing you will be stripping threads.
MS
 
Carefully......weld a nut to it....
I'm ready to do that but I've been told not to weld onto or near the magnesium case. IDK?!?!
Advice?
#1. Don't break them off LOL
#2. Drill it for EZ-Out. Before EZ-Out, heat case around it. Aluminum will expand more than steel screw. Should be loose after heat is applied. Insert EZ-Out and it should unscrew.
#3. Only tighten screws to about 12 ft lbs. The factory torque spec is too high. The case is sealed with a good o-ring. No need for excessive torque. No pressure inside case; there is a vent.
I've used my screws many times without problems.
Bolts were cranked at hand tightness. I fired the sled up, ran it through the paces and walked away. Found the case leaking, so I grabbed a torque wrench and set it for 135in lbs. (Which is lower than spec of 12 ft lb or 144 in pounds) snap. I swear...
 
Also - when i have the chaincase apart I run the bolts over a die to clean the threads - removing any loctite and then wash them with gas or brake clean. Do the same with a tap on the bolt holes in chaincase. Be real gentle though. Use brake clean to flush them out. It helps clean the threads up - ready to accept the bolt with new loctite. No need to replace bolts - just keep them clean. Been using the same ones for 6 years now.

When i install the chaincase bolts i usually only use a 1/4 drive ratchet. The tightening sequence is real gentle - no need to get viscous or next thing you will be stripping threads.
MS
Bud, I was gentle. Hand tight. Fired the sled up, put it through the paces, and walked away. Came back and chaincase was leaking. Grab the torque wrench and set it for 135in lbs.
The sad thing in all this, I could feel the bolt twisting but not applying enough pressure, then snap. Yep.... dumb dumb!!! Lol
 
I'm ready to do that but I've been told not to weld onto or near the magnesium case. IDK?!?!

Bolts were cranked at hand tightness. I fired the sled up, ran it through the paces and walked away. Found the case leaking, so I grabbed a torque wrench and set it for 135in lbs. (Which is lower than spec of 12 ft lb or 144 in pounds) snap. I swear...
Try a reverse rotation drill.
 
Ive always torqued to 96 inch lbs using a quality torque wrench and I do not use any loctite. As long as o-ring is good there wont be any leakage. Reverse drill bit will likely be your best bet but like previously mentioned your gonna want to warm it up to make sure loctite is soft.
 
I snapped another bolt in the same location. Hard to believe but I think my chain case guard has been shifted and compromised, pushing it into the back of my case. So as I'm trying to torque the grade #2 bolt, it's actually bottoming out against the cover.
I'll just switch all the bolts over to stainless steel at about .75in length and be done.
 
Are the bolts bottoming out in the threaded hole? On my SW I found the oil tank bolts tightening depth and rotation torque were restricted by bottoming out in the threaded hole not by tensioning of the tank halves.
 
This may not be your situation but one thing I want to add is if any of the bolt holes/bolts have oil in/on them from draining the oil (bottom two holes mainly) I have found that there is a hydro lock effect and the bolts stretch/elongate. Bottom two bolts are replaced with new ones when I change the oil and holes cleaned with brake clean.
 
Are the bolts bottoming out in the threaded hole? On my SW I found the oil tank bolts tightening depth and rotation torque were restricted by bottoming out in the threaded hole not by tensioning of the tank halves.
This may not be your situation but one thing I want to add is if any of the bolt holes/bolts have oil in/on them from draining the oil (bottom two holes mainly) I have found that there is a hydro lock effect and the bolts stretch/elongate. Bottom two bolts are replaced with new ones when I change the oil and holes cleaned with brake clean.
I thought the bolts were bottoming out. But now I believe 100% that they are being stretched & snapping, right around 120in pounds.
I'm pretty sure they are using #2 grade fasteners to protect the magnesium case. If that makes any sense.
 


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