Grapeape
Well-known member
Can anyone tell me the thread size of the 4 bolts and lengths I'm doing the same thing and I want to replace them with hex head bolts.
In my experience the bolts are not hard to take out if they are not overtorqued(common) or loctited down.Because I hate the Allen key heads.
I have used the Craftsman extractor set much like this set it works great every time.By the was, I also had the problems with valve cover bolts. I used a no name bolt extractor kit with great success.
In photo below,
winners above:
No name kit for valve cover, 12pt 12mm socket for harmonic balancer.
Losers below:
Oversize torx, Milwaukee bolt extractor kit and a weird gritty goo from auto parts store.
Thank you for the advice and help.
I have one of those impact hammers for many many years. Never used it in a very long time. I will start so thanks for the tip.If I've done one, I've done a hundred...
First off, anyone who uses Loctite on almost ANY bolt in a VW, save the oil pump center bolt for the sprocket on ALH and later, should get one of the many torque spec sheets and learn to use it.
However, there are certain bolts which will always give you a problem and the harmonic balancer bolts are such an item.
The first thing is the right tool for the right job... We employ a hand impact driver with a 3/8" drive, although you can use 1/2", then add enough extensions to bring the head of the hand impact driver past the fender. That will keep you from whacking the fender when you are swinging a 5 lb sledge on the impact tool. The wheel does not need to be removed(turn it hard right), but the inner fender skirt and the pancake pipe need to be out of the way.
Use a quality 6mm allen socket. Using the extension(s) and sledge, hammer the socket screw HARD. Usually, I give it two or three good whacks. Then, twist the hand impact driver counterclockwise and strike repeatedly until the bolt comes loose. Repeat the process for the remaining screws. The advantage of the hand impact driver over any other tool is the bit is not only turned with impact force, but driven into the bolt at the same time. That keeps the tool from rising out of the hole and stripping the allen.
However, I find often enough I am not the first one to the bolt and there is often damage to the allen socket. Although you can buy the extractor tool kit, I have yet to purchase a set.
Instead, I have found that a 45 torx bit can be driven into the stripped allen. There will be some metal driven down into the socket hole from the points of the torx bit. With the proper sized drill, remove the metal that has been pushed into the hole and then, drive the 45 torx into the hole to it's full depth. The best torx to use looks very much like the one in the picture showing the extractor set, just above, in Post #40.
The beauty of using this method is that the screw actually becomes BETTER than it was originally. A Torx socketed bolt is very hard to strip and when using the hand impact hammer, comes out quickly and easily.
The bolts, now modified as a torx, are very sturdy. If you don't mind a bit of 'RedNeck' fix, this really does the trick.
If you don't have a hand impact hammer, you are missing a tool I consider indispensable for my shop.
If I get the chance, I'll add some pictures of the 'fix'. Seriously, I hate the 6mm allen for this size of fastener and it's location. I've tried to find that same bolt as a torx, or even a triple square(XZN), but so far, I've not found it available. So, I make them! Cold Forging...
Never met in person, but (a) my garage does resemble a bike repair shop when it's not a TDI workshop; and (b) we did have a few conversations over the phone when I bought an ALH head from you about five years ago.Nuje,
Have we met? I know a bicycle repair shop owner/ employee that is on an island near Vancouver.
Man, this forum saved me again. The 12mm 12 point socket sure did the trick for me but I really think it was whacking the head of the bolt with an old drive shaft to an Audi transmission that I keep around that also helped and will be the first thing I do when I do the timing belt change on my other 04 Golf TDI BEW. Can't say thanks evough to this group.I second the 12mm socket method. Works REALLY well and doesn’t damage anything.