Torx Head Connecting Rod cap screws

[Walt 2002]

I have mostly quit working on engines but I now have a 31 series and a 33 series engine with Torx Head Rod Bolts which I am not equipped to remove. Did manage to get one out with a Torx Bit and air ratchet but have ruined the second one because I could not get enough pressure to hold the bit in and it camed out. Now what do I do and how do you guy's remove them. These seem to me to be much tighter than necessary, perhaps have thread lock on them. I do not plan to invest in more specialized equipment at this point.

Thanks,

Walt Conner

[NO0C]

Locking pliers/ViseGrip® on the head perimeter.

That's how I had to remove some hex-headed flanged (gripped on the flange) starter bolts on a 4.6L Lincoln modular engine.

[Arkie]

Don't feel like the lone depressed ranger on rod bolts not coming out.

Have a Briggs OHV single cylinder, about 15 hp and needed to pull the crank, rod, for inspection of the counterbalance and both of the 5/16- 6 point rod bolts head rounded off using a heavy duty 6 point end wrench. Suspect someone may have assembled the rod bolts with permanent type thread lock. I can get my die grinder onto one and cut off the bolt head but the other is still in question. Not any room for vice grips/locking pliers on these, might have to sacrifice the rod.
I see no way that these rod bolts could have been over torqued to the point that they would not free up and come out is why I suspect thread locker.

[Walt 2002]

Yeah, I am thinking I am going to have to borrow a friends die grinder, it'll make a long job for my Dremel to cut the head off. Not enough room to get on it with Vice Grips. Then I don't see how the heck I am going to be able to get a Torque Wrench on it to put it back together once I get it apart. Guess I will see if I don't have some conventional hex head rod bolts to replace these.

Walt Conner

[KE4AVB]

I have ran into a few engines where the factory has used loctite on various screws including crank rods. It is a pain to remove them. Sometimes light heating in the thread area will soften the loctite enough for the screw to be loosen. It takes working the screw back and forth quite a few times to wear the loctite to a point the screw can removed. Be aware of over stressing the screws as they will snap.

As for wrenches and sockets used on hex heads they need modifying. The reason most of the screw heads are thinner and the wrenches and sockets have a slight counter-bore (chaffer) which greatly reduce the contact area. I grind the sockets tips and wrench faces off until flat giving maximum contact area. Now I don't recommend doing to your expensive tools either, the cheap HF tools will do.

As for the torx headed screws that I have ran into like AYP decks and 2 cycles where they are rusted in or loctite in you got to hand remove them; no power tools. It is same on the muffler bolts. I have turned my hand torx wrenches as much a 1/8 or more of flex before bolts breaks free. I thought I snap the muffler bolts on the Stihl I was working this week as they broke free sounded and felt like they snapped. I do need replace those HF hand torx wrenches as I have wore them out over the last five years. I done reworked two of them which is limiting the insertion depth now.

Then I don't see how the heck I am going to be able to get a Torque Wrench on it to put it back together once I get it apart. Guess I will see if I don't have some conventional hex head rod bolts to replace these.

On the mangled screws you won't but I use my 1/4 hex drive bits and deep well 1/4 socket on my in-lb wrench for anything up to a t45 that is in good condition. As for obtaining the torx socket heads screws they not available locally here just the hex socket heads screws, even then I got to go to specialty store for the metric versions.

[bgsengine]

Sounds like you need Inverted Torx sockets I got a decent Lisle set on Amazon at a very nice price , sized E5 to E20 - Will also need them for some of the new style carburetor mounting bolts on some Briggs engines...

[Walt 2002]

I don't know what an inverted Torx Socket is. I have the right size Torx Socket that fits my various 3/8" tools. I was able to get one out with my air ratchet but could not get enough pressure to hold it in the second one and messed it up until I thought I was going to have to grind the head off. A friend loaned me a right angle Torx wrench like an Allen wrench, he said that will get it, I said it wont stay in BUT it did and with a ft. long pc. of tubing on it for leverage, I got that sucker out and it is not going back in. I am going to use hex head rod bolts of some sort, will have to see what I have.

Thanks all,

Walt Conner

[NO0C]

I don't know what an inverted Torx Socket is.

You're not alone Walt. Perhaps he means a female Torx socket. I don't understand the term inverted.





I don't recall having seen a capscrew with that style of head ...... yet.

[NO0C]

... a slight counter-bore (chaffer) which greatly ...

Would that perhaps be chamfer?

[KE4AVB]

Probably something like this then.

I don't know what an inverted Torx Socket is.

It is the female version. And BGS says the E5 especially is used by Briggs on carburetor mounting bolts.

Sample of the screw/bolt head

Picture of a set of E sockets. E socket are equal to the internal size divide by 5; otherwords, an E5 will fit perfectly over a T25 bit and E8 fit a T40