Tool for removing stripped allen head bolts?

[54ny77]

I'm trying to take off a 4mm allen bolt (for brake shifter body) and it seems to be stripped to kingdom come (I never saw it before, the bike was built by an LBS and the shifters I had bought used ages ago).

My only thought was to take a 5mm allen and file it down until it works, unless there's a specialty tool out there that can be used to extract it?

Open to suggestions....other than hacksawing the brand new handlebar into pieces and deal with removal that way, doing so out of frustration and just buying another one.....which at this point is not out of the question.

[austex]

Maybe use a tight-fitting Torx bit, lightly hammered into place even...

[Joxster]

Or Drill and reverse tap

[54ny77]

scratch that--no pun intended......the LBS just told me it's a Torx. T25.

At quick glance it looked like an allen head.

All's good, hacksaw not necessary....

[steelbikerider]

Speedout Titanium is your friend. A #4 works perfectly on a 5mm. I've used them to remove the crank pinch bolts on Shimano cranks.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ontel-Sp...0367/303667297

[ultraman6970]

If you just drill the head, it will be gone, then you pull the lever off and then the last thing to deal with will be the half that is still in the clamp. Either way you have to replace that bolt.

[glepore]

The torx suggestion above-one you need to tap into place with a small hammer

or

what ultraman said, and buy a new clamp.

[GregL]

Originally Posted by ultraman6970

If you just drill the head, it will be gone, then you pull the lever off and then the last thing to deal with will be the half that is still in the clamp. Either way you have to replace that bolt.

^^^This^^^. Once the bolt head is removed, the lever body should come right off. Once the body is off, the remainder of the part should come off easily.

Greg

[zmudshark]

Originally Posted by 54ny77

scratch that--no pun intended......the LBS just told me it's a Torx. T25.

At quick glance it looked like an allen head.

All's good, hacksaw not necessary....

Did no one see this?

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by zmudshark

Did no one see this?

[Louis]

Well, hopefully this will relieve us of at least a few days of "LBSs Suck" threads...