Bobcat 773: "Mystery Part"

Your are right, fixou812. The extra-bolt gag was indeed bad. But. . . I probably learned it from the guy I did it too. Lol.

OK, Willie59. It is about time for you to weigh in on this one. I'm pretty much set on using anti-seize on the bolt, not red threadlocker. If it breaks again, I want to get it out.
Tack-welding the head (or flange or washer, etc.) would keep the bolt tight, but would camouflage any new breakage of the bolt. Safety wire would retain the broken head but would not necessarily keep the bolt fully tight. Lantraxco's bolt retainer idea is a good one--would not hide new breakage but would let the head fall free. . . to go under the fuel tank and rub a hole. lol. I suppose we could combine the retainer idea with a non-flanged bolt, and safety-wire it loosely to "catch" it when it falls.

I'm stumped. I'm making this too complicated, but I do want anti-seize.

And why do the bolts break? Torqued too tight at time of assembly? Too long a bolt in the blind hole + too much torque? I have 0% confidence that the replacement bolt won't break, too.

DrJim,

Why would the retainer allow the head of a flanged bolt to fall free? Should hold the head in place and if you put a washer under the retainer that's thicker than the flange the head should stay there but rattle around so you can tell when it's broke? Not defending it because it's my idea, just trying to grasp your thought process

Hell, go back to the stud idea, use a way long stud with a flange nut, retainer, and the attach a safety chain to the outer end of the stud, and a sensor wire so if it breaks and loses ground it will set off an alarm, shut down the engine and give the operator a shock through the controls..... umm, okay may be a bit over the top.

Don't get sidetracked trying to follow my thought process, 'traxco. I've already admitted to being daft! There ain't nobody around here with much sense, 'cept maybe for ol' Willie59. ( Around here, there are signs everywhere pointing out "Slow children" playing. Must be a lot of us.)

Of course I get it--you didn't think I was that daft, did you? You mean a thicker washer under the retainer--a slightly thicker washer under the retainer, around the bolt that holds the retainer in place. Yep, I can see that--the bolt head would indeed wriggle if broken. I was just pretending to be slow. So again I ask,. . . just where does one acquire these retainers? Am I going to have to Tom Sawyer my machinist friend again?

I do actually like your idea the best. Even if it is your idea, Mr. "Slightly scruffy and generally grumpy." But hey, the anti-seize was my idea. Give me some credit for that one. For a bolt that is gonna break, red threadlocker is wrong.

Looks like I need to get busy and fix it, and then post a picture ( spelt "pichur" here) to prove that I dun dunnit.

If your shop was somewhere close, I would have fun with you. Like maybe drop an extra bolt on your pump or engine cart.

Most sincerely, I thank you, Dr. Don. -Dr. Jim

LMAO! If you saw my shop it would scare the bejeezus out of you... we could lose small children in there if they weren't so noisy!

Besides I was trained at my father's knee that good mechanics always have some parts or bolts or nuts left over after the job, that's how we get our christmas scrap bonus! :notworthy

Surely you are not talking about the same "Slow children"? They play in your shop? You have lots of them there, too?

It is a darn shame that most of us can't actually get together in person. Some of y'all are a real hoot. Crazy as my coon dogs.