Twisted master link bolts

[JD8875]

Started tearing into my 953 today to repair the broken track tension rod. Step 1 was break the track at the master link by unbolting it. That's where it all went bad!!! I twisted off the first bolt... I'm thinking of heating the link body to try to remove the other three. Not sure what to do with the broken one though. Weld a but on it and try to back it out hot? Cut it off drill it out and retap? Try to find a mobile track press and pay through the nose to have a new master link put in? I'm open to suggestions, opinions, and experience!

Thanks guys
John

 

[DMiller]

Get the link apart, weld a large nut to the bolt and as it cools try to back it out. The use of a rattle gun usually keeps this from happening seems the vibration and hammering is good to release the threads, try that on the other three. If it does not try to come loose then heat the link body.
You may want to check with any shops that have a service wagon that has access to 1" rattle guns, that is what I used in the past.

 

[overworked]

Be careful if you heat the links, overheating will cause the threads to gall up on the bolt and in the link. A little heat and a impact gun should work. On the broken ones drill a small hole through center of bolt to the end, fill it with penetrating oil, let soak then weld to it as Dmiller stated. Make sure you have all tension off the master before removing bolts, we change more because people pull the threads on the last bolt as is ripps apart, always start bolts back in with hand tools and tighten till halves are seated, use new bolts, never sieze , and tighten to spec with torque wrench and follow direction from OEM. Nothing worse than having one come apart a week later.

 

[Nige]

It sounds like you are going to lose the bolts on the master link so start by cutting the heads off all of them and get the master shoe off. Make sure the track tensioner is pushed right back as far as it will go. Have a go at each bolt with the bar/rattle gun by all means but if it doesnt want to come off don't force it. Don't try heating the lower half of the link it will cause more problems than it solves. Once you have the master shoe off then try to get the upper half of the master link over what remains of the bolts and get the link apart. Get some good old wax candles and heat each of the bolt bodies a bit with a torch. Touch the candle to the bolt and the wax will melt and be sucked down into the threads in the lower half of the master link. Leave everything to cool and then either weld a nut on to the bolt or have a bash at them with a decent size pipe wrench - depends how much bolt you have to grab on to. The bolts should come clean out first time. Once you have them out run the threads with a tap or make something out of one of the old bolts to clean the threads out in the lower half of the master link. Before trying to reassemble make sure you can run each bolt right down to the bottom of the thread by hand. When reassembling use anti-seize on the bolt threads, the bolt body, and under the head when you reinstall them. As suggested above install the bolts first by hand at least 2-3 threads before using any sort of power tools on them.

 

[JD8875]

Thanks guys never would have thought about candle wax. Got one out this morning and just came home from the city as the proud but poorer owner of a new 1" impact and socket set. If this don't work on to the candle wax trick.

Thanks again guys
John

 

[JD8875]

Nige, you are a brilliant man!!! Backed one master link bolt out with the new impact and twisted another off right at the pad. Tried the wax trick and with two swift blows of a large hammer the links started to separate. Turns out my problems were much bigger than just a tension cylinder rod. The main pin through the idler was broke off on each side..... The "bearing retainer" ring on the inside was ground off to near nothing. Now I'm looking at a reman idler to go along with the rest of my woes.

Oh the joys of big yellow iron
John

 

[Nige]

I cannot claim ownership of the "candle wax trick". It was actually posted here on HEF a long time ago but I tried it and found it worked and so have recommended it ever since.

Look on the bright side - at least you got the master link apart.............

 

[DMiller]

Glad to hear one came out, that rattle gun will still be handy later, sorry to hear tho' that there was so much other damage hope you can get thru that as well. As another has put so many times on here, big yellow iron is expensive and work prolific but it keeps us out of the bars.

 

[JD8875]

Hahaha very true! By the time the parts bill gets paid there's no beer money left. Hopefully an idler will be the end of this endeavor. Any tricks to resetting the idler mounts on the other track without splitting the track over there.

John