I have a QR Tequilo. I have one bottle cage on the down tube, and I was going to put another one on the seat tube. I began to unscrew one of the little bolts that are in the holes, but instead of turning it to loosen it, I tightened it, and it promptly broke off. It’s a fairly long screw, and the majority of it is stuck in the hole (I think it’s called the “boss”?).
Question: Is there a way I can get this out? Is there a tool for this purpose? My immediate thought was to try to drill it out, but a drill won’t fit in there, cuz it’s too close to the bottom of the frame–not enough room.
Normally, you would use a high-strength, very sharp drill bit and a very slow turning drill to bore a hole better than half way into the broken bolt. It takes some effort to make sure the hole you drill is centered into the broken bolt. Then, you would use a tool called a “easy-out,” which you would turn clockwise into the just-drilled hole. The easy-out is designed to grip onto the broken bolt and allow you to then turn the easy out counter clockwise, thereby removing the broken bolt. Easy-outs and the associated drill bits are available at a good hardware store.
Having said all that, I would take the frame into a good automotive engine machine shop (the guys who machine engine blocks, etc.). Those guys have bailed me out on several similar projects.
You are a dumb bastard. I can’t believe you admitted this.
I would guess that you are more likely to fuck it up by screwing around with it yourself. Break down and go to a bike shop–there are bound to be tricks of the trade. Don’t let a 16 year old high school kid, or a thirty year old high school kid, for that matter, work on it. Don’t just ask them to fix it, make sure you know what they are going to do, and that it makes sense, You don’t want it jiggling around inside your frame–so definitely get someone who knows about the whole “counter-clockwise thing”
This should be handled like defusing a bomb.
THe dermel/screwdrive thing s sounds good. You may have to get a screwdriver that is like a little Allen Wrench–“L” shaped.
Monk–you are correct: I am a dumb bastard. But I would like to think that checking here, for a possible easy solution, in this esteemed forum, BEFORE I fucked around with it at all, shows that I am perhaps not the dumbest bastard on earth.
I’ll probably take it to Nytro, where I bought it.
Yeah dude, no offense, and i’m saying this to save that beautiful frame, because it would be a pity to ruin, but if you don’t know which way to turn out a screw, i wouldn’t be getting near that bike with a dremmil or a drill, of any other tool for that matter. Get that thing to the LBS.
