Help with stripped hex head to feathering shaft bolt on trex 450 please

[Three6ty]

Hi,
I dinged my trex 450 today. Very very minor damage. Bent tail boom and the feathering shaft is slightly bent. And there lies my problem.
I cannot get the main rotor holders apart because one of the hex bolt heads on the feathering shaft has rounded. I have some needle nose pliers and can get in there to grip it but they keep slipping off. Have tried heating the bolts with the soldering iron to soften the lock tight. I assume there is some in there as I bought this second hand.
Anyone have any ideas how I can get this apart. Don't really want to buy a new head as they are £57. Just need a feathering shaft for a few quid.
Any help greatly appreciated.
On the bright side I did do 6 batteries worth of great flying before.
Thanks for any help.
Cheers, Rich

[MartinH]

Just a rough idea, but maybe use like a 4-5 mm drill bit to drill inside the hex down to the shaft by a few mm and then use the bullnose pliers to slightly ease the hex around by pushing one end of the pliers into the hole, might work.

[Birdie4x4]

Iff you can get 1 bolt out, wont the feathering shaft pull through the head?

[Three6ty]

Don't think that'll work. The bolts are lock tight'd in. Anything other that a solid grip and it just spins. Thanks though
Cheers, Rich

[Mart61]

Might be worth trying to heat the head a little to see if the threadlock will soften. Don't go too mad tho. Perhaps dismantling the head as far as you can and put it in a vat of boiling water?

I've heard that some use cigarette lighters etc, but I'm not sure I'd wanna do that.

There's a thread about removing threadlock here.

[Three6ty]

Iff you can get 1 bolt out, wont the feathering shaft pull through the head?

Can't get either bolt out because you have to grip one for the other to undo. And as I can't grip one as it's right inside the rotor holder the other just spins.
Cheers, Rich

[Birdie4x4]

Can you get a haksaw between the blade grip and cut a slot and use a slot head screwdriver?

[Three6ty]

Might be worth trying to heat the head a little to see if the threadlock will soften. Don't go too mad tho. Perhaps dismantling the head as far as you can and put it in a vat of boiling water?

I've heard that some use cigarette lighters etc, but I'm not sure I'd wanna do that.

There's a thread about removing threadlock here.

I heated the bolts with the soldering iron to soften the threadlock but they are in there solid.
Cheers, Rich

[Three6ty]

Can you get a haksaw between the blade grip and cut a slot and use a slot head screwdriver?

Nope. The bolt head is inside the blade holder below the surface.
Cheers, Rich

[zoombolt]

Are the blade holders plastic or metal?

Saw part of the grip off, apply mole grip to now exposed section of nut & remove.

This costs you a blade grip, but is cheaper than a whole head assembly.

[Birdie4x4]

Looks like junior hacksaw between head and blade grip and hope for the best.

[Mart61]

Personally, if it comes down to cutting the grips, I'd try Satch's idea.

Hold the head in a workmate or such like, get and assistant to put a hex driver in the good side and hold it, then try drilling off the head. You've got nothing to lose eh?

Even if you drill too far, you're only gonna hit the grip bearing and this will spin when the drill hits it. Then it'll cost you less than a quid for a new bearing.

[dw45]

One method I have used was to tap the head with a small hammer to close the sides in to get a allan key to grip, anouther way you might try is glue a allan key in place let harden and it might grip enough to loosen.
all the best.

[Geek]

I have just spoke with rich on the phone he has drilled it out now
see you tomorrow afternoon

[Mart61]

Cool! Glad he's sorted.