Seat Post Bolts

[Hengy]

Hey all...

I am preparing for the "big disassembly" of the aft end of Merlin(cub) to swap tranny parts, and ran across a question...

I have been hitting the seat post bolts with penetrant every day since Saturday and letting is soak in... I plan to go to the store and get a six pointed socket and breaker bar to get those puppies off. My question is what is the head size for those bolts? The parts manual on Rudi's manual site says that those bolts are 5/8 x 1 1/4 -N.C. Hex head bolts. What is the head size that I would need to buy a socket to fit? Is it a 1" head?

Thanks for your help, and pics to come on the disassembly!

Mike in La Crosse, WI

[pete1941]

Morning Mike, mine are 7/8 wrench size.

[Hengy]

Morning Mike, mine are 7/8 wrench size.

Thanks, Pete! What had me confused is that I did a google search on bolt-head size in relation to the shank size. According to the website that it pointed me to, they state that the head size should be 15/16"...

I am more apt to believe a person who actually HAS one of those bolts to measure...Thanks again for posting that answer!

Tonight is the night...I am going to try to get these puppies loose!

Mike in La Crosse, WI

[Dan England]

Mike: Sometimes the seat bolts are rusted in so badly that the heads twist off or round off during removal. Should that happen, Sears makes a bolt removal set called "Bolt-Out" which will grasp the rounded head or, if you have the proper size, will grasp the stem of the bolt after the head snaps off and allow its removal. Cost is around $20 for a set containing five or six sizes. For more info try the search option for "boltout". But I hope they come out easily and you won't need the set. Dan

[pete1941]

Mike, I went out and measured, or put a wrench on mine, so that should be correct if a PO somewhere back did not, for whatever reason, change them out. By the way, you can tilt the tool box just for enough forward to get a flat open end wrench down in there if you want to double check if yours are the same. I have seen so many things happen with the Cubs that I don't think anything is chiseled in stone because of what others may have done. Good luck, Pete

[delawhere]

hi mike. i just finished a 3 day battle with mine. them beauties were in there. i didn't want to break them off. air gun got 1 of them. the other 1 was a bear. i finally got a dremmel tool with a good grinring wheel on it and cut across the base about half way and then thru the top. was lucky, it loosened right up.

[LiL' Red]

If original 7/8, replacement will be 15/16, have them with both sizes. If the bolt heads look rusted and nasty, you may want to spring for a Snap-on 6 pt socket. You'll cry when you pay for it, but not as much as you'll cry if you round off those heads.

[BIGHOSS]

"BLUE FLAME WRENCH" and don't be afraid to get it red hot! You will be amazed how easy a rusty corroded bolt will come out. Penetrate works well on a nut, but a bolt way down in a rusty casting is hard to get oil down to it.

[RonHarper]

Ditto to what bighoss said. If you have access to a torch get it RED HOT. Of course use common sense and don't keep heating till you melt it . Heat can do wonders to a stubborn bolt

[Hengy]

If original 7/8, replacement will be 15/16, have them with both sizes. If the bolt heads look rusted and nasty, you may want to spring for a Snap-on 6 pt socket. You'll cry when you pay for it, but not as much as you'll cry if you round off those heads.

Of course, when I got home tonight with my newly acquired 7/8" six pointed socket and a 24" breaker bar, all set to get to it, what do I find... Of course, it is Merlin(cub)... I have one of EACH size bolt in the seat post base. Just got back from a trip BACK to Menards with a 15/16" 6-pointed socket... I am back on the way out to the garage to get that bugger off of the tractor...

Thanks for the tip on the "blue tip wrench" I don't have an oxy-acetylene torch, but only a Propane one...I will at least heat it up as much as I can and will get it off... it will come...one way or another!

One benefit to this project cub...I am amassing quite the tool set!!

Mike in La Crosse, WI

[Bill Hudson]

[quote="WisconsinCubMan]...One benefit to this project cub...I am amassing quite the tool set!! [/quote]

Mike,

Use every job as an excuse to get new tools. It works for me.

Bill (there is no tool you do not need) Hudson

[Hengy]

YIPPPEEEEE!!!!

Man did I make good headway....

Seat is off, pan is free of the tranny, fenders and right hand axle extension... I plan to leave the pan on the torque tube for now...

Next step is wedging the front end and SPLITTING!

Also found out that the First/Reverse Fork was BUSTED. Got both of the forks out with NO flying poppet balls!!

What a GREAT NIGHT!

Mike in La Crosse, WI

[Merlin]

I think this formula starts at 1", but not sure. The wrench size will be the size of the bolt, plus 1/2 the size of the bolt, plus 1/8". So if the bolt is 1", add 1/2", and that will be 1 1/2" then add 1/8" for a total of 1 5/8" wrench size for a 1" bolt. A 4" bolt will take a 6 1/8 wrench. (And a lot of humph) I used to know the smaller sizes also, but my memory is starting to fail. I still remember concrete is .03703 though. It's weird how some things sticks and some things go on down the tubes.
Any way Mike, I'm proud of you. Just keep it up and one day soon you will say "look at my restored Cub". I'm looking forward to it too. (after all, it's my namesake) I'm going to start on mine next week. Going to name it Cantankerous.

[Jackman]

Hey Mike congrats on gettin them bolts out , I know the feelin cause I just got done doing the same and every bolt on the rear axel tube was nothing but a rusted nub , I used PB Blaster and vice grips and punches and still can't believe that they all came out,,,,,,,,,ya shoulda seen what was left of my battery box bolts ................but they also came it was a good day..............

[Fl Cubman]

Good evening everyone. This is my first post. I hope it comes through. I have been reading all of your post every day for several months. I have purchased a cub that had been in the family for years before going outside the family. I got a chance to buy back. It does not run but I am in the process of restoring it. It is a 1951. When I taught Mechanics for wrench size -
It is 1-1/2 times the stud size for standard size nut.

1-1/2 times the stud plus 1/16" for medium strength Nut

1-1/2 times the stud plus 1/8" for heavy duty Nut.

I appreciate all of the help each one of you share with each other.

I am located in Pensacola Fl. O. C.