Twice in it's life time my Harley went back to the dealer for the compensator bolt. (Issue was actually the alternator rotor spline and both times, they missed it but that's another matter)

Each time I did maintenance after they had it, all the derby cover screws were too tight for the 27 Torex to get them out. They routinely use new screws with the dry coat epoxy locker.

Penetrant has no effect. Only heat will do it. In worse case if you all ready stripped out head, just take a drill the size of the new screws and drill to head of screw falls off.

Then remove cover. Now you can get head with your solider tip on screw without the derby cover sucking up the heat.

Once hot, the screw will come right out with needle nose vice grips.

I don't use any loctite/ or drycoated epoxy screws( which is not a Loctite brand) on any maintenance cover.

I hand torque to just tweek gasket and recheck after a heat cycle. Those don't fall out.

 

All that is really needed is to tap the center of the screw with a t27 socket and ball peen. It will pop loose.. The problem is that the galvanic corrosion make it stick and the torque spec is way too high. FWIW a little blue stops the corrosion..

 

Last night I soaked the bolts with Kroil then went today and got a new T-27 and the bolts popped loose without too much pressure. The impact tool that I used on them last night probably helped to get things loose also.

Thanks for all the help and advice.

 

Good to hear that you got them out, not sure if it was suggested but I would go back with Allen head bolts, personally I hate Torx head.

 

I have been using anti seize on this for about 20 years, and one has never came loose or leaked. Also make sure T27. Tap the socket with a hammer

I bought one of those hand impact drivers you hit, but never used it.

 

Torq are obviously superior, more area to grab. Button allen will be almost stripped starting new. 12 point would probably be the best product, not sure they make them that small.

I have used socket head allens because they are deeper than buttons, but they would look odd. Not saying I would not

 

One thing I have noticed on some T27 bits is the center of the bit tip sometimes protrudes significantly before the torx teeth start on the bit.
Then if it is not a deep torx bolt head the grip is significantly reduced.
Kinda sorta how some sockets have a significantly larger distance before the actual socket teeth start and if the bolt head is not that high there is also a loss of grip.
I have had to grind down some tips on bits and sockets to get a greater grip.

 

Not to sure about that, as the primary cover uses Allen head bolts (as does my primary cover), and on my bike most of the critical fasteners are either Allen head, or standard bolts, and it can come down to the quality of the bolt/tool, Ive stripped out more Torx than I have Allen, however a Torx bit is great for removing broken bolts.

 

Heat the head a little if you've been at already, have good fitting socket tapped in deep as it will seat pushing to keep it as straight in as possible and put even steady pressure on bar or ratchet and just hold it they usually give after a few seconds. Don't try to hammer or muscle them out hard if they don't want to move at first, just bugger the heads that way.

 

Primary cover is not button allen like the derby cover. There is more surface area in a tq. The heads and brakes use 12 point, more surface area As I also wrote of if you got the deep allens for the derby, allens would be good, but you might not like the look.

Torq just scare the old timers. Been made more by using the wrong size. A hex or allen you know you got the wrong size, tq will still have enough surface area where they will work for a bit. So guys strip them out, and blame the tq. Using the right size bit, they should not typically strip

just this week I got caught in this, their were bolts with T25 and T27 and T40 and T45, I striped a couple, or enough where I am going to replace them.