I'd advise trying an impact wrench before cutting into the bolt head.
Usually the "impact" part of the impact wrench thing will keep the allen bit
seated aginst the bolt enough to knock it loose.  There are both manual one
that you hit with a hammer, but they be too wimpy.  but worth a try.  If not
rent, borrow or buy an air impact wrench, but you (or a freind0 will need an
air compressor (Kragens Auto Parts has had some inexpensive air tool kits
for about $100, includes about 6 major air tools including an impact wrench)

  failing that, if you can still drive the van, go to a service shop, and
ask them to get that one bad bolt out with an impact tool.  You might want
to bring your own allen bit, just incase they do not have the right size.

good luck
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Young" <tomyoung1@COMCAST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 8:19 PM
Subject: Damn! Rounded over CV Joint Bolt!!!!

> Hi all:
>
> Removing CV bolts today, got over-confident and rounded out one of the
> Allen-head bolts.  Thank goodness it was on the trans side.  Since I'm
going
> to remove the trans anyway I can just drill out the head of the bolt and
> deal with the stub later.  But, I'd kind of like to see if I *can* get the
> bolt out properly.
>
> I've seen suggestions to use vice-grips.  Frankly, I've never had much
> success with the vice-grip method and, given how tight these bolts are
> seated, I'm not too optimistic about that method.
>
> I've seen suggestions to use a 1/4" Allen-head socket and pound it into
the
> rounded-over head of the bolt.  Since I'm going to re-use the CV joints,
and
> not disassemble them upon removal, I'm a little leery of the "pound it in"
> method.
>
> Has anybody tried carefully cutting a "slot" in the head, like the slot in
a
> screw head, and removing the bolt with an appropriate "screwdriver?"  (I
> have screwdriver-head sockets, so I can get good leverage on the bolt that
> way.)  Just figure it's a logical thing to try, but maybe somebody else
had
> tried it, and can comment on how it works?
>
> TIA.
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Tom Young                       '81 Vanagon
> Lafayette, CA 94549         '82 Westfalia
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>