removing a broken bolt

[riverbend]

'47 Cub
I'm at the point of replacing the broken bolt and I think I have two homemade ones. I believe the original part number was 43528D. Before I pay $30 for a 1 3/4" long half inch bolt, I'm going to try too make one. Does anyone got one handy ? Would you measure the angle and the length of the taper ? These measure 24-25°, which might be close. The length is not even close to the same. Thanks.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

I would not make the taper that long if you don't know what it is or hole in the spindle is even accurate. Make just enough taper to go into the spindle a 1/4" or so, so you can be certain that the bolt is tight in it's strongest area, and leave it at that.

If the bolt tightens in the spindle at it's point, or shortly above, this is the sole area where the torque to turn the spindle is transmitted, and may fatigue and break off the point. If this occurs, the arm will still drive the spindle but the connection will be loose and that's what you're trying to avoid.

 

[riverbend]

This tractor seems to have passed through the hands of someone whose tool collection consisted of a hammer, a bigger hammer, a cold chisel and maybe a pair of vice grips for finer work. They beat on the top of the spindle so hard that it flattened the hole where the taper of the bolt seats. No matter how tight the bolt was, it was always loose in the spindle.

The hole in the spindle does go all the way through but it is not smooth taper. The 1/4" hole on the backside comes through about half way before it starts to expand out to ~7/16". The tapered portion of the bolt can only be about 3/8" long. I don't think the exact angle of the taper is too important but 24-25° works well.