Removing a stripped out bolt?

I've got a 2006 Mastercraft trailer with oil soaked hubs and noticed there was a leak. No big deal, it happens. The fill hole has a alan-wrench bolt that scounter inks into the hub. Being that I go in saltwater all the time, the bolt finally gave way and stripped as I was attempting to remove it. I was going gently and slow and using the right size wrench, it just happened.

Anyways, anyone have any advice for removing this bolt? There is no chance to get a wrench around it, whereas its countersunk into the hub.

You might be able to use the extractors that you pretty much drill into the bolt in the opposite direction. Like the ones here. Look up bolt extractors. They are pretty cheap.

Ron showed you one kind of screw extractor. There are several kinds. Me, I would crawl McMaster-Carr and see what's available.

I would advise that, your biggest problem is your pilot hole. I, myself, would not want to drill all the way through the allen screw and pierce into the oil bath (ie., I would not want to toss any metal chips into the oil bath).

The next problem that concerns me is that, once the allen screw is backed out, perhaps the threads in the hub need to be chased with a thread tap.

Again, tough choice. There are a lot of styles of thread taps, some which supposedly send the cuttings back up the shank. But you are working in an bearing oil bath which I believe is real foreign-object contaminant sensitive.

You mean the allen head stripped out, not the threads right?
If you can't custom grind a bigger allen wrench to hammer into the hole, use heat on the hub like a mapp gas torch or oxy actylene to heat the hub not the plug, will usually expand the hub just enough to get it loose., then drill the plug out.
If you drill it carefully and just smaller than the threads on the hub, you'll be able to peel out what's left of the plug and put in a new one.
Don't worry about metal shavings, you'll want to drain the oil and clean everything up anyway.
Then coat every thread on te trailer with anti seize. All of the oil bath plugs, brake caliper bolts, wheel lugs. You'll thank yourself the next time you have to work on the trailer....read the thread about the guy who just snapped off some rusty lugs.

If you have to drill it anyways try a left hand drill bit. Many time the drill bit will spin it out as it try's to bite.

Thanks everyone for the posts. I tackled the problem, with success, and am ready for the water again!!

Here’s what I did and learned…

It’s a 2006 Mastercraft trailer that uses Reliable oil bath hubs. OEM included plastic covers and they deteriorate over time and leak water into the hub. Since then, MC dealers sell aluminum covers which seem to work much better.

Anyways, one failed and I attempted to remove the hex set screw, made of brass, and it got stripped. At the time, did try a larger wrench, but to no avail. Saltwater must have married the two.

First attempt for post-strip removal was a bolt/screw extractor but that didn’t work, just made it worse Again, I’m sure the saltwater had something to do with it. Ended pulling off the hub, taking it to a machine shop and they drilled out the screw, set new threads and gave me another set screw. Done!

I called multiple MC dealers, West Marine, NAPA auto parts and no one had a replacement. One MC dealer finally said that Reliable no longer makes the hub so replacement may be a wish. Looks like I’m going to transition to grease and bearing buddies soon.

not sure what year you have (the newer style upgrades weren't an option for my 03), but you should still be able to order the parts (again if they're compatible) directly from reliable. i had called them about a year ago and they were stills selling them.