Help needed with bent bolt inside an EQ5 mount

[Quatermass]

Oh dear oh dear only a few weeks with my new sky watcher 200p and the dam bolt that adjusts the latitude has bent and will now not come out. I think it went in to far and when I moved the mount it bent it but what ever the cause its now bent over and just will not come out. I dont want to force it but I cant figure out how to remove the plate covers one black the other with the latitude marker so I can get at the bolt and straighten it out. The only other answer I can come up with is to have to hack saw the end then drill it out. Any one got any suggestions on how to proceed with this one? Im off to bed now but will be back on line tomorrow to check my thread. Apart from that tonight was great the stars came out and I had a wonderful time observing the moon. Hope you can help me with this dont want to ruin the thread or kak it up ..

[Beyond_Vision]

If it's still under guarantee I would send it back and if it gets replaced I would change the bolts for a set from Astrodevelopments.

Regards

Kevin

[Quatermass]

If it's still under guarantee I would send it back and if it gets replaced I would change the bolts for a set from Astrodevelopments.

Regards

Kevin

It is still under guarantee but to be honest I dont want to wait weeks for it to be replaced and returned its a simple matter of getting the bolt out. I just cant figure out how to remove the covers on each side of the mount where the bolt are located. Once I can do that getting the bolt out and replacing it with a better one should not be a problem just wonder if any one has taken it apart to that extent?

[glowjet]

Quatermass, have a word with Mel Astro_Baby, she has stripped these mounts down and will no doubt know how to remove the covers you refer to, this is not the first time this has happened. These bolts are extremely soft and should be replaced with stainless at the earliest opportunity, either make your own out of 8mm SS threaded rod, with knobs of your choice epoxy resined onto the ends, mine were supplied by Trend, router cutter manufacturers. HTH.

John.

[Quatermass]

Hi Glow Jet. I have managed to get the bolt out hooray! I read on the forum the suggestion to pass a bolt through the bottom of the mount casing and tighten it down onto the bent bolt inside so I gave it a go. After a few careful turns the bolt inside straightened out enough so I could remove it phew:) The bolts that adjust the latitude are really soft and the design insures that if you put pressure on the axis this will bend the long bolt out of shape making it really hard to get out again as I found out yesterday. That cost me a few hours viewing when the skys cleared as well:(

I tried looking for astro baby's site but my book mark to it doesn't work my be her site is off line at the moment? Any way problem solved at last. If any one else has this problem putting a long bolt through the bottom and tighten it down on the bent bolt this will slowly straighten it out for you allowing you to remove the bolt.

Good advice to any one with an EQ5 mount take those bolts out and replace them with stronger ones which I have now done.

I sighed a big sigh of relief when the bolt straightened out and I was able to remove it but all is well now many thanks:D

[hackathon]

Hi Quatermass,

I have the same problem with my EQ5 mount. I've got the bent bolt out and am looking to replace them. You said in your last post

>Good advice to any one with an EQ5 mount take those bolts out > and replace them with stronger ones which I have now done.

Where did get your replacements? The ones I see for sale online are for the HEQ5 and EQ6 range and I'm not sure if these are compatible.

Cheers...

[glowjet]

If you do not want to make your own out of 6mm Stainless rod then try Iankingimaging, they have them at £20 a set for the eq5 and eq6, manufactured by Astrodevelopments I believe. HTH.

[Quatermass]

Hi Quatermass,

I have the same problem with my EQ5 mount. I've got the bent bolt out and am looking to replace them. You said in your last post

>Good advice to any one with an EQ5 mount take those bolts out > and replace them with stronger ones which I have now done.

Where did get your replacements? The ones I see for sale online are for the HEQ5 and EQ6 range and I'm not sure if these are compatible.

Hi Hackathon

No need to spend lots of dosh I went to my local hardware store coopers in bungay and bought two bolts for 59pence I then got my angler grinder and used this to cut them to the right length, same as the old ones and put them back in again. I will take a photograph of them for you so you can see what I did and post them on this thread time is now 1.15pm so check back at 2pm and I will have the pics up here for you too look at.

Cheers...

[Hypernova]

I replaced the bent bolts on my eq3-2 mount with a pair of m8 roofing bolts from B and Q. Not the best solution as it requires the use of a screwdriver for adjustment, but it'll do for now until I can afford the astrodevelopment ones.

[Quatermass]

Here ya go.. the bolts in the mount and the next pic is the bolts and my angler grinder that cut them to size. The bolts came from my local hard ware store if your not sure of the size just take the old one in to get the right ones. Ok there not that fancy but they do the job :icon_salut:well.

[barkis]

Don't you have a hacksaw then ? .

[Quatermass]

Don't you have a hacksaw then ? .

I do but its blunt as can be and the trusty old angle grinder cuts through the bolts in double quick time and you can polish of the ends. I then run them through a bolt cutting tool that puts back the thread. SO if you haven't got that tool then a hack saw and a small file will do just as well. I love the sparks that fly when you cut with the angle grinder