Oh,so that's the way it goes

The splines were stripped off on the output shaft of the New Idea 325 corn picker where the little sprocket goes that runs the elevator off the main gearbox. I've got a parts picker here and the shaft and sprocket were on it in good shape. I unbolted it and took it off. The back half of the PTO shaft was still on it but the U-joint was bad. No problem,there's a shear pin right there and a 3/8ths bolt that threads in the end of the shaft with a big washer on it that holds the joint on the shaft.

The bolt didn't want to come loose with a wrench,so I cut the cross out with the torch and tried to rattle it out with the 3/8ths drive impact wrench. The bolt snapped off. Great! Now I have to get that out or take both gear boxes apart and swap out one shaft or the other. I heated it up good and dripped some wax down in it twice and let it soak in. When it cooled I took a left hand bit and drilled a hole down in it hoping it would catch. It didn't,so I tried an easy out. It started turning then stopped. I looked down in it and saw clean threads. Nice! Left hand threaded bolt.

I went to the hardware store to see if they had an extractor for left hand threads. All they had was a whole set of bits and extractors for $74. I'll swap the shaft before I'll spend that much to use something once. I went down to my son's machine shop to see if he had one. He didn't,but he had a tapered four sided extractor that he said might work. I had to tap it in a few times,but I got it out.

Makes sense it would turn that way. Keeps it from loosening up if the yoke spins then the pin shears,but I just wasn't even thinking for a minute that it would be left handed. I put a wrench on the one on the picker,turned it like I was tightening a normal bolt and it came right out. Live and learn.

You can drive an allen wrench down in a drilled hole too.Six sides won't put the pressure outward on the bolt like a 4 sided one will.Plus,you can turn it both ways.If it starts to move you can turn it back and forth until it loosens up more.The allen bit in a socket works the best.

Ya,my son told me that if that tapered outfit didn't work,try a Torx socket.

I have had good luck with the four-sided extractors. They have sharp edges, they go in tight, and they have a much larger cross section than the spiral Easy-Outs, so they are a lot less likely to break.

I agree! The spiral seem to break way to
easy. I always use an 8pt socket so I get a
good even pull.

Ya,I was concerned that the sharp edges only went the way that right hand bolts go,but the back side was sharp enough for it to work.