Stripped fork pinch bolt...

devildogae

devildogae

Member
Need some advice to removing a stripped (totally) front right outside fork pinch bolt, the recessed kind? Please any and all ideas are welcomed:popcorn:
 
Mike55

Mike55

New Member
There's no reason for a pinch bolt to be tightened enough to get stripped that bad in the first place, even if the wrong size wrench is used. Most have a torque setting of 12-18nm. I said that only to preface the assumption that an easy-out should do the trick, even if someone really cranked on it. If not you may need to CAREFULLY grind or file enough of a flat spot on both sides of the bolt head to get a set of vice grips on it as a LAST RESORT. Be sure to use the proper size wrench to tighten down all of the pinch bolts to the manufacturers exact spec after your done with whatever project got you to this point. I'm sure, or at least hopeful, you already knew that though. Good luck and let us know the outcome.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2
 
devildogae

devildogae

Member
I got an easy out set from Sears and snapped the end off inside the bolt. Guess I'm going to drill it out from the back. Yea I didn't tighten the bolt, but I used the wrong alen wrench. It's to recessed to grab with vice grips, I've tried. I might use a dremel and cut notches and use a flat head screwdriver, that might work.
 
03bueller

03bueller

Control Rider
Holy crap that had to be tight......., I'd be careful trying to cut notches, more than likely you will twist the screwdriver with just the small end bearing surfaces. If it was tight enough to break the easy out then you may have issues. Have you tried to find left twist drill bits? Sometimes those are capable of backing the bolt out as you drill into it. You just need to be careful and make sure you're perfectly centered when you start drilling...
 
devildogae

devildogae

Member
03bueller;299355 wrote: Holy crap that had to be tight......., I'd be careful trying to cut notches, more than likely you will twist the screwdriver with just the small end bearing surfaces. If it was tight enough to break the easy out then you may have issues. Have you tried to find left twist drill bits? Sometimes those are capable of backing the bolt out as you drill into it. You just need to be careful and make sure you're perfectly centered when you start drilling...
Click to expand...
I'm going to go looking for left twisting drill bits tomorrow. I can't drill through the broken easy out, it's to hard, and I tried to drill it from the other side. Well I got about half way and that drill bit broke off inside. This is a mess...
 
betarace

betarace

Member
$100. Shop. Cheaper than the trajectory you are on: left drill bits, mechanic to tell you that it's hogged out.
 
devildogae

devildogae

Member
betarace;299376 wrote: $100. Shop. Cheaper than the trajectory you are on: left drill bits, mechanic to tell you that it's hogged out.
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I did shop on ebay, and all the right sided fork legs for $100 are either bent or damaged in other ways. I'd rather drill it out and retap if I had to, try to salvage the fork. But that still doesn't help with my problem of getting the tire off, since the pinch bolt is stuck, I can't get the axle off, thus I can't get the tire out, even if I wanted to take the forks out, they would be attached to the tire...
 
Mike55

Mike55

New Member
I hate when stuff like that happens and turns a 20 minute job into selling the damn bike and looking for another one because you're so pissed off. A desperation thought here, so don't think this is how I usually do things: get the biggest allen head that will fit in it and try to JB weld it to the bolt (obviously don't get it anywhere else) and try to ease it out. Be sure to take a small punch or pick to knock off any burs that might slightly bind it up (especially on the back side) and use blaster on it. Solder might work if the bolt isn't aluminum. At this point it can't hurt. Keep us posted.

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physicistkev

physicistkev

Control Rider
Even with a stripped, recessed Allen bolt. You could hammer a torx bit in and use that. Try putting the torx bit in the freezer, and the pound it in after it's good and cold. You may even heat the bolt head in the fork. I have done this before, successfully I might add.

You could add your favorite epoxy if you want to get crazy.

If your at the end of the rope, start with the smallest drill bit you have. Make sure you get the bulk set and try to drill a progressively larger hole. Use oil and light pressure. It will take a long time, but it will work if done properly.
 
devildogae

devildogae

Member
physicistkev;299459 wrote: Even with a stripped, recessed Allen bolt. You could hammer a torx bit in and use that. Try putting the torx bit in the freezer, and the pound it in after it's good and cold. You may even heat the bolt head in the fork. I have done this before, successfully I might add.

You could add your favorite epoxy if you want to get crazy.

If your at the end of the rope, start with the smallest drill bit you have. Make sure you get the bulk set and try to drill a progressively larger hole. Use oil and light pressure. It will take a long time, but it will work if done properly.
Click to expand...
What did you use to heat it?
 
physicistkev

physicistkev

Control Rider
Map gas. Yellow can. You could use propane also, blue can. Either one will work. Just heat the bolt head for about 45 seconds. Yank the torx bit out of the freezer and hammer it in. The torx bit should be just slightly to big to fit in the Allen head at room temperature, but it should be real tight. Let the temp even out, maybe 5 to 7 minutes. If you have a C clamp, clamp the bit into the bolt as the temp evens out. Apply as much pressure as you can pushing the bit into the bolt and turn it in a counter clockwise rotation. You may need to try multiple times. Try to line the splines up on the torx bit each time you hammer it in, if you have to do it more than once.

This is tricky, and I would recommend you go with the drilling method. It has a much higher success rate. Even going with JB weld, or a stronger epoxy, is a better bet than the above.
 
R

Ruhe52

Member
If you have not already done so tighten the bolt next to it to something like 15 ft lbs.


Mike Ruhe
SE CR 52
2006 Yamaha R6
2009 Yamaha Zuma 125
2010 BMW S1000rr
2011 Suzuki GSXR 750

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