Oh, I'm cheap no doubt about that. I'm also not a full time mechanic (obviously) so priorities.
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Stripped allen bolt on fork during oil seal change.
- Thread starter Moisstink
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Oh, I'm cheap no doubt about that. I'm also not a full time mechanic (obviously) so priorities.
You can't fool around with those bolts. Using a t-handle is fooling around. Get an allen socket, put it in a ratchet or breaker bar, slide a length of pipe over it for more leverage. Put the whole thing on the ground, stand on the fork leg while turning the ratchet. At the same time, you need similar leverage on whatever you are going to use to hold the inner damper rod. I've done it like this dozens of times, no impact wrench needed.
When you do the other leg from your picture you need an extra long allen head socket because you are going through the axle holder.
Sometimes a Torx bit can be hammered into a buggered allen head bolt, but this particular bolt requires so much force to break that I suspect you will be going to a machine shop as grizld1 suggested with a head that is as bad as yours is.
When you do the other leg from your picture you need an extra long allen head socket because you are going through the axle holder.
Sometimes a Torx bit can be hammered into a buggered allen head bolt, but this particular bolt requires so much force to break that I suspect you will be going to a machine shop as grizld1 suggested with a head that is as bad as yours is.
If that is a 34 mm fork, the tool you need to hold the top (inner) is a different shape from the one for the 35 mm forks. Once the allen head bolt is out, it is not a special order item to replace.
member3480
RICH
Ok lets get you on the right track. First those bolts from the factory if not removed have a little lock tight on them and you need to pull spring and use tool to stop inner plunger from turning first. Then go to a garage that has a impact gun and use it to get the bolts out. I have done these many times that someone like you tried to use common tools and they strip head. You are going to have to find next size allen and get that in there. After these are broken for the first time they come out easy.
A old trick when I had no good tools was get a broom stick and shove it down the tube and hit it with a hammer and it will lodge itself in the top just enough to cause resistance so you can break the bolt. But now that you stripped it you are past that point and need real tools. If you had a book it would have told you the proper way to remove but what I always say learning is the best way. This design is on most bikes and I would never drill or cut bolt because then you may damage plunger and its a safety thing.
A old trick when I had no good tools was get a broom stick and shove it down the tube and hit it with a hammer and it will lodge itself in the top just enough to cause resistance so you can break the bolt. But now that you stripped it you are past that point and need real tools. If you had a book it would have told you the proper way to remove but what I always say learning is the best way. This design is on most bikes and I would never drill or cut bolt because then you may damage plunger and its a safety thing.
It's 18mm, if you have star bits tap one in the bolt head then hold it vertical in a vise and undo the rod inside the leg with an 18 mm tool, if you do not have one make one up by welding a nut to a socket extension and push down when undoing, if you have a blow torch warm up the bottom of the leg to soften the thread glue, failing this use a 8.5 mm drill and take the head off the bolts, in fact in your position i would drill the head off anyway.
Gee, Kevski, so many guys, for so many years, have been using 17 mm. tools on the damper rod heads--who knew? What I use is a coupling nut from the hardware store in a 17 mm. socket.
Heads up when it's time to assemble! Clymer (and maybe Haynes too) repeats a conversion error in the Yamaha factory literature. DO NOT apply 44 ftlbs. of torque to an 8 mm. fastener! 14 ftlbs. is the correct conversion from the metric spec.
Heads up when it's time to assemble! Clymer (and maybe Haynes too) repeats a conversion error in the Yamaha factory literature. DO NOT apply 44 ftlbs. of torque to an 8 mm. fastener! 14 ftlbs. is the correct conversion from the metric spec.
Do i detect a hint of sarcasm there, i only found out after destroying the inner rod with the wrong size, and 18mm nuts, bolts and allen keys are rare and expensive when you find them.
Clarko
Yamaholic
similar to what jussumguy said, I've had luck driving a slightly larger torx head into stripped allen bolts. the torx are hard steel and will cut the allen head.
gedti
XS650 Enthusiast
I second the heat solution. Put a torch on there, get it nice and hot, using the next size up standard wrench or a start wrench try to turn it. That failing, i would drill a hole into the head deep enough to get an "easy out" in it, apply heat, and turn. When you put heat to it, try not to heat the Allen bolt as much as possible. The key is to expand the metal around it.
For the other fork if you still want to try it without an impact, tap on the end of the Allen wrench while trying to turn it. Obviously, don't turn it hard enough to round that one too.
For the other fork if you still want to try it without an impact, tap on the end of the Allen wrench while trying to turn it. Obviously, don't turn it hard enough to round that one too.
This isn't a job for the standard little "L" shaped Allen wrench. As mentioned, you need an Allen socket. Really, anyone who works on bikes regularly should have sets of these, and thanks to HF, you can for not a whole lot of money. As mentioned, you need the longer type for this job .....
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-pc-38-in-drive-metric-long-reach-hex-bit-socket-set-67890.html
I'm sure you could make room in your toolbox for these, although you may need to store the stick and the rock somewhere else, lol.
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-pc-38-in-drive-metric-long-reach-hex-bit-socket-set-67890.html
I'm sure you could make room in your toolbox for these, although you may need to store the stick and the rock somewhere else, lol.
Holy Crap that is a lot of information on this. Very cool. I am going to weld up a allen ratched head and go with a pipe to the bastard bolts. I have read on here when an impact wrench does not do it. We'll see. since I do have a welder and a few disposables that is my next step.
While you've got the welder out, make a "special tool" to hold the damper rod from spinning. You need this because that thread sealer/locker the factory put on the threads of the bottom bolt will make it turn out hard the entire way. It's not going to break loose from being tight and then just easily spin out by hand. The top of the damper rod in the '78 and later forks has what looks just like a 12 point socket on top of it. You need a 17mm (across the flats) hex head to fit into it. I weld a nut to a bolt and then hold it using a socket on a couple long extensions .....
While you've got the welder out, make a "special tool" to hold the damper rod from spinning. You need this because that thread sealer/locker the factory put on the threads of the bottom bolt will make it turn out hard the entire way. It's not going to break loose from being tight and then just easily spin out by hand. The top of the damper rod in the '78 and later forks has what looks just like a 12 point socket on top of it. You need a 17mm (across the flats) hex head to fit into it. I weld a nut to a bolt and then hold it using a socket on a couple long extensions .....
Cool. Thanks again.
