One leg is fine - pinch bolts came out no problems. The other leg... nope. Seized in. Haven't rounded the allen bolts hexs off yet but it's a close run thing. I've squirted the bolts with penetrating oil every time I've passed the bike in the garage for the last 48 hours but still nothing. Tried an impact driver with a 6mm allen key and the bolts are still stuck. I need to get the wheel of ASAP. The valve has been bent at one point and has a hairline fracture so the tyre goes down overnight. I need to replace the valve before it goes though its Manx road worthiness test on tuesday. Suggestion from my local National Tyres was to get a manual bead breaker, break the bead and replace the valve that way but none of my mates appear to have a bead breaker so that's a non starter for now. Suggestions??
I think I'd probably - very carefully - drill the heads off. Awkward while still on the bike, so I'd - probably - remove the front end to do it.
Heat and shock. Heat up the threaded side with hot air gun. If you can hammer a slightly bigger torx bit into the head for a tight fit all the better other wise you will have to use Allen key. Have ground down Allen keys of the next size up before to get a good tight fit in the head. Get it heated up nice and hot and give it a go. Good luck.
Which is what I'd do on old British iron. But if chocolate bolts get chewed up and you have to drill the heads off anyway, it won't be as easy (to keep the bit centralised) as if you'd gone for the drilling straight off. Just my opinion, obviously.
Drill the heads off. Clamping force will then be reduced so you can remove the axle. Sort out the remnants of threads while wheel at tyre fitters.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/screw-bolt-extractor-set-2-pieces/2951v Anyone ever used these screw removing tools? Or similar if the hex’s round off.
That Screwfix thing will not remove a seized bolt. Drill the bolt out and use the hex socket to centre the bit.
Heat and quench with pen oil at least half a dozen times, hammer the torx size that is just too big into the hex, and loosen /tighten / loosen very slightly to get initial movement. Until you feel movement, repeat the heat and quench cycles. They will give in time.
Depending on the fork - could you submerge the fork lower into a hot cu of water....? if so keep doing that - or a boiling kettle - to heat the fork - to around 90 to 100'C Then keep spraying release The aluminium should expand and free off the corosion As been said heat and shock Heat - insert a Hex Bit into the head and hit it to shock bolt... then slightly loosen and tighten and loosen Repeat. You could get the valve by using G clamps - I did that before - but it only solves part of your issue. Time heat and shock...
Have you got any clamps (G-clamp) that you could put on the lowers, you could fit a clamp and tighten it to take the tension off the bolts, that with a bit of heat might free them. An easy-out is another option, I've got a set of bits but never had to use them fortunately. I've drilled heads off before but as the head is recessed a little on the fork legs I'm not sure how you'd get to the remaining thread once off.
thanks for the great ideas - one of my mates has a bead breaker I can borrow so first step will be to pop the bead and replace the valve. Once it's though the test I can then devote time to sorting it I like the suggestion of clamping the lower legs / heat / shock !
What bike is it and which fork leg pinch bolts were you able to loosen?. On some models you only need to loosen the pinch bolts on the R/H leg, and then loosen and withdraw the spindle from the R/H side (after removing the speedo cable and brake calipers, etc).
one of the most stubborn bolts I've come across was a previously untouched transaxle gearbox drain plug on a 35yr old car, got it in the end using cycles of freeze aerosol spray, gentle heat along with some penetrating oil.
I agree with Mr Bimble, the left leg on the carby 900/750 etc. just has the threaded insert in it that you screw the spindle into and the pinch bolts just hold that in place. Don't forget the copaslip when you put the fresh bolts in.
Thanks everyone - got a bead breaker and popped the bead off, tried to remove the valve and of course the alloy flat head on the back chewed up.. Mole grips sorted that out. New valve in and holding pressure To answer the questions - 94 900ss, showa forks. The right hand side bolts (non speedo side) loosened easy enough. I has assumed that the pinch bolts on the left would stop the spindle from being undone but on the advice of Mr Bimble and 98SPS I thought it was worth a quick try I got a nice shiny new set of 1/2 drive allen keys. Made sure the 14mm was seated very well and with a bit of effort out came the spindle. Thanks guys - that has saved me a big future worry on swapping tyres etc etc. A look at the left leg shows the spindle sits in a threaded insert rather than the directly threaded into the clamp.. At some stage in the future I'll take the left leg to an engineering firm and get them to remove the seized bolts A very good saturday morning !!
