Front axle fork pinch bolts rounded off | GTAMotorcycle.com

Front axle fork pinch bolts rounded off

smudger

Well-known member
Last thing to do on my '91 ZX7 to be ready for the track is to remove the front wheel & have a nice new Q3 tire fitted...........
Unfortunately the 6mm hexagon head cap screws at the bottom of the forks are damaged.
I have managed to get the inside one on each fork leg loosened but the outside ones no way.
I even tried with a 1/4" allen key (6.35mm) but still no way will they let go.
Needless to say the hexagon head is totally foooked up now.
I cant be the first person to suffer this so how did everyone else remove these damaged cap heads or what is the best method of doing it?
Why oh why do people put back even slightly damaged cap head screws, they cost pennies each for gods sake.
Anyways ladies & gents, all help is greatly appreciated,
Thanks, Smudger
 
Or if you have a torx bit that is a bit bigger,hammer it in and they will pop out.
 
This
Cut a slot in them and use a screwdriver
or


locking-pliers-19655-3179025.jpg
 
Thanks guys.
Have already tried the torx bit on RH fork & the bolt wouldn't move but didn't try it on the Lh leg as it's getting late to be banging around.
Can't use vice grips as they are recessed into the fork leg.
Has anyone used one of those special tools where you need to drill into the head, if so where do you get one from?
If I knew someone with a welder i'd plead with them to come over & weld the key or torx bit into screw head & hopefully that would work
Smudger
 
easy outs are the easiest way to turn a small problem into a large one. If you break an easy out, your life gets very complicated.

Post pics of the area so we can come up with ideas.
 
Last thing to do on my '91 ZX7 to be ready for the track is to remove the front wheel & have a nice new Q3 tire fitted...........
Unfortunately the 6mm hexagon head cap screws at the bottom of the forks are damaged.
I have managed to get the inside one on each fork leg loosened but the outside ones no way.
I even tried with a 1/4" allen key (6.35mm) but still no way will they let go.
Needless to say the hexagon head is totally foooked up now.
I cant be the first person to suffer this so how did everyone else remove these damaged cap heads or what is the best method of doing it?
Why oh why do people put back even slightly damaged cap head screws, they cost pennies each for gods sake.
Anyways ladies & gents, all help is greatly appreciated,
Thanks, Smudger
For future reference, once you get one pinch bolt broken loose, tighten it back down to help take some of the load off the second one before you try to loosen it. Goes for triple clamps, clip ons, what-have-you.

Otherwise, left hand drill screw extractor set is my go-to solution. Got mine at Crappy Tire.
 
Also maybe apply some heat to expand the area around the threads
 
Thanks everyone, when I hammered in the Torx bit I tried turning the bolt in & it definately gave that slight crack sound as though that had broken the seal so to speak but every time I try loosening the bolt the Torx bit twits/backs out of the hex (now almost round) head.
I have had the offending bolt sprayed with releasing oil/fluid a few times & tried a bit of heat.
Next step is to hammer in the Torx bit again (or even a 7mm hex key on 1/2" drive socket) & try using the impact wrench to persuade the buggers to start coming out as I'm then pushing the Torx bit into the head directly rather than twisting it out & hope theres still enough material in there for it to bite.
If that fails, I'll try the "easy Out" extractor things & then finally maybe weld the hex key/Torx bit into the bolt head with a 110V Mig welder................
Smudger
 
As mentioned earlier...left hand drill bit. It will either bite and screw out bolt or drill through to get a "quality" extractor to set.
 
So the electric impact driver removed the remaining bolt from the RH fork leg (RH as you sit on the bike) but the one in the LH leg is so damn tight its unbelievable, the impact driver wouldnt budge it at all even though the Torx bit we had in there had a good bite.
However by getting the RH fork leg bolts free we could loosen the axle using the 22mm hex key socket I have & get the front wheel out of the bike, basically leaving the axle nut in the LH fork as we cant get that final bolt out of there.
The wheel bearings were pretty much seized solid so the wheel is currently having a new Q3 tire fitted & the wheel bearings replaced.
I have the new fork pinch bolts & will replace the wheel in the forks today, grease the axle etc up before tightening (105lb/ft according to manual) & then nip up the pinch bolts to the correct torque (15lb/ft) in the RH leg & replace the one I could remove in the LH leg.
The remaining, immovable bolt in the LH leg will have to be dealt with later, but it will come out even if I have to drill it out.
Thanks for all your help ladies & gents.
Smudger
 
Also just noticed that the braided brake lines are way too short. With the headstock stand in I cannot refit the callipers while the forks are at full extension; drop the bike onto the front wheel so the forms compress & the callipers can be refitted, surely that's dangerous, lift the front end while riding & you'd pull a brake line out.
Can anyone recommend s good supplier for braided lines for 1991 ZX7?
Thanks gents, Smudger
 
You need to be using heat to remove stubborn bolts like that . A small plumbers torch then impact.


This used to be my signature, but Paulo didn't like it.
 

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