Bolt stuck - any suggestions ?

[Rampant Stallion]

Thanks Greg, now I see it all.

 

[cookie]

get a torx bit its like an allen key but lookes like a star hammer in to the bolt then undo easy
nobby the courier

that's wot i'd do, & and have done with success on several occasions.

 

[Gecko]

get a torx bit its like an allen key but lookes like a star hammer in to the bolt then undo easy
nobby the courier

that's wot i'd do, & and have done with success on several occasions.

As I need to acquire a set of these torx bits for the brake disk bolts ,which are also going to be replaced with stainless, I reckon this may me worth a try. Cheers guys.

Someone mentioned about the bolt being loctited in - not so -because all these others came out in a civilized fashion. It's just I slipped with the allen key on this one and now can't get enough purchase on the thing to move it. Also I have been careful only to take out one bolt at a time - so the caliper halfs are never at risk of coming apart. As one bolt is out it is immediately replaced with the new stainless one before I move onto the next one in line.

First attempt later today will be some 'liquid metal' epoxy with an Imperial allen key tapped in by hammer.....keep your fingers crossed for me . I will let you know how things turn out.

More exciting than Eastenders isn't it

 

[Gecko]

Progress = zero

Ok next question....probably a real dumb one but techincally for me , I am moving into uncharted territory now....

If I disconnect my brake caliper from the brake hose will the brake fluid drain out or is there some kind of simple way to avoid this happening ? I want to get the caliper up onto the work bench where I can tackle this bolt a bit more effectively but don't really want to have to bleed the whole brake system.
Suggestions anyone ???

 

[Greg Masters]

Assuming that yours is a regular R1150GS with rubber hoses, use a brake pipe clamp on the hose running to the caliper. Don't do this if you have steel braided hoses.

If you don't have a brake pipe clamp, use a G-clamp or mole grips and a couple of chocks of wood. Do not have regular tools in direct contact with the pipe unless it is a purpose designed clamp.

Then you can disconnect the caliper and sort this out on the bench. You'll only have to bleed that caliper when you have the job done.

Greg

 

[Gecko]

Cheers Greg. Mine are rubber hoses so I may give this a try.
Thanks for the info.

 

[cookie]

BTW: it's a fallacy that getting a bolt out that's been loctited in is hard unless loctite used is one of the stronger varieties, then heat is useful/needed.

with the normal grades of loctite (222 & studlock) it actually seals the threads & prevents the type of corrosion that makes removal a PITA.

 

[Gecko]

What heats up and expands fastest - the steel bolt or the aluminium caliper ? I shoudl have paid more attention during Physics at skool....

 

[Greg Masters]

Aluminium conducts heat quicker than steel, but steel expands more - I think!

Greg

 

[GEOFFREY DEACON]

Alloy expands more than steel ,so the bolt will loosen,BUT Don`t do it as you will need to strip the caliper comletely to do the job properly.,,,,,try the Torq key /good allen system first or consult a specialist!!, Don`t bodge it please.

 

[cookie]

try to heat the caliper, not the bolt. the ally expands more.

if you're really having trouble, take it to an engineering firm who will get it out without damage. er, hopefully

 

[Greg Masters]

if it ain't broke.....fix it 'til it is.

Your motto being lived out before your eyes in true Technicolour!



Greg

 

[Gecko]

Yup....it wasn't broke ....now I'm fixin' it.....

 

[cookie]

doh!

 

[Vern]

Ok,if the worst comes to the worst,do this.
remove the calliper mounting bolts and try to mount the calliper backwards (so the inside of the calliper is facing away from the wheel) and bolt it back on,or fix it to the fork leg somehow.Centre punch the bolt and start drilling with a small drill.As you drill in,the drill heats up the bolt,and as the drill is going in a clockwise direction,the bolt unscrews itself. Keep going up in size a bit at a time,it nearly always works for me. Failing that, run and get a grown up.

 

[Keith Chapman]

This may sound stoopid but it works,

once you have got a torx or allen key or any thing else firmly attached try to tighten the bolt, it only needs to tighten a very small amount, it will break the corrosion seal then you can undo it.

Good luck

 

[ricardo kuhn]

queco send me a private message asking me about the problem.......this was my response

ricardo kuhn wrote on 04-06-2003 09:06 PM:
Hi gecko
first I don't recomend you to use stainless bolts on those calipers.stainless bolt have the tendensy to expand(like titanum those,,they don't hold the torque to well)and sometimes they catastrofically fail(crack) and make it kind of a bad materail for brake calipers because the forces are so intense,,If you insist you can try to find high grade stainless (i think is 11.6 or something) but they expensive and almost imposible to find (ask vern he may know)

NOTE: almost every bolt on my bikes is stainless exept for those on the calipers and the BMW specifics, that you can not find replacements for.


the other much simpler(but not a preatty)is to get your stock bolt crome(looks cheessy like a harley) but you will have really strong bolts and design for the use.

About the bolt in question is a few ways to do it,,,all need expert hands(asuming that the bolt is totally mangle and the head will not hold the allen key any more.
take the caliper out and take it to a welding shop, they be able to weld a piece of metal(any strong metal)if they do it on a perpenticular angle,you will be able to use the metal as leverage.the other way is to weld the allen number 8 MM to the bolt and use a ratchet or more leverage but that way you losee the tool.(no big deal.you can cut it and keep ussing what is left)

you can always get it drill on a milling machine,and stract by a pro.

to avoid this to ever happend again.
make sure the surface of your allen tool is totally square(I do know is a 6 sided tool)with the bottom,,so the tool have full contact(when the tool get old they get round and then they don't really work at a 100%,,,you can always grind them until they are "square"like a pencil)
get your self a impact wrench,,,one of those that you hit with a hammer,,very efective tool,by default you can use a flunt object to "disloge"(losee) the treads,but the impact tool those a much better job because transform the impact into movement...
you can use heat,,like in heat gun to expand the materials aluminum expand faster so the bolt will get a little"losee"be carefull next to the caliper using to much heat.plus that way any tread lock will get softer(aply new when you are done)

to prevent any of this I always use "antiseize" compound on all my stainless,,works wonderfully(you do need to be carefull to check them periodicaty) but they never get welded on the aluminum..

if everything fails and you destroy the treads on that hole you can always use a "helicoil" to repare it....
just don't get to desperate,,relax,,,all that is fixable maybe not on a sunday but monday is just a few hours away...

I hope this helps...
ricky

 

[Greg Masters]

if everything fails and you destroy the treads on that hole you can always use a "helicoil" to repare it....

I agree with almost everything Ricardo has posted, but if all else fails and you destroy the threads ....

....buy a new caliper!



Greg

 

[GEOFFREY DEACON]

IF ALL ELSE FAILS PT 10,, Take your caliper off after first taking out the three good bolts, twist the two halves and if your looky the bolt head will loosen??, OR drill the head off the allen bolt with a drill the size of the bolt (10m), then take out the three bolts ,split the caliper and stud extract the remainder,,, or hide the damaged allen head beind one of those allen bolt caps (Bodge).

 

[ricardo kuhn]

IF ALL ELSE FAILS PT 10,, Take your caliper off after first taking out the three good bolts, twist the two halves and if your looky the bolt head will loosen??, OR drill the head off the allen bolt with a drill the size of the bolt (10m), then take out the three bolts ,split the caliper and stud extract the remainder,,, or hide the damaged allen head beind one of those allen bolt caps (Bodge).

that is a great IDEA,,exept I think the caliper have"dowel" pins,so you cannot spin them(I'm not sure of this