Name that tool?

[Josha]

Hi all,

I've just bought a new gear shift lever for my f800gs and went to undo the bolt/screw type thing (As you can see I'm very technical) that holds the stock one in and found I have no tool to undo it.

What is it I need to undo the thing as it's a very odd looking shape?

Many thanks in anticipation of enlightenment

Josh

 

[ghiribizzo]

Josh - I don't have an F800GS but if it's like other bikes in the range you need a half decent Torx set. Male and female types to work on the bikes.
Halfords would be a good start.

(They use those fasteners to stop 'you' taking them apart... )

 

[tommymoto]

E Torx

Is it like these?

 

[freeloader]

It's an inverse Torx, size E8.

 

[freeloader]

Is it like these?

As long as there's an E8 in there, yes.

 

[Josha]

Thanks for clearing that up.

I went into Halfords today to look at buying myself my first set of grown up tools.

After spending some considerable amount of time staring at them baffled I left empty handed as I had no real idea what I needed in a set for me to work on my bike, ie what sizes, shapes and now there's male and female to consider

Anyone recommend a set from Halford that fits the bill for working on my bike for around £50 ish?

Thanks

Josh

 

[Greggers]

Josh ...

Try a metric ring spanner ... there's one that'll fit just snug!

I've just been out to look, but remembered that I swapped it for a hex allen bolt, but I'm pretty sure it's an 8mm ring spanner that'll fit - same as the bolt for the handlebar clamps...

Just have a look, explore the 'out of box' pissibolities of your tools

G

 

[Dahoum]

Thanks for clearing that up.

I went into Halfords today to look at buying myself my first set of grown up tools.

Anyone recommend a set from Halford that fits the bill for working on my bike for around £50 ish?

Thanks

Josh

Here ya go ...
,
,

 

[Schtum]

Here ya go ...
,
,

More seriously.....only slightly but they do work.....

 

[stever1]

Try machine mart for a set of torx bits. They do a good set for about £35 with internal and external bits, in a blown plastic case including the adapters for ratchets.

 

[Sooty09]

I dont think a socket will fit on to the gear lever bolt, you need a Torx ring spanner.
This bolt was always coming loose on my GS800 resulting in sloppy gear changing, it was not unscrewing so it must have been stretching. Eventually it would have snapped leaving a very difficult job drilling the old bolt out,you cannot remove the lever without fully removing the bolt. I have replaced it with a proper high tensile cap screw.

 

[Schtum]

I dont think a socket will fit on to the gear lever bolt, you need a Torx ring spanner.

Maybe it's different on the 800 but you can certainly use a socket on the 1200. I even used one of those Gator Grip sockets that I posted above when I needed to adjust the gearchange lever on a borrowed 1200. Have you ever tried to find any kind of Torx tool in rural Oregon.....?

 

[Greg Masters]

You could do far worse than spending £18.99 on our old friend, the Halfords professional 1/4" socket set.

It's usually £39.99 - currently £18.99 and it has Torx bits.

Greg

 

[ghiribizzo]

If that's the set in question, it doesn't have Torx sockets.
I don't have an 800 but I suspect the fastener he's on about protrudes - so a female 'socket' is needed to remove it?

 

[Greg Masters]

If that's the set in question, it doesn't have Torx sockets.
I don't have an 800 but I suspect the fastener he's on about protrudes - so a female 'socket' is needed to remove it?

No, it doesn't have Torx sockets. You could always buy a set of those too.

Greg

 

[Greggers]

Of course - you can take anyone's advice you like .... but I think this is the same size torx head...

 

[ILMV]

I needed some female torx so bought these from Halfrauds...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_176391_langId_-1_categoryId_165572

... for £15.99, I already had a male set in my toolkit, but perhaps a set of thise will complete the collection...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_167858_langId_-1_categoryId_165572

Nicely within £50 and the quality isn't too bad either

 

[stever1]

With regard to my earlier posting about the correct tools. Either see attached picture (if I can do it ) or check out the M.M web site for product Number 040211164.
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-torx-star-spline-hex-socket-and-bit-set

Hope it works. Incidentally be aware shopping for tools is a terrible addiction to have.

 

[TheJoker]

Just bite the bullet and get real tools.

For working on the BMW you'll need a decent set of male (T-xx) and female (E-xx) tools. I have 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" T-torx sockets. Then I have a set of E-spanners. I might get a set of E-sockets next.

Make sure you buy decent quality as, unlike screwdrivers and hex-head tools, the Torx tools are quite a lot more complex to manufacture meaning that they're out of tolerance much easier.

The Halfords kit is usually quite good, ask the staff, especially if you have a picture on your phone or something, to show them. Either way, you want "Torx".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx

 

[Greggers]

Just bite the bullet and get real tools.

For working on the BMW you'll need a decent set of male (T-xx) and female (E-xx) tools. I have 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" T-torx sockets. Then I have a set of E-spanners. I might get a set of E-sockets next.

.... Or just swap out the Torx stuff for conventional high-tensile hex cap-head...

Seriously, buying another set of these, then a set of those, oh, and of course you need the other 'special' stoff too, frankly there's no real advantage in using Torx fasteners over cap-heads in the applications we can see i.e. chassis and body - just another example of Teutonic elitism IMHO

G