Stripped lower hex bolt on bottom of forks

[ukjules]

I had to change the fork seals on the fork on my GS 550e 1980.
An awful job if your already fixing mowers etc etc.

Anyway all off and the bottom hex bold that holds all bits in head has stripped to a circle. So I'm stuck.

How on earth do I get out of this ? This had never been done since I bought bike 10 ish years ago. It was stripped anyway.

As it's hex I can't see anyway of getting force on it ?

Has anyone got out of this situation ?

 

[ukjules]

Pic

 

[Suzukian]

Drill it out. There will be enough of it sticking out (just drill the rounded head off) to remove with a set of Vice Grips. Much easier to fix than you may think.

 

[Grimly]

Hammer in a Torx bit and you're good to go, if you fit a suitable socket / key / whittled brush pole down the inside bit from the top.

 

[Suzukian]

Why bother going through all of that. You are removing the lower leg, so when you drill off the Allen Cap, the lower leg will slide right off, then, since there's no tension on the bolt, it will come right off.

 

[ukjules]

I can't see how drilling out the head will do it ? The inner thread would remain and the leg won't drop out ? Drilling is the final option where I'd destroy the leg to get the upper fork out . I'd then need a new leg.
Also I only have a hand drill.

Torx is a good idea. There is prob 7-8mm only of the recess to ram into. Will try today.

 

[ukjules]

My collection of tools for stripped bolts nuts etc.
Have two options here. 1) torx 2) a large extractor that winds into the recess (usually by drilling a bolt out)

I have 7mm of recess and a fork bolt that I bet was sealed in with thread lock stuff.

Will report and pray this works.
To drill out will be a machine shop

 

[ukjules]

Update :
'Torx banged in worked a treat ' !!!!!

Method :
- after cracking eve before , covered in oil , dribbling with rage
- half bottle of wine in eve to reduce seething
- awake after nights sleep , wd40, in vice , torx 45 (socket type) smashed into top of fork bolt, twisted out no probs.
- happiness

Now need a M8?1.25?27 Allen bolt.

Cheers guys for assistance.

 

[ukjules]

Note : in my text I conguse hex with Allen bolt. An Allen bolt it is ..

Do you reckon this is man enough ?

 

[Nessism]

12.9 is a good strong bolt.

And the Torx trick is my go-to method for removing stripped head fasteners. They are a whole lot less likely to snap off compared to an EZ Out. I just did this with THREE stripped pilot air screws on a set of VM carbs.

 

[bwringer]

Double-check that thread pitch. I don't know about your bike, but the larger models usually use an M10x1.0 thread.

 

[Suzukian]

You guys make this way to hard. You aren't going to reuse the bolt, so why bother going through all of that. This is a 3 minute job to remove with just a drill. You make a project out of it, and if you brake off that hardened piece in there, then you will have problems, unless you know how to make a home made EDM machine (which I do). bad advice, followed by bad advice. KISS, is my rule of thumb. (K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Stupid), not calling anyone stupid here at all, it is an idiom, used often. :smiley_simmons:

 

[Burque73]

Thanks for posting, guys. This is something I ran into a few years ago. The seals are not leaking, fortunately, I just wanted to change them while I was replacing the springs. Actually never even got the tubes to slide out of the air dampening thing so I just pulled the top cap and dropped new springs in from there.

It's good to know there are at least two options when the time comes. :encouragement:
If I can slide the upper tubes out that is...

 

[ukjules]

I still can't see how drilling can possibly be thought easier and quicker than using a torx bit ?
it took me 10 seconds to rig safely fork in vice. Then put in 45 torx bit into bolt head. smack with hammer , add socket and turn. done in 20 seconds. torx bit not damaged. it unscrewed easily in one piece.
drilling you say would take 3 mins. I have made tea whilst you are still drilling.

to drill would take a hell of a lot longer. especially using my cheapo hand drill and bits. and could I be sure to drill the perfect depth with damage. even if I had a rig at the ready it would take longer.

drilling is the absolute last resort surely. it is for me. then you start to use easy out or as you say drill the head off.

it is absolutely the right advice to go minimal first.
​​​​​​

 

[Suzukian]

I don't have cheapo drills. I have a machine shop in my barn. All manner of machines. I have taken broken taps out of Sikorsky Blackhawk Helicopter hubs that were broken when that last process was done. One broken tap would render a $500K hub worthless.

I know about removing taps, broken drills, and stripped heads out of objects. The drill will find it's center on what's left of the head of the bolt. With not too high rpm,s holding the piece between your legs, you drill till the head comes off the bolt, and lodges onto the drill. The bottom leg drops right off. I have done this countless times for people and various shops I've worked for. It takes minutes, you do it with your legs and hand drill. No set up involved.

 

[Baatfam]

it is absolutely the right advice to go minimal first.

Agreed...........

 

[Cipher]

I still can't see how drilling can possibly be thought easier and quicker than using a torx bit ?
it took me 10 seconds to rig safely fork in vice. Then put in 45 torx bit into bolt head. smack with hammer , add socket and turn. done in 20 seconds. torx bit not damaged. it unscrewed easily in one piece.
drilling you say would take 3 mins. I have made tea whilst you are still drilling.

to drill would take a hell of a lot longer. especially using my cheapo hand drill and bits. and could I be sure to drill the perfect depth with damage. even if I had a rig at the ready it would take longer.

drilling is the absolute last resort surely. it is for me. then you start to use easy out or as you say drill the head off.

it is absolutely the right advice to go minimal first.
​​​​​​

Hand drilling disks and i've got the puncture wounds to prove it.

 

[Nessism]

The torx bit is a no-brainer. You can always drill out the screw if this fails. And when it comes to drilling, There are countless examples here of guys drilling out things like header bolts and hitting the head and wrecking it. Too risky for guys that don't have medium high skills.

 

[Suzukian]

You can't drill out a hardened extractor piece if it breaks off. Besides, your drilling the size of the shank. The head will pop off.. You will see it pop off. Usually the leg loosens right up.
Nessism​ I do agree with you however, maybe some people aren't cut out, or don't have the experience, but you can drill too far if something is in jib. The only thing that stops you is how far you decide to drill, crappy tools, and you never use an oversized drill, you use one the diameter of the shank of the bolt. I'm happy when anybody has success in what your doing. I can't stand when the inside of the leg spins while trying too loosen the bolt, and you have to pull out the air gun to spin it at high speed to get the screw out. Honda's are famous for this.

 

[Baatfam]

You can't drill out a hardened extractor piece if it breaks off. Besides, your drilling the size of the shank. The head will pop off.. You will see it pop off. Usually the leg loosens right up.
Nessism​ I do agree with you however, maybe some people aren't cut out, or don't have the experience, but you can drill too far if something is in jib. The only thing that stops you is how far you decide to drill, crappy tools, and you never use an oversized drill, you use one the diameter of the shank of the bolt. I'm happy when anybody has success in what your doing. I can't stand when the inside of the leg spins while trying too loosen the bolt, and you have to pull out the air gun to spin it at high speed to get the screw out. Honda's are famous for this.

Nah....
I have the the correct tools, and have drilled out many screw heads. And yet, I would still try a torx bit first. Fast and easy.
How much force is necessary to snap a quality torx bit, anyway?