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Stuck fork cap

  • Thread starter Thread starter paulneilson
  • Start date Start date
P

paulneilson

Guest
Hi, Can anyone offer advice on loosening a fork cap that has been butchered. The forks are from my 1985 GS1100G and have the caps with the 4 position preload adjustment. A previous owner has damaged the cap to the point where a socket is useless and it looks like he'd already tried vise grips so I also tried this to no avail. I am restoring the bike so the forks are now off the bike. At this stage I realise that I will need a new forkcap but I still need to get this one out. Any advice would be most appreciated.
Paul
 
If the hex is rounded off, and you're going to replace it anyway, carve on it with a Dremel tool until you can put a wrench on it.
 
Another tip is to loosen the upper clamp. Make sure the lower clamp is tight, though.

It might also help to slide the tube up a bit to give you more gripping clearance.

.
 
Place the fork back into the triple tree to secure it safely only raise it up a few inches before tightening the clamps to gain easier access.
Make sure that there is no air or oil left in the fork tube.
As mentioned, take a file, cut off wheel, whatever and MAKE the buggered up hex nut into a size that you can get a 6-point socket on.
After applying penetrating oil into the recess for the adjuster and outside for the threads, have at it with an impact gun.
It will come out. ;)
 
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Got a friend with a welder? Just weld a big nut to the top and away yah go.
 
I've got a monster set of vice-grips that hasn't failed me yet. :)
For really tough cases a little heat on the tube can help
 
Heat it as well...youre gonnan be replacing the orings in the caps anyways, so some heat will soften and loosen them from the tubes. Heat is always your friend if used in the right ways on stuck bolts and such.
 
After soaking the cap end of the fork in WD40 for a few days and then using a socket larger than the nut size on the cap and giving it a sharp hit with a hammer, I was trying a six sided impact socket on the cap to see if it would fit and still grip the damaged cap and I couldn't believe it when I was able to turn the cap by hand. Believe me this cap was originally so tight I couldn't turn it using a socket and a breaker bar without damaging the cap further. Thank you all for your advice.
Paul
 
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