| Author | Message | ||
     Swordsman |
WTF is up with the thread locker on stupid body parts! They're PLASTIC. They don't even weigh 2 pounds. They don't vibrate loose!!!  I'm trying to swap my front fender out, and I've nearly broken 2 different torx wrenches trying to get one of the bolts loose. I'm terrified I'm going to strip it out like I did the one on my airbox plate. The fender doesn't allow enough room for me to grind a Godzilla-esque flathead notch like I had to last time.  ~SM | ||
| Dogdaze |
Soldering iron on the bolt head? Just don't melt your plastics!! | ||
| Hughlysses |
SM- I feel your pain, but I beg to differ. All 4 fasteners were loose on my Uly's airbox cover after ~200 miles. A LITTLE threadlocker might be warranted. | ||
| Swordsman |
Y'know, I honestly think some automotive body panel fasteners would work just fine. The kind that pop in and expand on the back side? They wouldn't necessarily have to be rock solid tight to work, and then when you needed to take a piece off, it would take all of 10 seconds. 3 of my 4 fender bolts simply WILL NOT BUDGE. I'm tempted to take it in to the delaer and say "how much to pull these 3 bolts?" Then when they strip out, it's not my problem. ~SM | ||
| Rpm4x4 |
I had to re locktite all my bodywork. On my southern trip this spring I lost several bolts and actually had to get some from Gainesville Buell so I could continue my ride. When I pulled in I only had two bolts left in the chin spoiler. I went around and retightened all of them and still lost 3 more before I got home. I had to rob 2 more airbox bolts so I didnt loose my chinspoiler again. Just to be clear my bodywork has been off multiple times cause I cant leave anything alone. There was no locktite left at all. | ||
| Swordsman |
Bah! Tonight's obviously one of those nights when it's better to just step awaaaaay from the bike. I managed to get the new airbox and cover on, but everything else is going to shit on me. Can't get my fender off, managed to scuff the ever living HELL outta' my flyscreen trying to remove a decal and I don't have any Plexus on hand, and I don't have the drilling equipment I need to get my tie down points to fit around my new blinkers. I was about to try to finish wiring the new blinkers in, but the way things are headed, I'd just F___ it up anyway, since wiring and I generally don't get along on a good day. I should have known things were headed downhill when I went to go pick up all my parts to find out one half of my chin fairing mysteriously got shipped to a different dealer. It was an omen! Maybe tomorrow will be better.  ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on April 07, 2009) | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
I've never lost anything other than both of the rivets that originally held the 2 chin fairing halves together. all torx screws all over the body panels have been in and out multiple times, I tighten them down onto rubber washers FINGER TIGHT with a torx socket and my hand.. and don't use loctite. 15k miles ridden since I bought the bike and all the hardware is still on there My current reincarnation will result in all of the torx body screws being replaced by chrome allen screws. so I guess I'll see if that makes any difference.. hope not. | ||
| Danger_dave |
I thought it was a new model. What do you ride? New Dangit Custom. | ||
| Ourdee |
Swordsman, Here is what I'd do. Get an old allen wrench that just fits into the torx. (NOTE: you are not going to try and turn the bolt with the allen wrench.) Clamp the allen wrench in a pair of vise grips with 3" of wrench sticking out. Now fire up the propane torch and heat the allen wrench up to HOT. Then put the allen into the torx and transfer some heat to the bolt. Remove allen and use a torx head to remove the bolt. (heat softens up the loctite) | ||
| Sparky |
I always use an impact driver (the kind you hit with a hammer) to loosen screws that don't come out readily with the proper wrench. Probably the best tool investment I've made. As a result, haven't boogered up the heads of many phillips, torx. allen or slot screws, but have managed to break a few off, though.  Oh well, sometimes the will to prevail is stronger than rusty metalwork. | ||
| Swordsman |
I don't have a torch. I wonder if a propane lighter would be enough, if I were persistent?  The impact driver might work, if I can figure out a way to stabilize my front end. Maybe I'll pick one up this afternoon and try it. On the upside, my new Kick Ash airbox cover looks GREAT! I was surprised to see that the 2007 inner airboxes didn't have slots on the right side like they did before. More holes overall, but strange that they closed off some that were previously there. ~SM | ||
| Rkc00 |
I had to drill the head off one of mine. I ended up melting my plastic.  Mike Long Island, NY 06 XB12X Red/Black (Message edited by rkc00 on April 08, 2009) | ||
| Ourdee |
Hold the tip of the allen wrench at the tip of the flame. Trick is to get the right amount of heat stored in it. | ||
| Swordsman |
VICTORY!!!!!! I managed to get all the bolts out WITHOUT screwing anything up! I tried the hot poker method, but I just couldn't seem to get enough heat in it to do anything... the bolt head was barely getting warm. So, I broke out my spotlights and turned them on the fender, which after a while didn't get them hot, but got them much warmer than the ambient temperature. Also, I had never noticed it before, but I could actually see the other side of the bolts from the inside of the fender, so I pumped the backside full of WD40 and let them soak in the heat of those spotlights. Then I grabbed a long pair of pliers and the Buell-supplied torx wrench and gave it another shot. I held the wrench with the pliers, close to the head so there wasn't much room for the wrench to flex, and the long handles gave me a lot more leverage. Viola! I managed to break the Loc-tite loose. My new fender looks awesome.  ~SM | ||
| Imonabuss |
The hot set up is to use a small brass drift and smack the head of the screw straight on. It shocks the loctite loose as well as corrosion, etc. Works like magic. Old trick from being a mechanic on Japanese bikes with the old Phillips screws holding everything together. | ||
| Ezblast |
Thank you for that! ez |
