| Author | Message | ||
     Pso |
Seeing as how I have the front forks off and the bike up on my lift I figured I would swap out my front isolator. I used a socket with the proper allen wrench in it and tried to take out the Isolator bolt. Used a breaker bar on socket, broke that allen bolt right off at socket. Any ideas? I am reluctant to use heat. I think Locktit red should be outlawed on anypart that would be welded if welding were an option. | ||
| Firstbatch |
Ouch....That bolt is very susceptible to galling as it is stainless steel bolt into aluminum. No factory locktite. A bit of heat may be your friend to get it out the first time and from then on you liberally apply anti-sieze...which the factory should have done to this bolt and the axle.....but they didn't. If the allen head socket is now gone you can try a large torx and it may get a bite. | ||
| Rays |
PSO - have a search on the topic as some folk have had serious corrosion issues with that bolt (others have had no corrosion at all - go figure). There is a steel insert that threads into the frame (very course thread and it looked like green loctite on mine) and on mine the large isolator bolt was corroded into that insert. The bolt was also completely corroded to the centre of the isolator. In my case I was able to get a ground down spanner across the flats of the insert and held that while I wrestled with the main bolt. That eventually twisted the isolator centre completely out of the rubber - it ended up being an all-day job. This is what my bolt looked like after I had removed it from the insert and the centre of the isolator- warning to self, use anti-sieze on this bolt!!  There was a post by someone who ended up cutting the head off this bolt, removed the isolator and then removed what remained of the bolt. The kit that I have shown in the background comes with a replacement centre bolt so it is obviously a known issue. | ||
| Thegibbon |
That's exactly what mine looked like when I changed it a couple weeks ago (on a 2-year old uly). | ||
| Rotorhead |
If you endup rounding out the inside of the allen bolt I'd try a big pipe wrench on the outside edge of the big flared bolt head. Plenty to grab hold of, big pipewrench and someone to hold the bike still and it should bust loose. Well thats how I saw it done once in my garage. | ||
| Choyashi |
Going to spray WD-40 on mine right now! | ||
| Someday |
Firstbatch, what makes you think it's stainless steel? Mine is very magnetic and the only S/S that's slightly magnetic is the 400 series of stainless steel. I doubt Buell would use this because of cost. Also the isolator bolt threads into a steel insert so there is no aluminum contact. I'm not trying to be a wiseass but that's the facts. | ||
| 99savage |
Someday The more you work 18-8SS the more magnetic it becomes as you mechanically align the molecules (18-8SS springs respond to a magnet about as well as ordinary steel) No opinion on what the bolt is made from I am out the door w/ a can of WD40 | ||
| Johnboy777 |
I thought WD40 was hard on rubber parts. . | ||
| Someday |
99, My guess is it's plated steel, reasonable cost and easily machined. When I took mine out('08 leftover) to have a look, it too was corroded like in the picture. It smelled like Loctite, very odd! I wire brushed it clean and smeared Neverseize all over it, threads too, and reinstalled it. Next time I have it out I'll check closer to see what material we're dealing with. | ||
| Etennuly |
If it were a stainless bolt it would not be suffering the rust damage and corroding into the isolator. I used PB Blaster as close to getting it in the top where the threads are, as possible. Then used a brand name quality 55 torx socket stepped up to my 1/2" drive impact wrench, the first time on mine. I just put the fourth one in a couple days ago. Breaks loose with a 55T on a breaker bar and unscrews by hand nowadays. Anti-sieze is a good thing. | ||
| Xbimmer |
After reading the horror stories here I dreaded replacing mine recently, but it wasn't bad at all:  This was replaced at 55K or so, guess I was good with it. | ||
| Someday |
Someone with connections at Buell should ask about this condition, maybe they could shed some light on it...Court? | ||
| Nobuell |
I have been spraying mine with Silicone spray. Hopefully it will reduce the corrosion and will not damage the rubber. | ||
| Pso |
The bolt head is still fine, the wrench itself snapped. I think I am stuck going somewher that they have an impact wrench to lossen the bolt. I have sprayed w/PB blaster will see what happens next. |
