ST1100Y
Site Supporter
The w/shop manual says 20Nm for those caps... at that diameter like twisting them on by hand only...
fork cap will not budge
- Thread starter the_gr8t_waldo
- Start date
Ditto!
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2005
- Messages
- 8,537
- Age
- 77
- Location
- Kingman, Arizona
- Bike
- 2000 ST1100 ABS TCS
- STOC #
- 004
Yet another reason to do your own maintenance, with shop manual and torque wrench in hand. I've rebuilt forks on lots of bikes over the years and never had this problem.
ST1100Y
Site Supporter
Proper set of torque wrenches are utmost important when working on your automotive... also on the wheel nuts of my cars...
I even have torque-screwdrivers... use them for the terminals in electrical control cabinets, circuit breakers, etc...
Same on flares, never had a broken flare nut, armature or stripped threads, nor a leaking refrigerant line...
I often receive stares over my routines, but they safe a lot headache and broken parts...
I even have torque-screwdrivers... use them for the terminals in electrical control cabinets, circuit breakers, etc...
Same on flares, never had a broken flare nut, armature or stripped threads, nor a leaking refrigerant line...
I often receive stares over my routines, but they safe a lot headache and broken parts...
mlheck
Site Supporter
Torque wrench, who needs a stinking torque wrench. That's what impact tools were invented for. LOL
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
John OoSTerhuis
Life Is Good!
Reminds me of a picture at work. It has a picture of the worlds most interesting man (XX beer). Across the top it says: I seldom cross thread a bolt. Across the bottom it says: But when I do, I grab an Impact and send it in.
Who needs lock tight?
John OoSTerhuis
Life Is Good!
Bump -- did you finally get the cap out...?
slight change of plans, I have purchased a junked left fork and will use that chromed tube as an replacement when I rebuild the forks. I have a kind offer of assistance from one of the members to help with removal of the old plug. I have very little doubt that this will not yield a serviceable tube, but having one on hand will allow me to give the offender "the acid test" and then move on to the rebuild. I will let all know how this works out.
ReSTored
Site Supporter
My caps were tight I'd say. Used a 17mm key and then a 1/2 inch breaker bar with the upper clamps loose and the lower ones tight. Gave the bar a tap with a rubber hammer and off they came.
Reviewing this thread. We have encountered this problem on John's 07 ST-1300. We used heat, proper fitting 17 mm allen, breaker bar, air impact. Anchored inside the triple tree and in a vice with soft jaws. So far nothing has worked, but we are not giving up... gonna sleep on it tonight. Tomorrow, Nashcat, The Cheese, and myself will try to extract the offending cap.
Just to let you guys know, the fine group of folks attending the tech event was successful in getting the fork cap off last night when I was in the shower. They informed me they finally discovered the answer! PIE.... not the mathematical type, the fruit type. They did not tell me if it was the cherry, the apple or the pecan pie, just that they took a break and ate pie... went back to the shop and promptly removed the cap. So there you go, never under estimate the power of PIE!
Do you think someone had been in there before and overtightened. Every once in a while would come up against an oil filter installed by Magilla Gorilla, you know, tighten 3 additional turns after gasket makes contact.
With proper high torque air tools just about anything will come loose or break. If the bit did not break or the hex round out there is still more room to go and you called it quits too easily which the pie (likely with whipped cream) was able to solve.
Details man , details!!! What kind? Procured locally or shipped in from some exotic location like Barstow? Inquiring minds need to know
The pie was procured locally...
Nashcat
Site Supporter
One thing that Vinny left out is that we let the hot cap soak with Kroil penetrating oil for about a half hour while we ate PIE! Degreased the lower clamp, used a Allen socket on a 24" long 1/2" breaker bar. FALI pulled and it came loose. Then it was time for more PIE. Great weekend at Vinny's.
John
ST1100Y
Site Supporter
So out of curiosity: were there signs of corrosion backing those threads together? Cross-threaded? Or even traces of improper application of thread-lock?
I still have a hard time believing that them fork caps can seize in such a manner by "natural causes"...
Never had such on any ST I'd laid my hands on, Allen socket on the 3/4" ratchet, a swift pull on the handle and out they come... once loose I unscrew them with the palm of my hand (so I softly unload the springs underneath)...
I still have a hard time believing that them fork caps can seize in such a manner by "natural causes"...
Never had such on any ST I'd laid my hands on, Allen socket on the 3/4" ratchet, a swift pull on the handle and out they come... once loose I unscrew them with the palm of my hand (so I softly unload the springs underneath)...
St - no sign of chemical thread locking agent...early on I suspected that it had been used, but upon reflection it seems only a very remote possibility . And I have never seen the threads either. But I am currently in the process of removing the left fork. ( yet again)And will soon be talking it to a forum members who has been kind enough to offer the use of his shop and air impact tool. I have a " back up" tube that will be used, if the ome tube is beyond redemption. I will let all know how this works out.
Success ! Today I was gearing up to take the , now two left forks to MV daves's. On a whim I thought another try is in order. Since my last post I cobbled up a holding jig, so that a vice could be used without damage to the tube. My own work bench top is leaning against a garage wall, vice still attached. I a peice of sheet rubber, .125thick, WRAPED around the tube mostly to prevent the tube from turning in the jig/vice set up. Hex wrench with aprox 36" of pipe for leverage. Getting the fork clamped so that it wouldn't spin in the vice took a heck of a lot of clamping! But finally the cap started to move!! Once broken free the plug unscrews without any real effort, although I won't remove plugs and release spring tention until tomorow when I plan to clean, inspect, all parts and reassemble . The amount of clamping was unnerving! So much, that I wouldn't be surprised if one or both tubes were damaged in today's effort....for the record, I estimate that it took more that 70lbs on the end of the pipe to break free.......210ft/lb ? I am so relieved to be past this plug impass!
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