Seized front fender bolt

[3RePete]

I have one lower fender bolt seized in my fork. I've boogered the hex opening last week.
So I shot it with PB Blaster and put it back together for the time being.
I'll be pulling out my bag of tricks for this bolt but I'd welcome any input from those who may have a good process.
My intention at this moment is, when I get to it, to heat the fork leg a bit, smack the bolt repeatedly, and jam a.triple square drive in there to try for a minor miracle.
In a pinch, I can ride it to work and weld on a nut. But that's a potentially destructive move given that the plastic fender tab is right under the bolt.
All ideas will be welcome, including sarcastic jabs.
Thanks

 

[Mr.E]

Hacksaw a slot and try a screwdriver...

 

[Upt' North]

Use a cold chisel, nice and sharp.
Firstly mask off the surrounding plastic, many layers of tape required.
Then hit the chisel in towards the fastener and cut in a nice notch. Nice and easy, you don't want to break off the lug.
Then in a left loosey fashion hit it anti clock, in towards the fork leg so as not to strain the lug.
Hey presto or, oh crap it's still tight.
If all else fails try to drill the head off, this will take the edge off the drill bit pretty quick. So either get ready to sharpen them or have a few spares.
Lastly good luck, and don't do it again you big wally.
Upt'North.

 

[Shuey]

Maybe this will help . . . received from a friend several years ago.

"Machinist's Workshop magazine published some information on
various penetrating oils some time ago that I found very interesting. Some of you
might appreciate this. The magazine reports they tested penetrates for
break out torque on rusted nuts. They are below, as forwarded by an
ex-student and professional machinist. They arranged a subjective test
of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque required
to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

"Penetrating oils ........... Average torque load to loosen*
No Oil used ................... 516 pounds
WD-40 ..................... ... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .................... 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ...............127 pounds
Kano Kroil .................... 106 pounds
ATF*-Acetone mix. ...........53 pounds

The ATF-Acetone mix is a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic
transmission fluid and acetone. Note this "home brew" released bolts
better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our
local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with
equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is almost as good
as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price. Steve from Godwin-Singer says
that ATF-Acetone mix is best, but you can also use ATF and lacquer
thinner in a 50-50 mix.

*ATF=Automatic Transmission Fluid"

Shuey

 

[Al st1100]

You can punch or chissel the opening closed, pound a hex socket into the hole. hopefull you can get a good bit again.

 

[Larry Fine]

If you can grab the outside of the bolt, I've had the best success with a large pair of channellocks.

I have used them on the old SOHC CB750 oil filter bolts and rocker covers, and rear-end fill caps.

Note that I open them enough to grip the outer "washer" rim of the bolt/cap, not the hex head.

And always turn toward the lower jaw. This pic shows the correct way for tightening a bolt or cap.

 

[jfheath]

Drill a hole into the head about half way from the hex socket. If the drill slips, either centre punch or use sticky tape over the head so the bit doesn't slip. Position it so that you can insert a nail or centre punch and use a hammer and centre punch / nail to it tap downward - so on the left hand side of the hex socket.

Next, find out what parts you need and order a few of them to have as spares. Whenever you take one off, if the hex socket shows any sign at all of giving way, find the correct replacement from your spares. Toss the old one into the bin and put the new replacement in the with the parts that you have removed. Don't find one that matches the old one - some people who take these screws off the faring do not realise that the depth of the shoulder is crucial. The depth is designed so that it is slightly thicker than the faring that it fits through - so the screw tightens onto the shoulder. The pan head should not tighten onto the fairing plastic. If they do not realise that the shoulder length is crucial, they will not have been careful when chossing the screws and will possibly have used the wrong one - so matching the one that comes off would simply duplicate someone else's error. (Or maybe your error from before. I didn't know when I first got an ST - but I'm someone who needs to know why it is this bolt rather than that bolt. So I took the trouble to work it out).

These hex pan-head bolts do not need much tightening. They seem to get tighter the longer you leave them. If you use a socket wrench or allen key, hold it by the head, and extend your ring and little finger part way down the shaft to apply the leverage to tighten it. Don't use your entire hand. Just tight enough is tight enough. (Or tighten it finger tight, and then a little more just to nip it up).

 

[ST1100Y]

I have one lower fender bolt seized in my fork. I've boogered the hex opening last week.

After letting it soak (the ATF-Acetone mix is brilliant BTW), try hammering a TORX bit into the (former) Hex cavity... chances are good that the whacks loosen it further and the bit gets enough grip enabling you to screw it out...
Next would be drilling head off, etc...

 

[Bmacleod]

Perhaps try something other than acetone first. While I have used acetone to clean stubborn gunk from paint in small amounts, I have seen it ruin plastic on contact. Wondering if long term exposure might harm paint. Not even sure if it is a concern, just throwin' it out there.

 

[RichKat]

Maybe this will help . . . received from a friend several years ago.

"Machinist's Workshop magazine published some information on
various penetrating oils some time ago that I found very interesting. Some of you
might appreciate this. The magazine reports they tested penetrates for
break out torque on rusted nuts. They are below, as forwarded by an
ex-student and professional machinist. They arranged a subjective test
of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque required
to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

"Penetrating oils ........... Average torque load to loosen*
No Oil used ................... 516 pounds
WD-40 ..................... ... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .................... 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ...............127 pounds
Kano Kroil .................... 106 pounds
ATF*-Acetone mix. ...........53 pounds

The ATF-Acetone mix is a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic
transmission fluid and acetone. Note this "home brew" released bolts
better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our
local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with
equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is almost as good
as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price. Steve from Godwin-Singer says
that ATF-Acetone mix is best, but you can also use ATF and lacquer
thinner in a 50-50 mix.

*ATF=Automatic Transmission Fluid"

Shuey

You beat me to it, I was going to post that....LoL

 

[gmtech94]

Acetone and plastic makes a gooy mess , just saying

 

[RichKat]

Acetone and plastic makes a gooy mess , just saying

Didn't think of that, your right

 

[Igofar]

Maybe this will help . . . received from a friend several years ago.

"Machinist's Workshop magazine published some information on
various penetrating oils some time ago that I found very interesting. Some of you
might appreciate this. The magazine reports they tested penetrates for
break out torque on rusted nuts. They are below, as forwarded by an
ex-student and professional machinist. They arranged a subjective test
of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque required
to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

"Penetrating oils ........... Average torque load to loosen*
No Oil used ................... 516 pounds
WD-40 ..................... ... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .................... 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ...............127 pounds
Kano Kroil .................... 106 pounds
ATF*-Acetone mix. ...........53 pounds

The ATF-Acetone mix is a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic
transmission fluid and acetone. Note this "home brew" released bolts
better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our
local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with
equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is almost as good
as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price. Steve from Godwin-Singer says
that ATF-Acetone mix is best, but you can also use ATF and lacquer
thinner in a 50-50 mix.

*ATF=Automatic Transmission Fluid"

Shuey

Shuey's seen it in action in my garage

 

[GGely]

The acetone/ATF mix is the gold standard over at the CX500/650 forum for freeing everything from nuts and bolts to engines left out in the rain for years without spark plugs…

 

[Obo]

The acetone/ATF mix is the gold standard over at the CX500/650 forum for freeing everything from nuts and bolts to engines left out in the rain for years without spark plugs…

It's also @Igofar's recommended thaw-juice.

 

[3RePete]

Thanks for all the ideas. I've done most of them at one time or another.

If I have to do the acetone/atf thing, it will be applied from the inside with a brush or q tip. Perhaps after heat. The threads go all the way through the fork.

The stinky thing this time is the bolt is quite a small diameter. it's a 6mm 1.0. I'll get it, and I'm determined to save the fender too. I just can't do anything this week because I'm in a splint til some stitches heal in my knee.
Whoever mentioned the CX500/650. There's a beautiful full dress CX500 that came onto Facebook marketplace tonight. I mean dressed to the nines. I like it so much it might be worth the tongue lashing I'd get if it showed up in my garage.