Special KTM butter bolts + ****** torque wrench = beer o clock. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Special KTM butter bolts + ****** torque wrench = beer o clock.

J

jc100

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Just a cathartic rant. Oil cartridge cover…two torx head bolts. 4.4 ft lbs torque. My master craft maximum torque wrench decided to act shy and be quiet until my KTM butter bolt decided to let go of its head.

Easy outs are not easy out every time. Broke two drill bits trying to get purchase. Gave up before I make it worse.

Bike shop coming to pick up bike tomorrow, after I picked it up today after its valve check and tire change.

Silver lining….50% of the oil change has been done.

Next up…service and check torque wrench.

Beer time!
 
Not many torque wrenches are even close to accurate when you're getting down to numbers like that. CT sells a digital one for $180 that they claim is accurate from about 5 - 22 lb.ft, but even then, I'd be cautious...

Just to share the pain, I'm dealing with a sheared aluminum seat bolt in an aluminum subframe, and made the colossal mistake of using a remover set I bought off Amazon. Should have read the writing on the wall when the supplied drill bit couldn't even get into aluminum, but nope, had to forge ahead. Got the hole drilled, twisted in the bolt remover with a stubby Picquik screwdriver as the handle, and just as it was starting to really purchase, it cracks off inside the bolt. So now I have a very hard (but evidently very brittle) piece of steel wedged into a soft bolt, and I've burned about five tiny drill bits trying to get through it. Nothing is biting through, and the bits just want to skate off the slightly raised hard steel onto the soft aluminum. Next step is to dig out the dremel with one of those abrasive ball bits to see if I can shave it down that way.

Lesson learned: Never buy tools on Amazon! Even though these had a 4 star rating, reading through the reviews revealed lots of others with identical issues...
 
Priller said:
Not many torque wrenches are even close to accurate when you're getting down to numbers like that. CT sells a digital one for $180 that they claim is accurate from about 5 - 22 lb.ft, but even then, I'd be cautious...

Just to share the pain, I'm dealing with a sheared aluminum seat bolt in an aluminum subframe, and made the colossal mistake of using a remover set I bought off Amazon. Should have read the writing on the wall when the supplied drill bit couldn't even get into aluminum, but nope, had to forge ahead. Got the hole drilled, twisted in the bolt remover with a stubby Picquik screwdriver as the handle, and just as it was starting to really purchase, it cracks off inside the bolt. So now I have a very hard (but evidently very brittle) piece of steel wedged into a soft bolt, and I've burned about five tiny drill bits trying to get through it. Nothing is biting through, and the bits just want to skate off the slightly raised hard steel onto the soft aluminum. Next step is to dig out the dremel with one of those abrasive ball bits to see if I can shave it down that way.

Lesson learned: Never buy tools on Amazon! Even though these had a 4 star rating, reading through the reviews revealed lots of others with identical issues...
Click to expand...

Pretty sure my “easy outs” are from Princess Auto. I just tried tapping them in with a brass hammer to get some purchase but it’s not happening. I don’t have any left handed bits either and if I try to drill any more I think I might screw up the existing threads.

The real pisser is I just paid for a huge service and thought “I've changed the oil so many times, why pay for that”.
 
KWDRZ said:
1/4" drive INCH pound torque wrench will do that no problem. Although for that I would not bother and just tighten it by feel. You need to convert the spec since the manual rarely states in lbs but not a big deal.
Click to expand...

I did it by hand first but then thought “I have the tools, let’s do it properly”.

Just a ****** day. Will empty wallet. All will be well.
 
jc100 said:
Pretty sure my “easy outs” are from Princess Auto. I just tried tapping them in with a brass hammer to get some purchase but it’s not happening. I don’t have any left handed bits either and if I try to drill any more I think I might screw up the existing threads.

The real pisser is I just paid for a huge service and thought “I've changed the oil so many times, why pay for that”.
Click to expand...
I have a decent set of left-hand drill bits. They weren't cheap but would have paid for themselves on this single job. I have easy-outs too but very very rarely have a situation where I trust them.
 
GreyGhost said:
I have a decent set of left-hand drill bits. They weren't cheap but would have paid for themselves on this single job. I have easy-outs too but very very rarely have a situation where I trust them.
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Yep. I did manage to put a somewhat centred drill hole in the bolt shaft but with a right handed drill bit. Tried tapping the easy out into it but it wasn’t gripping. I’ll buy myself some quality left handed bits. I also ordered some better shaped easy outs. Expensive mistakes. I stopped before I did any real damage, I realize my limitations.
 
In good keeping, I laid my klr down today and knocked off the spotlights, scratched the **** out of the rightside panel and my sw motech engine guard. A little sore and stiff tonight.

I was going down a cow path and run into a stretch of river rock
 
ToSlow said:
In good keeping, I laid my klr down today and knocked off the spotlights, scratched the **** out of the rightside panel and my sw motech engine guard. A little sore and stiff tonight.

I was going down a cow path and run into a stretch of river rock
Click to expand...

I didn’t even get to test drive my new tires! I was going to do that after my oil change.
 
jc100 said:
I didn’t even get to test drive my new tires! I was going to do that after my oil change.
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If you got a hole drilled tap a torx or Allen socket bit into the hole with a hammer and the bolt will come out easy. Use a bit bigger than the hole and it will broach its own socket.

Sent using a thumb maybe 2
 
Scuba Steve said:
If you got a hole drilled tap a torx or Allen socket bit into the hole with a hammer and the bolt will come out easy. Use a bit bigger than the hole and it will broach its own socket.

Sent using a thumb maybe 2
Click to expand...

just tried it shortly before my wife dragged me out of the garage for obsessive behaviour…..didn’t drill the hole deep enough and I don’t trust that if I do I won’t veer off to one side. Also…my bits are crap.
 
So..I obviously need to restock my gear. What’s the best RH bits to buy, the best LH bits for extraction and best extractors? Where do I get them?

These would be for common bike bolt material and general metalwork.
 
Cobalt bits are generally good I have even found the mastercraft ones to be decent. Extractors I have the Irwin ones but usually use a torx socket the extractors often cause more damage as they can expand the broken bolt and make things worse.

Sent using a thumb maybe 2
 
jc100 said:
So..I obviously need to restock my gear. What’s the best RH bits to buy, the best LH bits for extraction and best extractors? Where do I get them?

These would be for common bike bolt material and general metalwork.
Click to expand...
Given the choice, I want stubby left-hand drill bits from a good manufacturer. Once price and availability come into play that doesn't always work out. I ended up with Mac which was not my first choice, but beggars can't be choosers.

www.mactools.com

10-PC. Left-Hand High-Speed Steel Drill Bit Set

Left hand screw machine-length high speed steel drills .HSS bits are hard and much more resistant to heat than standard drill bits .Can be used to drill metal, hardwood, and most other materials at greater cutting speeds
www.mactools.com www.mactools.com

RH drill bits similar advice. Once you have used good drill bits, it is hard to go back to the crap we are used to. Prepare to cry when building tool collection.

Extractors I have no idea. They all seem to break more often than they work and leave a much bigger job to fix. Working your way up through left-hand drill bits normally relieves the pressure and makes extractors unnecessary.
 
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