Before you did any of that you should have welded a nut on top to see if you can get it off. With the new gripping surface and heat from the weld it should have came off.
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Stubborn caliper bolt :(
- Thread starter Corsara
- Start date
Can't help here, only offer sympathy. I HATE the special tapered-head socket head cap screws that Kawasaki uses here (and yours was probably the same). WHEN the head starts stripping (because the material is crap) you can't get anything to bite on the outer surface of the fastener.
Once you cut enough of the head apart, there won't be any more tension on the bolt, and it should let go ... unless you used loctite at assembly ...
Once you cut enough of the head apart, there won't be any more tension on the bolt, and it should let go ... unless you used loctite at assembly ...
Ok, so here's where I stand now:
1) I got the head off (I did some damage to the caliper, and I wonder if it's still usable---just a little grinding here and there, what do you think?)
2) I tried to get the caliper off, didn't succeed.
3) drilled pilot tiny pilot hole, then bigger, then bigger...one thing led to another, with the biggest screw extractor (easy out or whatever) and vise-grips, I managed to turn the damn bolt 1/4 of a turn---hurray! At that point I took the picture with the thumbs up (see below)
4) since I can't drill a bigger pilot no matter what I try, I think I've melted all bits I've got, I grinded off the bolt a bit more just to be 100 sure the head is completely off. My intention was to pull the caliper out.
5) played some more with the easy out, getting it at an angle---managed to do at least one full turn of the bolt (see last pic).
This is where I don't know what to do next. Easy outs don't work at this point, no matter what I try---they can't get a grip, because I can't for some reason drill a bigger whole for the biggest extractor, and the next size down extractor is too small... I try to get the caliper off by hammering with a rubber mallet..to no avail...
What should I try now other than shooting myself?
QUESTION: Is this caliper still safe?
1) I got the head off (I did some damage to the caliper, and I wonder if it's still usable---just a little grinding here and there, what do you think?)
2) I tried to get the caliper off, didn't succeed.
3) drilled pilot tiny pilot hole, then bigger, then bigger...one thing led to another, with the biggest screw extractor (easy out or whatever) and vise-grips, I managed to turn the damn bolt 1/4 of a turn---hurray! At that point I took the picture with the thumbs up (see below)
4) since I can't drill a bigger pilot no matter what I try, I think I've melted all bits I've got, I grinded off the bolt a bit more just to be 100 sure the head is completely off. My intention was to pull the caliper out.
5) played some more with the easy out, getting it at an angle---managed to do at least one full turn of the bolt (see last pic).
This is where I don't know what to do next. Easy outs don't work at this point, no matter what I try---they can't get a grip, because I can't for some reason drill a bigger whole for the biggest extractor, and the next size down extractor is too small... I try to get the caliper off by hammering with a rubber mallet..to no avail...
What should I try now other than shooting myself?
QUESTION: Is this caliper still safe?
A machine shop can clean that area up by spotfacing the hole. (Same machining operation that was originally done ... just needs to be done again a little deeper.)
So will the caliper not move, because your attempts to remove the bolt have widened out the remains of the bolt so that they are pressed against the inside of the hole in the caliper?
What happens if you try to remove the front wheel with the caliper in place? Here's what I'd try.
Get the front of the bike off the ground.
Take out the axle.
Remove the brake caliper from the other side.
Drop the front wheel down far enough that you can remove the axle spacers.
Remove the brake disk bolts from the affected side.
Slip the brake disk out.
Then you should be able to turn the affected fork to the side so that you can get the front wheel out.
Then you should be able to remove the other caliper bolt and twist the caliper back and forth on the stuck bolt and you'll have room to slide the caliper out away from the fork without the wheel being in the way.
So will the caliper not move, because your attempts to remove the bolt have widened out the remains of the bolt so that they are pressed against the inside of the hole in the caliper?
What happens if you try to remove the front wheel with the caliper in place? Here's what I'd try.
Get the front of the bike off the ground.
Take out the axle.
Remove the brake caliper from the other side.
Drop the front wheel down far enough that you can remove the axle spacers.
Remove the brake disk bolts from the affected side.
Slip the brake disk out.
Then you should be able to turn the affected fork to the side so that you can get the front wheel out.
Then you should be able to remove the other caliper bolt and twist the caliper back and forth on the stuck bolt and you'll have room to slide the caliper out away from the fork without the wheel being in the way.
Well, I removed the front wheel. Now the problem is that twisting the caliper moves the bolt where it's screwed up to the fork, and the only thing I can think of at this point is to drain the brake fluid, disconnect the caliper and unscrewing it from the fork along with the bolt.. Which is alright, I was planning a complete overhaul of the brake system anyway, just wasn't planning on doing it now. I've got Accossato master cylinder, new steel lines, new fluid, new brake pads.. This thing with "spotfacing the hole" scares me...I have no idea where to go and what to ask for. Is it about making the hole completely flat?
Yep. Just call a few machine shops and see who can spotface the hole for ya.
-Jamie M.
Well, I'm royally screwed. I drained the fluid and freed up the caliper from the line. Hold and behold, I cannot make a whole turn because there's a bulge on the side preventing it from turning.
There's like 1 mm of space between the caliper and the fork, maybe I can put a washer/spacer in there and screw it back in (almost a turn), and this creates pressure to move the actual bolt out of the caliper? I don't know if I'm describing it well, but I I'm fed up with this ****..
There's like 1 mm of space between the caliper and the fork, maybe I can put a washer/spacer in there and screw it back in (almost a turn), and this creates pressure to move the actual bolt out of the caliper? I don't know if I'm describing it well, but I I'm fed up with this ****..
I am happy to report that this worked. It needed about 1 more turn, which I achieved by inserting a tiny washer between the caliper and the fork and screwing back in, which pulled the bolt out of the caliper just a notch---enough to unscrew the whole thing. THE CALIPER HAS BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE BIKE! Now dinner and next---vise downstairs and attempt to remove the bolt from the caliper. I feel like this is gonna be a toughy. I don't wish this even to my boss and other worst enemies 
If you use a piece of hollow pipe, on the end where the bolt head used to be, then put it in the vise, one side on the pipe, once side on the part of the bolt sticking out of the caliper, then do up the vice and it'll press out the bolt
Once it gets flush with the caliper, if it STILL doesn't want to come out, you can use a little piece of pipe, smaller than the bolt, to press out the rest.Hope that makes sense.
-Jamie M.
If you use a piece of hollow pipe, on the end where the bolt head used to be, then put it in the vise, one side on the pipe, once side on the part of the bolt sticking out of the caliper, then do up the vice and it'll press out the bolt
Hope that makes sense.
-Jamie M.
Yep, makes sense and I'll do it.
I just checked ebay---same right caliper, I can have it shipped to Niagara for $25 altogether. Should I buy it or try spotface the hole, which will probably cost me just the same, huh?
Sounds good, but I already purchased two sets of Ferodo XRAC pads for my current calipers, waiting to be installed.
Just bought it. This is a learning experience for me, as I find out many things are not written in the books. For example, I always tighten a notch more everything than what's in the torque specs in the service manual. In this case, I've also apparently put loctite and I shouldn't have done that. Also, this nightmare is better now than if I had track the next day. I'm somewhat at peace now
Tripletrouble
Well-known member
Are you sure you used loctite? and if you did was it red loctite? Just curious. Heat always helps with loctited fasteners BTW.
Next time just safety wire the bolts and you won't have to worrry about them
Yep, will do that on the whole bike before start of season.
No, blue. I don't even know when I last used red on anything.
rbjeepthing
Well-known member
****** i wish i had seen this earlier. Next time I would recommend putting a nut on over the offending bolt and plug welding it. The combination of heat and a better surface to grip on to works wonders for getting stripped/damaged bolts out.
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