Should I Loctite mirrors?

[p.dath]

I recently got myself a 2004 CBR1000RR. When I went to go down to Hampton Downs for the first time on it at the AMCC ART day I was trying to remove the mirrors, and discovered that I couldn't. The heads of the bolts holding the mirrors on weren't strong enough to sustain the forced needed to unscrew them without damaging the bolt head (it started to rip the head out, one of the L'N key style heads).

Subsequently I left the bolts sitting in some CRC for a couple of days, and I finally managed to get one of the bolts out, and found it was Locktite'd into place (well something that looks like Loctite anyway). I'm guessing the Loctite was physically stronger than the bolt head.

Anyway after several tips I have managed to get the rest of the bolts out (used an oversize torx head, hammered it into each bolt head, and then used a wrench to force the bolts out).

I've got new bolts now (high tensile this time, with a slightly bigger/stronger head). I haven't seen Loctite used to hold in mirror bolts before, but having said that I don't have that much experience. I do have some medium strength Loctite I could use. I was thinking of perhaps not using Loctite, go for a bit of a ride, and see if they work loose or not.


Is it common to use Loctite to hold in mirror bolts?

[Maha]

Onto it Mechanic at King Country Honda beleives so ...yes.
There is a Bandit downstairs with Loctite in use.
The left mirror was an arse of a thing..only one way to stop it swinging around, even after a new nut was fitted.

[gammaguy]

wait until you try and remove honda factory bar end weights.....

[Gremlin]

depends how they are mounted, but normally the double nut ones just need proper tightening. Never used loctite...

[Madness]

Sounds like someone used a stud lock on yer mirrors instead of a nut lock. I'd use it if I had it there, nothing to be afraid of if you use the right product for the application.

WTF is an L'N style head? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_key (we all know how you love wiki's)

[caspernz]

Haha, isn't it a right mongrel when someone uses a strong Loctite in a place where a medium hold version will do?

Yeah I use a medium hold Loctite in selected places on my bike, such as disc rotors onto the wheel hub.

[nodrog]

you do realise there are different grades of Loctite?

use the serviceable grade (or whatever its called), not the permanent stick shit to a fucken space shuttle grade.

[darkwolf]

you do realise there are different grades of Loctite?

use the serviceable grade (or whatever its called), not the permanent stick shit to a fucken space shuttle grade.

There's never enough said about overkill though :P

[Gremlin]

you do realise there are different grades of Loctite?

use the serviceable grade (or whatever its called), not the permanent stick shit to a fucken space shuttle grade.
I dunno... owning the odd twin, the goddamn things shake off random bolts all over the place (even an indicator bolt fer chrissakes), so I'm tempted to use the "outlast the bike" grade of loctite, when I do need it...

[Madness]

:facepalm:

[caspernz]

I dunno... owning the odd twin, the goddamn things shake off random bolts all over the place (even an indicator bolt fer chrissakes), so I'm tempted to use the "outlast the bike" grade of loctite, when I do need it...

So you'll be using 263 whereas I'll stick with 243 Loctite...I wonder if Harleys use that high strength version as well? :laugh:

[FJRider]

WTF is an L'N style head? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_key (we all know how you love wiki's)

I think he means Allen head ... :niceone:

Must be text speak .... :rolleyes:

[Haggis2]

you do realise there are different grades of Loctite?

use the serviceable grade (or whatever its called), not the permanent stick shit to a fucken space shuttle grade.

I hate it when the mirrors fall off my space shuttle...

[p.dath]

wait until you try and remove honda factory bar end weights.....

Been there done that. Involved a lot of brute force.


Sounds like someone used a stud lock on yer mirrors instead of a nut lock. I'd use it if I had it there, nothing to be afraid of if you use the right product for the application.

WTF is an L'N style head? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_key (we all know how you love wiki's)


I think he means Allen head ... :niceone:

Must be text speak .... :rolleyes:

I was thinking that there is probably a proper name for a bolt with an Allen style hex head. Wasn't sure what it was. But yes, that's the one. :)

[The Lone Rider]

Yeap, do it. Just depends on the grade of threadlocker you use though.

Most metal mating I use a low grade just to keep it snug and from vibrating out (ie... seat bolts, mirrors, fender brackets)

Things like sprockets, brake discs, and bolts that hold calipers on I use a heavier but not the heaviest.

[p.dath]

I thought I had this nailed, until tonight when I had the last two bolts to remove and replace, and of course, I can't get the last bolt out (same issue, in so tight it is ripping the Allen head out). I tried the trick I used on the others, of hammer a torx head in and using a wrench to remove it, but that didn't work. And now I have stripped most of the meat out of the head.

I was tossing up drilling the damaged Allren head out a little bit, running a tap into it, then put some super-glue onto another bolt and screw that into the damaged one using the newly created thread I have just made. Let the glue set over night and then try and get the whole lot out.

What do you think?

[Madness]

Your idea relies upon the super glue applied to your extracting bolt being stronger than what is likely a stud locking agent on a thread of a larger diameter - good luck with that. I'd be inclined to try a small square screw extractor first, allowing another approach if that fails. Know anyone with a TIG welder?

Edit; Is it a raised head? Get Vise-Grips onto it?

EditEdit; It's ALLEN head. It's not correct terminology but you could at least spell it right. You're welcome :niceone:

[caspernz]

I thought I had this nailed, until tonight when I had the last two bolts to remove and replace, and of course, I can't get the last bolt out (same issue, in so tight it is ripping the Allen head out). I tried the trick I used on the others, of hammer a torx head in and using a wrench to remove it, but that didn't work. And now I have stripped most of the meat out of the head.

I was tossing up drilling the damaged Allren head out a little bit, running a tap into it, then put some super-glue onto another bolt and screw that into the damaged one using the newly created thread I have just made. Let the glue set over night and then try and get the whole lot out.

What do you think?

Has anyone mentioned easyouts as yet? Drill hole, insert the easyout (think of it as a left hand threaded cone) and turn. Quite strong these things are, go to your local toolstore and spend a few bucks. My set hardly ever gets used, but there's no substitute for when an EZYOUT is needed...

[Madness]

264249

A lot of people think these ones (square) are better than the spiral type as they're less inclined to spread the bolt out.

[p.dath]

Your idea relies upon the super glue applied to your extracting bolt being stronger than what is likely a stud locking agent on a thread of a larger diameter - good luck with that. I'd be inclined to try a small square screw extractor first, allowing another approach if that fails. Know anyone with a TIG welder?

Edit; Is it a raised head? Get Vise-Grips onto it?

EditEdit; It's ALLEN head. It's not correct terminology but you could at least spell it right. You're welcome :niceone:

Negative, I don't have access to a TIG welder. Negative, the head is not raised so I could not get vice grips onto it.


Has anyone mentioned easyouts as yet? Drill hole, insert the easyout (think of it as a left hand threaded cone) and turn. Quite strong these things are, go to your local toolstore and spend a few bucks. My set hardly ever gets used, but there's no substitute for when an EZYOUT is needed...

Good suggestions both of you. I'll try nipping down to Repco and getting one of these extractor tools.

[nodrog]

this thread is o for awesome!

[gammaguy]

this thread is o for awesome!


wrong

this thread is now stripped

[caspernz]

wrong

this thread is now stripped

Oooohh, I'm hoping for some anti-clockwise action...:bleh:

[The Lone Rider]

Have you tried a heat gun? If it is in fact a heavy grade threadlocker, then it is most likely designed to release under heat.

[p.dath]

Have you tried a heat gun? If it is in fact a heavy grade threadlocker, then it is most likely designed to release under heat.

I don't have a heat gun, but the other issue is that the bolt also passes through plastic fairing. Hot hot does Loctite nead to get before it releases?

[The Lone Rider]

I don't have a heat gun, but the other issue is that the bolt also passes through plastic fairing. Hot hot does Loctite nead to get before it releases?

Thats a tough call then.

No idea what temp, but they say on the packets of that they either release with the use of hand tools, or use of heat + hand tools, or powered torque drivers.

I know nothing of fairings, but as far as plastics it'd depend on if it was thermoset plastic. Couldn't tell you if it'd stuff the paint though.

Maybe a soldering iron and a bit of patience, might be able to put a bit of transfer heat from the stuffed bolt head through to the thread?

[nodrog]

Can you please just drill the head off the L'N bolt, then remove mirror, then remove the bolt with some visegrips?

thanks.

[p.dath]

Maybe a soldering iron and a bit of patience, might be able to put a bit of transfer heat from the stuffed bolt head through to the thread?

I'll try a soldering iron first.


Can you please just drill the head off the L'N bolt, then remove mirror, then remove the bolt with some visegrips?

thanks.

Now I like the sound of that!

[The Lone Rider]

I'll try a soldering iron first.


One last thing.. if you ever decide to pinch things up with loctite, and I suggest you do, don't ever put it on anything mating with plastic.

Loctite corrodes many plastics, and for the plastics that it doesn't, the increaed mating load makes the plastic brittle and prone to coming apart once vibrated a lot.

There is an article on liquid threadlockers in the April 2010 issue I believe, with comparative charts to other forms of fasteners.

Edit -

It was July 2010 issue. Got a Seconds one in high res print form on TM at the moment if interested.

[p.dath]

Can you please just drill the head off the L'N bolt, then remove mirror, then remove the bolt with some visegrips?

thanks.

I completed the removal of my problem bolt tonight.

I tried using the EasyOut I got, but felt the amount of force I was needing to apply was too great, and I was at risk of making the problem worse. So I reverted to plan B as suggested by nodrog, and drilled the bolt head out (so the bolt head came off), removed the mirror, and then used some vice grips on the stub of the bolt that was left. Probably the most force I have ever had to apply to anything on a bike.

Thanks for all the tips everyone.

[nodrog]

praise Jebus!

[Kornholio]

praise Jebus!

That's gonna cost upside down b.dath some bourbons :apint:

[sinfull]

praise Jebus!

Gordie is god !!!!!

[IronPanda]

I recently got myself a 2004 CBR1000RR. When I went to go down to Hampton Downs for the first time on it at the AMCC ART day I was trying to remove the mirrors, and discovered that I couldn't. The heads of the bolts holding the mirrors on weren't strong enough to sustain the forced needed to unscrew them without damaging the bolt head (it started to rip the head out, one of the L'N key style heads).

Subsequently I left the bolts sitting in some CRC for a couple of days, and I finally managed to get one of the bolts out, and found it was Locktite'd into place (well something that looks like Loctite anyway). I'm guessing the Loctite was physically stronger than the bolt head.

Anyway after several tips I have managed to get the rest of the bolts out (used an oversize torx head, hammered it into each bolt head, and then used a wrench to force the bolts out).

I've got new bolts now (high tensile this time, with a slightly bigger/stronger head). I haven't seen Loctite used to hold in mirror bolts before, but having said that I don't have that much experience. I do have some medium strength Loctite I could use. I was thinking of perhaps not using Loctite, go for a bit of a ride, and see if they work loose or not.


Is it common to use Loctite to hold in mirror bolts?

there is something called Mirror Block id pair of little alloy piece u can bolt on and cover the holes lft frm mirro removal...those little piece can buy from some acce-shop in AKL or fem Ebay,,,i have pair of these on mine bike bought from a shop of East Tamaki...hope this helps

[p.dath]

there is something called Mirror Block id pair of little alloy piece u can bolt on and cover the holes lft frm mirro removal...those little piece can buy from some acce-shop in AKL or fem Ebay,,,i have pair of these on mine bike bought from a shop of East Tamaki...hope this helps

I was trying to remove the mirrors for taking the bike on the track - not permanently. :)