Tips for new players

**Expert** · 13th December 2010, 11:02

I just had cause to use something my old grandpa had told me years ago, and i'd nearly forgotten.
Ever had one of those bolts, usually a socket head(allen) type that even though you have top quality allen/hex keys, you know is gonna round out?
Put a dab of grinding paste, or valve lapping paste (cause we all have this in our workshops, don't we?) on the end of the allen key and the stuff makes the key grip to the inside of the hex, rather than just displacing the metal and making it round out. it really works, you'd be suprised how buggered a fastener it will turn, even the soft crap ones on chinese/indian shite, then it just snaps the head off, oops.
Not fully rounded out though, then you're screwed.
It works on bolt heads too and philips screw heads.

With experience you develop a feeling for when a fastener is gonna round off rather than loosen, and this works before that happens.

Anybody else got any tips/hints i can pass onto my grandchildren?
Apart from never eat yellow snow.

**avgas** · 13th December 2010, 11:53

You can always trust what a man says when he's on the end of a shovel. Yet you should always caution the man whom talks from the end of a pen.

when reassembling any engine - cover every internal piece with a think layer of oil (with exception of spark plug).

**SMOKEU** · 13th December 2010, 17:17

When changing sprockets, remove the front sprocket first as removing the back sprocket first and the chain makes removing the front sprocket a bit of a mish.

If the throttle sticks on a bike, then fix it ASAP. Don't ignore the problem and hope it fixes itself. I learned the hard way.

**FruitLooPs** · 13th December 2010, 20:00

Always pump your brakes if you've changed your pads or bled the lines, finding zero brake pressure at your first opportunity to stop could well result in a

Six sided sockets are preferred to twelve most of the time, as they won't round off a nut as easily

Same for box wrench

When using a torque wrench, don't confuse lb/ft and nm or you might find yourself drilling out a bolt you've sheared the head off, or having an important nut/bolt rattle loose at an inopportune moment

Do not lube your chain with your bike on stands & running

Do it properly the first time, half assing it often results in more work/$$ in the long run.

**pete376403** · 13th December 2010, 20:34

Cheap tools cost the most.

**rwh** · 13th December 2010, 21:06

Originally Posted by FruitLooPs

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Do not lube your chain with your bike on stands & running

Hmm - that's how I always do it ... centre stand, 1st gear, using the tube nozzle thing on the lube aerosol can. I wouldn't go in there with an oily rag, though.

Richard