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So I recently picked up a 1990 Yamaha XT 350 for cheap money. It's in decent shape, but I wanted to refresh the fluids. I was going to start with cleaning up the front caliper, but 5 minutes in I've run into a major problem. The lower bolt was being very stubborn, and I was afraid I was going to snap the bolt. I tried applying some heat from my heat gun, but it didn't help and I snapped the bolt. I picked up an easy out, but then that snapped as well and now I'm not sure what to do. I'm assuming I need to use a tap and die to make it work again, but how do I get through the easy out that is stuck in there? I should have just left it alone, it worked fine before I messed with it![]()
'06 Triumph Sprint ST ABS
'90 Yamaha XT350
Hit up ebay, I bet you can get a replacement caliper for CHEAP.
But how do I get the caliper off of the forks and get the bolt out of the forks? The remaining half of the bolt is firmly stuck in the threads of the fork
'06 Triumph Sprint ST ABS
'90 Yamaha XT350
Do you have tomorrow off?
"I'd rather ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow"
Bikes: Ducati: 748 (Track) Honda: RC31 (Race/street)/ CRF 110 Mini Moto/ Hawk Endurance Racer Kawasaki: ZXR1200R
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EX# X
Soak it in PB blast (overnight), clean it up real good and let it dry, then heat the piss out of it. Your'e not going to have an easy time drilling through an extractor. I assume you can't get at it from the other side? Instead of tap and die, look at a helicoil type thread replacement if you ruin the threads that is.
To add to that^.... you're going to need a very hard drill bit to drill through an extractor. Use some kind of cutting oil as well.
I'll have to pick up some PB blast type stuff, as I don't have any. I also don't have a torch, and I don't think my heat gun is gonna get the job done.
I can kind of get at it from the other side, but the spokes from the rim get in the way so it's not straight on, so it doesn't really work that well, the drill is at an angle. I'm not sure how I would get the front rim off at this point, since I don't have any dirt bike stands at the moment.
'06 Triumph Sprint ST ABS
'90 Yamaha XT350
Try taking the fork out and soaking in PB blaster as other posts, heat using a torch from Ace hardware or similar then drilling from the opposite side. The combination of the PB and heat on the aluminum should be enough for the drill pressure to spin out the broken bolt. Alternatively, use a punch on the edge of the broken bolt to tap it in a circular direction causing it ot unscrew.
If the easy out is prtruding from the broken bolt, hitting it with a hammer may help shock the threads to loosen tham also.
It will come out but won't be an easy job!
Good luck.
I've got a torch, Keith (yes, I found it). Give me a call and let me know when you want to try to extract this thing.
--mark
'20 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro / '19 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE / '11 Triumph Tiger 800 XC / '01 Triumph Bonneville cafe
My ride reports: Missile silos, Labrador, twisties, and more
Bennington Triumph Bash, Oct 1-3, 2021
wise words that I should heed myself and pay a professional mechanic
I have a winter bomb Jeep Cherokee, last April, the muffler blew apart just as it was due for annual inspection, because I never drive it in summer, I let ie set till last week, I replaced muffler no problem, the battery that was weak wouldn't hold a charge so I replaced that. Good to go, right ? wrong, first time I step on brakes they go to floorno I decide I'm going to take it to mechanic, so I buy brake fluid so I can get it 2 miles down road to mechanic, go to state Jeep, turns over like crazy but obvioulsy wasn't going to start, did didstributor cap get wet the night before in the heavy rain? I decide to check cap, simple enuf, wrong, one of the screws holding the cap down snaps but it looks easy to get at and drill out, I even go to the effort to get a reverse twist drill bit, file top of broken screw flat and center punch, but screw material is harder than distributor and the bit wanders off and drills a hole beside the screw. Luckily, I find a used distributor for $45, but I'm going to tow it to a garage and pay someone else to wrench it
RandyO
IBA#9560
A man with a gun is a citizen
A man without a gun is a subject LETS GO BRANDON
If you don't want to take the fork off - take the axle out and rotate the lower leg so you can get access to the bolt.
SSearchVT
For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction - and sometimes a scar...
The extractor broke off even with the rest of the bolt, and it's recessed enough that I don't think I could use a tap to get it to unscrew. I think I really just have to find a way to get the front wheel off so I can get at it from the other side. I'm thinking car jack + 4x4 under the skid plate and my front end stand to hold the forks up should do the trick. I'll give that a shot tonight and then soak it with penetrating spray overnight.
'06 Triumph Sprint ST ABS
'90 Yamaha XT350
You should be able to get the front wheel off the ground simply by wedging a piece of wood underneath the skid plate to lever the bike up onto the sidestand and rear wheel. Or get a 5-gallon bucket, turn it upside down, and put the bike up on it.
I can bring both my 5-gallon bucket and the plank of wood I use for this purpose.
--mark
'20 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro / '19 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE / '11 Triumph Tiger 800 XC / '01 Triumph Bonneville cafe
My ride reports: Missile silos, Labrador, twisties, and more
Bennington Triumph Bash, Oct 1-3, 2021
I had the same problem once trying to get a swaybar bracket bolt out on my SRT. I also snapped an EZ-Out off in the bolt. I finally got it out using a Dremel with a Carbide Burr bit and just slowly grinded it out of the bolt. Once I got the EZ-Out out of the way, I simple continued grinding out the bolt with the Carbide Burr until it fell out in two pieces.
So if you know anyone with a Dremel tool, go pick up a Carbide Burr bit and you'll have it out in 10 minutes.
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
Damn, that sucks! I was going to suggest that we could weld something onto whatever is left of the extractor but it sounds like it's too recessed to make that happen.
The carbide burr tip is a great idea. I still have Yesterdayze tap kit, if you need to chase those threads afterwards.
Want me to bring my Dremel too?
I'll start making a list...
--mark
'20 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro / '19 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE / '11 Triumph Tiger 800 XC / '01 Triumph Bonneville cafe
My ride reports: Missile silos, Labrador, twisties, and more
Bennington Triumph Bash, Oct 1-3, 2021
Yeah, I think Wednesday night's fine.
Hope you feel better.
--mark
'20 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro / '19 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE / '11 Triumph Tiger 800 XC / '01 Triumph Bonneville cafe
My ride reports: Missile silos, Labrador, twisties, and more
Bennington Triumph Bash, Oct 1-3, 2021
So I picked up a carbide cutter, a titanium drill bit, some PB blast and a new EZ out. I was actually able to make a sizable dent in the old extractor, though I still can't drill out a new hole so there must be some of it left in there. I might be able to get this damn thing out after all. I'm going to wait until Mark brings his Dremel over to finish removing the old extractor. Thanks for all of the help guys, the guy at the hardware store was dumbfounded that I could even break off the EZ out, so he was useless in coming up with ideas for how to get it out.
Edit: The old EZ out is now gone and a hole for the new EZ out has been drilled. Still won't budge though so I'm going to wait for the torch to proceed.
Last edited by NobodySpecific; 10-04-10 at 07:11 PM.
'06 Triumph Sprint ST ABS
'90 Yamaha XT350
Machinist would go after that with a prick punch
back and forth then try tapping it in the unscrew direction
B very careful with the propane torch on the fork leg and caliper
the rubber and plastic will be distorted or fried
I'm hoping that I can take the caliper off of the mounting bracket and the rim off so that it's just the fork and the mounting bracket (i.e. no rubber, just metal).
Here's a pic from when I was trying to get the old EZ out removed, there is now a hole all the way through the bolt.
Last edited by NobodySpecific; 10-04-10 at 08:09 PM.
'06 Triumph Sprint ST ABS
'90 Yamaha XT350
Glad to hear the Carbide got through it.
Those EZOuts are damn strong, but they seem to have a tendency to shear off. I'm not a fan of them after my experiences and ultimate failures to extract even a single bolt with one.
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R