Damper rod mold/cast idea?

[tonup]

The last time I tore down my forks the tool used (borrowed from mc mechanic) to get damper rod loose sucked the fun out of it. Getting it loose was bad enough even with an impact. Trying to tighten it without being able to torque it made it the worst. Have no clue as to what it's torque ended up at.

Does anybody know what kind of material I can use to make a mold of the damper rod to possibly get a socket or long t handle tool made? Thought of plaster but don't need a 25# bag of it. Then the hunt for a machining guru. Any ideas/past experiences. I could be pissing up a rope but with you imaginative gearheads I'm sure there are options, even if they're bad.

[Degsy]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8330/4.5.0.77 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

I have used play doh for similar things

[tonup]

too funny. I didn't even think in that direction. Now to figure out what color works best.

[stoinkythepig]

What sort of shape is the damper rod? I have never seen one that was not like a 12 point socket. The tools I have made are just threaded rod with two nuts pinned in place.

[tonup]

It is a funky round tipped pyramid shape. The tool I borrowed was used on other Triumph's but it didn't work too well with the thrx/bonne style. The tool essentially just barely grabbed the edges of the pyramid and didn't lock on in any way. Hence not allowing me to put any constant steady torque on it. Would just spin. One of the factory bolts had loctite on it and one did not. Made me wonder if the factory doesn't even have anything to use. Triumph manual states no such tool.

[richw]

What I used was

an extrator
square drive socket
long extensions

There is babbit or woods metal where you can cast something that doesn't shrink with just a few hundred degrees

[Pigman]

Also, at CVS there is some dental stuff that hardens....for a temp filling. I used that stuff before like JB weld.. LOLOLOL

[tonup]

Just got off the phone with a gun smithing friend and its funny you mention jb weld. He mentioned the idea of using a sacrificial socket and jb to make the mold. I was over thinking it as usual. As long as I don't let the damper get stuck I should be good.......in theory.

[Pigman]

JB will stick even if its smooth i would think..but, this stuff is more of a time realese. Or get that Infomercial shit that stops leaks in pipes???? Possibly, its a two parts and can be shaped and cures pretty hard...my buds dad had some.

[Currently]

I always loosen the damper rod bolt with an impact BEFORE taking the forks apart.

So far it never failed me.

[richw]

I had 1 spin on me with an impact

of course harbor freight electric impact I think is $40

my easy out on extensions had not failed me

[TheIglu]

Fork internals out of the fork.

Upside down, with the wooden handle of a broom stuffed in there good.

Push down hard and then hit the allen head bolt with the impact gun (I've never needed to use the impact gun provided I give the allen bolt a good whack with a metal hammer to break the oxidation).

Keep in mind this is experience talking from working on nothing but shitty old bikes that have been abused. Those are the worst bolts imaginable.

[stoinkythepig]

would this work?

[Currently]

Another easy method is to drill out the head of the bolt ... easy to do if it is an allen bolt.
You can get a replacement metric bolt from Home Depot or Lowes or Bel-Metric out in Tyngsboro. (great place BTW!)

I used a 7/16ths bit and slowly drilled the head off, when it got to the bolt shank, I stopped and it slipped easily off. Put the damper rod in a vise with aluminum jaws and used vise-grips to unscrew the bolt shank. Total time ... less than 5 minutes.

[tonup]

Getting it out/off is not the problem really. Using the spring tension may help in getting it loose, but the problem is tightening it. Due to the rounded stupid ass edges anything that might work just doesn't get a good bite to torque it. The last time I had them off it took me, the skinny dude with the impact, and the heavy fuckin ogre, we'll call him Kevin, on the other side holding the mildly useless tool to just get the impact to seat it enough. Enough = not spinning easy. I don't dig that "it should be enough, I hope" type mentality. I am hoping the breakdown goes smoothly due to not knowing what kind of power we put to her last time while mildly irritated. I do guess we got it tight enough last time though

[tonup]

would this work?

Not even remotely close. Triumph did some weird shit with this one. I haven't been on RAT to check their site yet. I have more faith is this group.