[Rick T.]

Ok... I'm replacing the "Industrial Looking" hex steering head bolt on my Monster with one I picked up from MotoWheels. I was told it simply hand tightens : uuuhhhhh... no. I've attached a pic of the bolt I'm referring to. Any ideas short of paying $40 for a steering head bolt tool :? ??? I figure there some "easy" alternative... Anyone?

 

[derby]

I figure there some "easy" alternative... Anyone?

yup: finding somebody with a pin wrench. ;D

 

[T. J. Fejka]

Ok... I'm replacing the "Industrial Looking" hex steering head bolt on my Monster with one I picked up from MotoWheels. I was told it simply hand tightens : uuuhhhhh... no. I've attached a pic of the bolt I'm referring to. Any ideas short of paying $40 for a steering head bolt tool :? ??? I figure there some "easy" alternative... Anyone?

I used to be a Gunsmith many years ago and was constantly coming across fasteners with holes 180 degrees apart but not always the same distance between holes.

My solution:
I took a cheap adjustable wrench (Cresent wrench..but not a real brand name Cresent wrench...like something cheap from Harbor Freight), drilled holes in each jaw (the one that does not move and is part of the wrench body and the other jaw that moves, the adjustable one). I then soldered pieces of drill rod (round tool steel stock) into the drilled holes....There you have it, works OK.

Do not braze the pins into the wrench as the brazing temp will be high enough to harden the drill rod alowing the pins to break when used. If you would braze the pins in you would have to cool the finished wrench very slowly (pack it in a bucket of lime) I just soft soldered mine in. The drilled holes should be very close to the diameter of the drill rod. If you have to hammer the drill rod into the holes, you may get away without even soldering.

I would think that after taking the tank off you would have access with this tool...but I'm not sure.

A plus is that it doesn't ruin the wrench, you can still use it on hex head bolts and nuts. Actually I use mine (with the pins) to open stuck water vavles in the home. The pins fit in the spaces in the handles of the valves. Has come in handy many times.

 

[Capt. Steubing]

Another way to make a tool to do what you want is to weld a couple of studs onto the correct sized socket, that way you could put a torque wrench on it too. I'd use a cheap socket of the correct size, and a couple of pieces of cheap soft steel (as long as you don't have to have the nut at 1000 ft./lbs.) because if it's done right, then it would be the shear strength of the metal and it would be pretty considerable I'd think. Good luck.

 

[Rick T.]

Very innovative stuff there...

For this task, I think I may have found something. The steering head bolt should not need to be torqued too much. A Pin Spanner (from Park "bicycle" Tools) should do the job. There are three sizes so I need to figure which one.

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=25&item=SPA-1#

 

[swanny]

I read somewhere that someone put a couple of nails in the holes and the used a screwdriver running between the nails to loosen/tighten the steering head bolt.

Swanny

 

[c_rex]

Very innovative stuff there...

For this task, I think I may have found something. The steering head bolt should not need to be torqued too much. A Pin Spanner (from Park "bicycle" Tools) should do the job. There are three sizes so I need to figure which one.

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=25&item=SPA-1#

+++
yeah baby... Park makes awesome tools and you can find them at most self-respecting bike shops for muey cheapo. This is exactly what ya need because it's made for just this sort of application.

 

[Dragsterhund]

pick up a cheap pair of circlip pliers.

 

[2001chromo]

For this task, I think I may have found something. The steering head bolt should not need to be torqued too much. A Pin Spanner (from Park "bicycle" Tools) should do the job. There are three sizes so I need to figure which one.

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=25&item=SPA-1#

Use the red one, it' works perfectly! That's what I used for mine. And it's got to be tight so that it won't come off, but nothing ridiculously tight.

Good find [thumbsup]

 

[T. J. Fejka]

pick up a cheap pair of circlip pliers.

Don't know 'cause I can't measure from the pix but the holes look far bigger than any circlip holes I have ever seen. If they do make circlips that big, I'd be willing to bet that the pliers to fit so large a circlip are not "cheap."

I think the bicycle tool has been the best suggestion here, I checked out the link (and bookmarked it) I wish they sold online and did not send you to one of their dealers.

Original poster: Let us know what you ended up using and how well it worked.

 

[2001chromo]

I wish they sold online and did not send you to one of their dealers.

Here's a link to the Park pin spanner bicycle tool online

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=436

I used this exact tool to put mine on. It worked great.

The pins in the red tool were a little smaller than the headset nuts holes, but it worked fine. The green tool might also work, but I had the red one and it worked fine.

 

[CRASH!]

Ok... I'm replacing the "Industrial Looking" hex steering head bolt on my Monster with one I picked up from MotoWheels. I was told it simply hand tightens : uuuhhhhh... no. I've attached a pic of the bolt I'm referring to. Any ideas short of paying $40 for a steering head bolt tool :? ??? I figure there some "easy" alternative... Anyone?

I have the same bolt. got it from Redline before Mark had his accident. It came with the tool; a 6-pin tool with a hex head on the other side.

Doesn't MotoWheels sell a tool? If not, you're probably going to have to make one; piece of metal with a couple of bolts or pins through it. The wire pin-tool someone else showed really won't generate enough torque.

 

[Qfactor]

I have always used the 2 bolts and a screwdriver as a breaker bar technique.

it works everytime....


Q

 

[T. J. Fejka]

Here's a link to the Park pin spanner bicycle tool online

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=436

Thanx for the link. Someone ought to take the Cyclone chain scrubber idea and upsize it to motorcycle chains...looks like a great idea.

Nice, compact, inexpensive multi tools too, some may cross to M.C.s pretty well