Appreciate that Andy. I've used AG stuff and it is good. Their polishes are excellent. Bare in mind though that a lot of "approvals" are business agreements. Ducati endorse Shell, and before that Agip. Depends who is plowing money in as well as product :wink: I'm trying a few products out at the moment that are literally brewed up by a pro detailer and sold in nondescript pakaging, and to date are better than anything i've used thus far.
I was pleased that the first 2 came out without too much drama but when the next 2 didn't play ball I went and borrowed a solder gun. After a few minutes tried again but still no joy. I think I used a descent quality torq bit (halfords advanced) but the heads seemed very weak and broke up to easily. I'm now gonna have to remove the wheel and get a wheel specialist to get them out. Good luck anyone that attempts it themselves but wish I had got dealers to do it now.....my problem is I do love to tinker lol
I'm going to heat mine directly to the head with a pencil torch soldering iron (butane) and let the heat conduct straight through the bolt. I have the Halfords Pro stuff as well but may buy the Machine Mart 240v impact gun as well just to be safe.
You don't need a "wheel specialist" to remove those stubborn/snapped bolts. Would you then need a "bodywork specialist" to get fairing bolts out? Or an "engine specialist" to get casing bolts out? Then a "radiator specialist" to tackle rad mount bolts? You just need a good spanner man/engineer. What is actually needed is a GOOD set of spanners/bits/release agent and patience. I would suggest Halfords Pro is not decent kit TBH. Allen keys, Torx bits, sockets and combi spanners need to be held firmly into place on the offending item, need to be in first class mechanical nick but never just "turned". Without inbound pressure they will all round out/slip off/wearing both tool and fastener. I've lost count of how many times I have seen the results of slipshod technique caused by nothing more than raw enthusiasm. Buying the best kit is stage one of good spannering - more important is stage two, knowing how best to use the best kit. Skill.
Just bought the impact gun. I also have a Teng T40 1/2" drive I will use with it on top of heat application. If the bolt should fail for any reason I have the tools and knowledge to rectify the situation myself. But thank you for the advice anyway...
I noticed that same type of corrosion on the two bolts that hold the gas tank to the frame. The allen heads are too shallow and they were so tight I knew I was going to strip them. What worked for me in this case is a few hard raps with a punch and hammer then loosening. The bolts were just as corroded as yours Andy, so I agree with you about the poor quality, as my bike hardly ever is ridden in the rain.
Hi to all from Germany To AndyW Yes M8 x 20mm Torx 'button head' - 10 of (plus 4 for the rear) Hallo, Please control, I Think Front 8X1.25 Lock 2 Rear 8X1 No Lock
Hi aero and welcome to the forum.......Grüße aus dem UK Not sure where you've got that info (I don't have the workshop manuals to hand to check.....but can say there were a lot of errors in the 'draft' version;-) The actual OE bolts (and my Titanium replacements), front discs, are M8 x 20mm.....hang on, I think that's the pitch of the threads you're quoting? Not looked at the rear disc yet but was lead to believe it uses 4 of the same bolts.
Couple of points on getting the bolts out... Personally, i wouldn't warm the bolt. It'll expand... Warm the wheel....it's alloy and will expand more/quicker than the steel bolts. Put it in front of a fan heater or something. Even your missus hair dryer... I use a space heater on rear cush drives on SS monsters etc. for instance. Wheel gets proper toasty and the bushes almost fall out. Also, rattle guns are useful, but on small fasteners there are two potential problems. First, they can deliver much more torque than the fastener can handle with a big risk of shearing the head. Second, if the fastener is tight, whether it's thread lock or corrosion, then simply buzzing it with a gun will create lots of friction. This will heat the bolt up and it will expand and get tighter. Then more friction, then more heat etc. etc. You can't feel this as you've just got the trigger pinned. If you do buzz a screw out, pick it up and you'll feel the heat in it. The bolts have a very shallow recess for the bit to engage in. Torx bits invariably have a lead in. Grind the tip of the bit flat to better engage with the fastener. Once you get a few turns into the fastener, spray some WD40 or such like on the thread and screw it back in. If the fastener tightens on you as you're undoing it, turn it back in a few turns and leave it...it's getting warm and expanding. As an aside, Torx are used not only as tamperproof, but they are also much better for assembly operations using power tools. They engage better/quicker than hex and the tool doesn't bind in them allowing quick release of the tool. Ducati are using much, much more in the way of traceable assembly operations with monitored torque guns. That's why the bikes are littered with them, especially in torque critical areas.
Nelly .....thanks. Threads completely coated in a medium thread lock (an anti galling compound is recommended with Titanium [and Stainless steel] but that's no good with applications needing thread lock .......I don't think Titanium and alloy get on any worse than steel and alloy, there was certainly evidence of some strong electrolytic action with the OE bolts.
While some of the corrosion may have added to the seizure I would imagine the threadlock was more of the issue. Bearing in mind the thickness of the disc carrier, there can't have been more than a couple of threads of the whiter/crusty section of the bolt actually in the wheel. The majority would have been in the clearance hole in the carrier itself, would it not?
Titanium has a well known ability to "gall" quickly on most materials, esp with itself. "Ti prep" is widely available and does work. Think copaslip with the right ingredients..........
he didnt .... I DID !! yes your probably right about the ' raw enthusiasm' but as i said i love to tinker..... I'm no mechanic or engineer but have learnt so much by having a go and doing it myself, yes many mistakes made and probably ended up costing me more but still have gained knowledge and learnt a bit by trying myself. Some people post to help others and some just to pi55 people off, I might have read your post on here in the wrong text but yours have fell into the latter
The good old fashioned impact driver you hit with a hammer can be a good tool for removing small stubborn screws.
