Fork cap will not budge

I have come across unique problems before and, using ingenuity, have been able to overcome. Not this time. I have the forks off a friend's '07 to overhaul them. I put the first one in the vice and attempted to remove the fork cap. I couldn't budge it. I tightened the vice as much as I felt comfortable with and still spinning. Why would anyone tighten these up so much? They are sealed with an o-ring! I thought the best way would be to put it back in the fork braces on the bike. Did that and still could not budge it! WTF???!!! I have now rounded two of the flats. What size is that? I don't have the right metric socket for it, but will get one. I will have to take the handlebar off in order to use it.

Anyone have any other ideas on how to resolve this?

Put the forks back on the bike and tighten the clamps. Then use the appropriate socket or wrench with them in place on the bike. Much less likely to damage the forks than using a vice. I loosen the caps with the forks on the bike and then remove the forks. A LITTLE bit of heat will help but be careful to NOT cook the O-rings.

Yes, they're probably too tight. Even more reason to use th right tools! As Ross says, put them back in the triple clamps. Even clamping pressure is the way to go. I loosen the top triple clamp and not the bottom one since the top one being tight may contribute to clamping or the tube cap.. And by all means get the right size socket or box end wrench. Not an open end wrench. There's not much surface to begin with on that nut as I recall.

In my experience, the best penetrating oil available https://www.kanolabs.com/penLub.html

You want a 6 point socket or box end wrench. You can get 6 point sockets like the one on the left which do not contact the corners:



You can also find 'surface drive' sockets that put all the force on the center of the flats of the bolt or nut.

+1 on tightening the lower pinch bolt on the triple tree but not the top pinch bolt unless you push the fork tube up in the triple tree so that the top pinch bolt doesn't put force in the area of the cap threads. My air gun makes quick work of of jobs like this

RossKean said:

Put the forks back on the bike and tighten the clamps. Then use the appropriate socket or wrench with them in place on the bike. Much less likely to damage the forks than using a vice. I loosen the caps with the forks on the bike and then remove the forks. A LITTLE bit of heat will help but be careful to NOT cook the O-rings.

Click to expand...

I've used this same method repeatedly. Just barely break them loose with the forks clamped on the bike still. Be sure to use the proper sized socket to fit over the damper adjustment knob.

For better clamping force to keep the tube from spinning, let the tube extend up beyond the top clamp as far as it can. You can then put force on both clamps.

Thanks for the replies. Still don't know what size socket it is, though! I did have it back in the clamps and used an open end wrench. I never needed to use a socket or even the vice for any I have done before. I can remove mine holding the fork in my left hand with the pre-load backed all the way out.

I guess I could just take one of the forks with me to the parts store.

24MM. As Ionbeam said, 6pt, deep well, SnapOn "flank drive" or equivalant.

https://store.snapon.com/Deep-mm-chrome-Socket-Metric-Deep-24mm-6-Point-P632339.aspx

Above 19MM there is usually a standard equivalant that will interchange with metric. 24mm=15/16"

1911 said:

24MM. As Ionbeam said, 6pt, deep well, SnapOn "flank drive" or equivalant.
https://store.snapon.com/Deep-mm-chrome-Socket-Metric-Deep-24mm-6-Point-P632339.aspx

Above 19MM there is usually a standard equivalant that will interchange with metric. 24mm=15/16"

Click to expand...

Thanks Duane! More tools!!

How do you have two metric bikes but not have metric tools? Leave it to a Marine. Go ask your wife to borrow her tools. She probably has one that fits. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you just don't have that particular size...

HotRodZilla said:

How do you have two metric bikes but not have metric tools? Leave it to a Marine. Go ask your wife to borrow her tools. She probably has one that fits. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you just don't have that particular size...

Click to expand...

I willing to bet being a knuckle dragging, coal fired power plant worker the only tools FYB has are a hammer and a shifting spanner.

I would even mention that BikerGeek has better tools but that would be hitting below the belt so I won't mention that.

Intech said:

I have come across unique problems before and, using ingenuity, have been able to overcome. Not this time. I have the forks off a friend's '07 to overhaul them. I put the first one in the vice and attempted to remove the fork cap. I couldn't budge it. I tightened the vice as much as I felt comfortable with and still spinning. Why would anyone tighten these up so much? They are sealed with an o-ring! I thought the best way would be to put it back in the fork braces on the bike. Did that and still could not budge it! WTF???!!! I have now rounded two of the flats. What size is that? I don't have the right metric socket for it, but will get one. I will have to take the handlebar off in order to use it.
Anyone have any other ideas on how to resolve this?

Click to expand...

The big hex is a 24 mm. Put the fork back on the triple clamp with it set about an inch higher than normal. Then apply a little heat quickly. Use a torch with mapp gas (yellow cylinder) then use the 24 mm to break it loose.

"Shifting spanner???" What the hell?

English, dude!!!!

I guess you mean a crescent wrench?

Don't make fun of 'Muricans unless yer gonna SPEAK 'Murican!!!

To the original issue, it's never even occurred to me to leave the caps tight until I got the forks off the bike. Of course, I don't have a vise, and I know my grip isn't quite strong enough to hold the fork and remove the cap. The triple tree is the vise for that task.

I never saw one so tight you needed an air wrench to yank it loose, though. That's kinda scary!

wfooshee said:

"Shifting spanner???" What the hell?
English, dude!!!!

I guess you mean a crescent wrench?

Don't make fun of 'Muricans unless yer gonna SPEAK 'Murican!!!

...

Click to expand...

Nope, not English English, that would be an "adjustable spanner".

I have no idea to what he was referring.

Nothing unusual about that, though .

mcatrophy said:

wfooshee said:

"Shifting spanner???" What the hell?
English, dude!!!!

I guess you mean a crescent wrench?

Don't make fun of 'Muricans unless yer gonna SPEAK 'Murican!!!

...

Click to expand...

Nope, not English English, that would be an "adjustable spanner".

I have no idea to what he was referring.

Nothing unusual about that, though

.

Click to expand...

I learned that from a Scotsman ya Limey bastard POME.

Ya don't get me I'm part of the Union....



Is it tea time yet?

HotRodZilla said:

How do you have two metric bikes but not have metric tools? Leave it to a Marine. Go ask your wife to borrow her tools. She probably has one that fits. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you just don't have that particular size...

Click to expand...

Gee thanks for the BOD. I have plenty of metric tools, just not all the large sockets. The only large ones I have are specific. Like the axle bolts. When I find I need another one I just buy it.

yamafitter said:

HotRodZilla said:

How do you have two metric bikes but not have metric tools? Leave it to a Marine. Go ask your wife to borrow her tools. She probably has one that fits. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you just don't have that particular size...

Click to expand...

I willing to bet being a knuckle dragging, coal fired power plant worker the only tools FYB has are a hammer and a shifting spanner.

I would even mention that BikerGeek has better tools but that would be hitting below the belt so I won't mention that.

Click to expand...

Being that I am in the instrumentation field I would have thought that you, of all people, would know that it is a tweeker and a multimeter. Maybe a screwdriver too. What the hell is a shifting spanner?? As for BikerGeek...he is is a tool!

Geez...don't take everything so personal...no go out and buy that socket.