Any Tricks for Getting the Bottom Socket Cap Bolt loose on front Forks?

[Guest]

OK, I know it's not a GS, but is a Suzuki. I'm restoring a put-up-and-forgotten little '83 GN125. It was in bad shape when I got it but it's on its way to a full restoration.

I'll attach a picture of it. Looks pretty good in the picture, but OMG what an abused mess this little bike was. Missing/wrong parts on it everywhere, rust, wrong throttle assembly, broken speedometer, missing air box filter assembly, missing rear turn signals and grab bar, original dry rotted tires, carb completely plugged up, etc. etc.

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I'm stuck on rebuilding the front forks since I can't get the socket cap bolt loose on the bottom of the forks that screw into the damper rod inside the fork.

I've used all of my usual tricks, including an impact driver (manual hit it with a hammer type) and a long nose 8mm hex impact socket to reach up into the fork into the socket cap bolt head. Can't get it to break loose because the damper rod just spins with it inside the fork leg.

FSM says to insert a dowel with a tapered nose into the fork and push hard against the top of the damper rod to hold it from spinning. Hah! That doesn't work at all. It's a round peg in a round hole so there is not anywhere near enough friction to hold the damper rod from spinning.

I've also tried putting the spring etc. back in the top of the fork and the cap back on and letting the bottom of the spring press on the top of the damper rod to see if that would keep the damper rod from spinning. Nope!

If I can't get that bolt out, I can't rebuild the forks.

Any advice or tips or tricks for getting a stuck damper rod bolt out would be appreciated.

[NCCNC]

Is there ANY way to get a little heat onto it?

[Steve]

Electric- or air-powered impact usually does it for me.

Not sure about your 125, but the larger GSes have ridges at the top of the damper tube into which a hex-shaped object fits nicely. Some have reported sucess by using a spark plug socket mounted backwards on a very long extension, others have used some all-thread rod with a couple of nuts on each end.

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[WingMan71]

Is there ANY way to get a little heat onto it?

I can't get a flame onto it without ruining something. But, I suppose I could heat up the socket cap bolt itself with a heat gun and get it pretty hot.

Worth a try.

[WingMan71]

Electric- or air-powered impact usually does it for me.

Not sure about your 125, but the larger GSes have ridges at the top of the damper tube into which a hex-shaped object fits nicely. Some have reported sucess by using a spark plug socket mounted backwards on a very long extension, others have used some all-thread rod with a couple of nuts on each end.

.

It's hard to see down in the fork tube that far to see what the top of the damper rod looks like. But, I thought I saw at least a notch or two on the ID of the top end of it. If there ARE some ridges on it I will certainly try to find something that fits into them enough to hold the rod from spinning.

I have a cheap inspection camera that connects to a laptop computer. I'll try to run that thing down there and take a closer look at the top of the damper rod.

Thanks for the ideas.

[RichDesmond]

As Steve said, electric or air impact is the ticket. If you don't want to get a compressor (trust me on this, you'll never regret it if you do) then Harbor Freight sells an electric impact that works really well.

[Buffalo Bill]

Electric- or air-powered impact usually does it for me.

Not sure about your 125, but the larger GSes have ridges at the top of the damper tube into which a hex-shaped object fits nicely. Some have reported sucess by using a spark plug socket mounted backwards on a very long extension, others have used some all-thread rod with a couple of nuts on each end.

.

These threaded rod tricks worked fo me on 2 different bikes. Don't think I had an impact wrench at the time.

[gsrick]

Electric- or air-powered impact usually does it for me.

Not sure about your 125, but the larger GSes have ridges at the top of the damper tube into which a hex-shaped object fits nicely. Some have reported sucess by using a spark plug socket mounted backwards on a very long extension, others have used some all-thread rod with a couple of nuts on each end.

.

As Steve said, electric or air impact is the ticket. If you don't want to get a compressor (trust me on this, you'll never regret it if you do) then Harbor Freight sells an electric impact that works really well.

This is what I do. You may have to try different ideas to get something work inside. I use my 1/2" breaker and extensions along with a large hex head socket and the HF electric impact. They just had them on sale for under $40. You can get all of what you need from HF and except for the impact they are covered with lifetime replacement.

[RichDesmond]

Yep, that’s the one I have. Works great.

[gsrick]

Yep, that’s the one I have. Works great.

Have you been able to find replacement brushes for it? It comes with a pair, but my second set is just about worn out and HF doesn't sell them separately. My local ACE hardware doesn't have a match.

BTW, I hardly ever use my pneumatic ones since I bought mine a few years ago. I did have to purchase a 3/4 drive air impact to remove the output shaft pulley nut from a 2000 Victory that nothing would touch. I also had to buy 1/2 air hose to deliver enough air for that to work. For the money the electric impact is a great tool.

[RichDesmond]

Haven’t had a need to, I mostly used it at the track, in the shop I’ve got air tools.

[gsrick]

Haven’t had a need to, I mostly used it at the track, in the shop I’ve got air tools.

So if I order a set of fork springs you'll send me your extra brushes?

[NCCNC]

I can't get a flame onto it without ruining something. But, I suppose I could heat up the socket cap bolt itself with a heat gun and get it pretty hot.

Worth a try.

I torched the socket a few times and held it to the bolt, and bam, it broke free. Just an idea.

[RichDesmond]

So if I order a set of fork springs you'll send me your extra brushes?

LOL, if I had them I would. But I bought that tool close to 20 years and 5 moves ago.

[WingMan71]

OK... the damper rod bolts are out ! ! !

Picked up a 16" long flat blade screwdriver from Lowe's yesterday and figured that would be long enough to reach the top of the damper rod and hold it.

It was, but only after I ground down the OD of the first inch of the handle so it would fit inside the fork tube!

Screwdriver blade engaged the damper rod, wife held that while I smacked the bolt with the hand impact driver, and tada... the bolt broke loose!

Once removed, I did find out that there is a hex (more like octo) pattern in the top of the damper rods. So, that can clearly be used to hold the rod with the proper sized nut on an all-thread as some suggested.

I can finally get on with the fork rebuild now, IF I can get the old seals out. They are stuck in there like glue, and to my surprise were not forced out by the removal of the fork tube as usual with most other forks I've rebuilt. Guess you have to pry them out from underneath somehow. Gonna soak them in PB Blaster for the night.

Thanks all for the ideas and helping me get these bolts out.

I'll attach a picture of the BMS (Big Muther Screwdriver) I used to hold the damper rod.

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