Screw this

[earlfor]

If you can get a workable angle to get the blade positioned, it will work. I cant tell for sure from the pic. If you can get the angle you need with the saw blade, you will need to grind the end off the blade so you can get the blade as far as possible across the bolt head. I have also cut a slot in the head with a dremel using a cut off disk. You may not have that much space though to be able to work with a dremel. You may have to simply drill the head off. You can try the easy out and it that doesnt work, you can always drill off the head.

E.


[quote=ShirleySerious

earlfor, I can only hope a hacksaw will fit into a spot that tight.[/quote]

[ShirleySerious]

If you can get a workable angle to get the blade positioned, it will work. I cant tell for sure from the pic. If you can get the angle you need with the saw blade, you will need to grind the end off the blade so you can get the blade as far as possible across the bolt head. I have also cut a slot in the head with a dremel using a cut off disk. You may not have that much space though to be able to work with a dremel. You may have to simply drill the head off. You can try the easy out and it that doesnt work, you can always drill off the head.

E.

In case it's hard to see, the screw is in a "valley" of sorts and the heat shield from the muffler is only a couple mm below. Let's just put it this way, a large-ish cumbersome tool will not fit in there (that's what she said.:mrgreen

[first timer]

just drill the heads off and get a good brand vice grip and remove like mentioned above. you could also try taking a impact driver to those striped heads, the impact force from the hammer may cut the bit deep enough into the screw to let the bit loosen it. It's worth a shot, plus you will need to get a impact drive if you plan to do any work on the bike in the future.

the 550 and small bore bikes use a nylon screw thing and push rod to operate the clutch. The cable attaches on the left side of the motor.

[Steve]

Super glue will do some wonderful things, but where you are trying to use it, you may as well use snot.
Super glue requires, no, DEMANDS clean surfaces that mate with each other very closely.
A hacksaw-cut slot will NOT match up to a washer enough for super glue to work.

I don't think that any adhesive will work in this case, not even the infamous JB Weld.

Another common mistake that people make is using the wrong size Phillips driver. Yes, a #1 will go into the head of the screw and might actually get it moving, but a #2 will fill the head of the screw, spreading out the load so that there is no damage. Another common mistake is using a Phillips driver that is worn out. The edges should be rather crisp, almost sharp, not rounded.

When you get your hammer-driven impact wrench, use the #2 bit, make sure the driver is in the "remove" position, then hold the driver in with a bit of force and use the hammer with a bit of authority. If that does not work, you will have to keep drilling the head with larger bits until the head is gone and you can pull the cover off over the shaft.

Oh, also make sure that the bits in your impact set don't get used for anything else. Keep them in the best condition that you can.

.

[Planecrazy]

I would follow your advice, mark, except I don't have vice grips, nor will the cover come off, which is the problem I'm having in the first place. I tried spraying WD-40 on the outside of the screw, probably because I misunderstand the name penetrating oil, thinking that it will seep into the threads.

Sean, the idea is to use the drill bit to completely remove the part of the screw that overlaps the cover, thus allowing it to slide off the remaining part of the screw. Once the cover is off you'll see that whats left of the screw is a short "shaft" that can be firmly grasped with a vicegrips (go buy one). Once you've clamped down on it (and used PB Blaster or other penetrating oil in the threads) you should be able to twist the rest of the screw out...

Good Luck!

PS. I've never seen a clutch cable that required you remove the cover either ... can you post pics of yours?

[speedzter2000]

I have removed stripped heads like that using a star point (6 point head,kinda like a hex..I ALWAYS forget the name), and I smack it in. You can only smack it once, and really hard.It has worked for me in the past....
The key is to soak it in PB Blaster first.
After that, I'd rip the dang thing off and buy a new one. ARGH! (JK)

[earlfor]

ON the 77 thru 79 models, the clutch cable went through the top of the sprocket cover. The clutch mechanism was attached to the inside of the cover. There was a shaft that came through the cases from the right side of the engine where the clutch disks are located. The left end of the shaft inset into the clutch adjustment mechanism/cable attachment under the left'countershaft sprocket housing.

E.

[quote=Planecrazy
PS. I've never seen a clutch cable that required you remove the cover either ... can you post pics of yours?[/quote]

[ShirleySerious]

Planecrazy, I believe earlfor answered your question, but you can see it in pic 2 of 4. The black cylindrical thing is the rubber boot for the cable adjuster. But I haven't thought about it that way, drilling off the screw head. Oh well I just hope I can remove it somehow.

Speedzter2000, you're probably thinking of a torx bit.

BTW, does the sprocket cover really need that one screw? I mean there's 5 others holding it on and it's not exactly sealed on there tight, so maybe I can get by without one screw?

[nabrams]

Once you learn how to use the impact driver properly (As others have stated: pressing down fully BEFORE smashing with hammer), the majority of those phillips head screws will come out. For those that don't, you'll almost certainly have to drill the screw head off completely. Then when you can't "vise-grip" the bolt itself out (you're almost never that lucky), you'll have to go the drill/tap/helicoil route.

[earlfor]

You're right, the sprocket cover doesnt seall anything. It there basically to keep your socks out of the countershaft sprocket and chain. LOL It does provide support for the gear shift shaft and alignment of the clutch rod, so it is a good thing to have all the bolts in it. Once you drill off the head of the offending bolt, and take the cover off, there will be about 1/4" of the shank protruding. Easiest way to remove it is with a pair of vice grips. Alternatively, you could hacksaw a slot and use a screwdriver. I would just go to Home Depot or whatever and buy a cheap, small pair of vice grips.

E.


[quote=ShirleySerious
BTW, does the sprocket cover really need that one screw? I mean there's 5 others holding it on and it's not exactly sealed on there tight, so maybe I can get by without one screw?[/quote]

[Sandy]

just drill the heads off and get a good brand vice grip and remove like mentioned above. you could also try taking a impact driver to those striped heads, the impact force from the hammer may cut the bit deep enough into the screw to let the bit loosen it. It's worth a shot, plus you will need to get a impact drive if you plan to do any work on the bike in the future.

the 550 and small bore bikes use a nylon screw thing and push rod to operate the clutch. The cable attaches on the left side of the motor.

I've always found drilling the easiest way to get them out if they are accessible to drilling. You only have the drill in enough to pop the head off the screw, just stay centered and only drill in the depth of the head, if it doesn't pop off on it's own and you've got a good clean drill hole just use the butt end of the drill to pop the head off. Remove the cover then what's left of the screw. It's actually real easy and you're less likely to bash something that doesn't like getting bashed.

[ShirleySerious]

I got an impact driver today. Someone here said they were $10 I think? Mine was $40. Anyway I got the cable out and changed it. I tried routing the new cable as close to the old cable as I could. I got everything situated, but now the clutch feels heavy and stiff. Does that happen with all new cables or should I use some lubricant?

[earlfor]

You should lube the cable. It will work much easier and last longer. Its difficult to get oil completely through the housing and there is a pressure attachment made for oiling cables that fits over he cable end, but I forget who makes it and they may no longer be available. You can hang the cable up and dribble oil into the top until it run out the bottom. I'm impatient with things like that, so I stick about 6 inches of the cable housing into the vacuum hose of my shop vac, wrap the cable housing and hose end with duct tape to seal it, then stick the other end of the cable into a cup of oil.
It sucks the oil into the cable housing in a couple minutes. You can tell how much if you mark the oil level on the cup before starting.

I think I paid $9.95 for my impact driver about 3 years ago. If I had known they were going to go up to $40, I would have bought a couple hundred of them and sold them here. LOL

E.

I got an impact driver today. Someone here said they were $10 I think? Mine was $40. Anyway I got the cable out and changed it. I tried routing the new cable as close to the old cable as I could. I got everything situated, but now the clutch feels heavy and stiff. Does that happen with all new cables or should I use some lubricant?

[ShirleySerious]

You should lube the cable. It will work much easier and last longer. Its difficult to get oil completely through the housing and there is a pressure attachment made for oiling cables that fits over he cable end, but I forget who makes it and they may no longer be available. You can hang the cable up and dribble oil into the top until it run out the bottom. I'm impatient with things like that, so I stick about 6 inches of the cable housing into the vacuum hose of my shop vac, wrap the cable housing and hose end with duct tape to seal it, then stick the other end of the cable into a cup of oil.
It sucks the oil into the cable housing in a couple minutes. You can tell how much if you mark the oil level on the cup before starting.

I think I paid $9.95 for my impact driver about 3 years ago. If I had known they were going to go up to $40, I would have bought a couple hundred of them and sold them here. LOL

E.

I just used the "straw" attachment that comes with a can of WD-40 and tried to get as much of it as I could into the housing. I'm sure there's a break in period, after which the cable won't be so stiff.

My impact driver looks the same as first timer's, so I'm assuming he got it at Carquest, which is where I bought mine.

[earlfor]

WD40 is not a lubricant. :-) Its a water displacement formula. Great for your ignition wires or wiring harness, but not useful for lubricating anything.
Thin oil is the best thing. Sewing machine oil is excellent. :-) Or, 3 in 1 works just as well. Plain old cooking oil is a better lubricant than WD40. heh

E.

I just used the "straw" attachment that comes with a can of WD-40 and tried to get as much of it as I could into the housing. I'm sure there's a break in period, after which the cable won't be so stiff.

My impact driver looks the same as first timer's, so I'm assuming he got it at Carquest, which is where I bought mine.