Removing a goosed fork air cap
- Thread starter ishaw
- Start date
novocaine
Retro Wizard
1
before you try anything, make sure there is no pressure in the fork. granted the valve is mullered but hopefully you can get a pin down to release the pressure. once there is no pressure in the fork it will be easier to turn.
The fork will fight against you, you really need to clamp it across the crown, but that isn't easy. if you can, clamp it on the steerer (wrap it in something to stop it being damage by the vice), with the offending cap accessible. take a chisel (not a woodwork chisel, a big ass screw driver would do), hit it in line with the cap (if the fork was vertical I'd say straight down) to make a divit, then angle it over in the direction of the thread (leftie loosie) and give it a few good hits, hopefully it will start to turn. there's an o ring in there that will keep some pressure on the thread and make it turn harder.
theres enough meat there that you can do this well away from the crown. I suspect you'll have to do this a few times to get it off.
SRAM list the tightening torque as 12.5Nm, so it shouldn't be crazy tight, but who knows when it looks like that.
remember, nothing too sharp as it will just cut the aluminium instead of biting in to it and turning it.
there is a crown and steerer tube in the way. It's not going in vice.
before you try anything, make sure there is no pressure in the fork. granted the valve is mullered but hopefully you can get a pin down to release the pressure. once there is no pressure in the fork it will be easier to turn.
The fork will fight against you, you really need to clamp it across the crown, but that isn't easy. if you can, clamp it on the steerer (wrap it in something to stop it being damage by the vice), with the offending cap accessible. take a chisel (not a woodwork chisel, a big ass screw driver would do), hit it in line with the cap (if the fork was vertical I'd say straight down) to make a divit, then angle it over in the direction of the thread (leftie loosie) and give it a few good hits, hopefully it will start to turn. there's an o ring in there that will keep some pressure on the thread and make it turn harder.
theres enough meat there that you can do this well away from the crown. I suspect you'll have to do this a few times to get it off.
SRAM list the tightening torque as 12.5Nm, so it shouldn't be crazy tight, but who knows when it looks like that.
remember, nothing too sharp as it will just cut the aluminium instead of biting in to it and turning it.
I’ve undone them before in a vice when they’ve been too tight for a socket or spanner.
Edge of a vice can clamp it allowing quarter of a turn. Then unbolt and do it again.
Can you get the valve out before removing the cap?
If so you could either 'hastily encourage' or skillfully fit either a large Allen key, a bolt head (with jam nuts to turn against), a torx or double/triple square bit and drive out with these.
Good luck with whichever methods you attempt - I fear you might need all you can get!
If so you could either 'hastily encourage' or skillfully fit either a large Allen key, a bolt head (with jam nuts to turn against), a torx or double/triple square bit and drive out with these.
Good luck with whichever methods you attempt - I fear you might need all you can get!
I use the vice for far more than the average personAnd here the seed was sown for the 'bike parts in vices' thread!
It’s far easier to turn the object when stuff I seized and I seem to have a lot of seized crap
