Headset topcap bolt woes

leeefm

I've just managed to round off the allen key bolt that holds on the top cap of the headset. Was just starting to do some maintenance to remove the play in my headset. A bit gutted...

Am I going to have to drill this out?

supersonic

A very odd one to round out - were you adjusting it properly?

Could try hammering screwdriver into it.

gosport_commuter

I get the impression you neglected to loosen the stem clamp bolts before adjusting the headset? Otherwise there should not be enough resitance in the assembly to come close to rounding off the hex.

As above try finding tools that are SLIGHTLY too big to fit, and hammer them in to remove the old bolt - also undo the stem clamp bolts - if there is still play in the headset that may relieve some of the pressure you have put into the bolt.


EDIT: If all else fails you could drill/bust the top cap itself allowing you to get at the bolt with mole grips or similar - replcements are not expensive and being aluminium it's easier to obliterate.

leeefm

Hadn't even got as far as loosening the stem bolts. I was just taking off the top cap to loosen the expander bung (carbon steerer). I think it was a combination of crappy allen key + very soft bolt. Anyway cheers for the suggestions, helped a lot. I first tried using epoxy to bond said crappy allen key into the bolt. This, however, proved fruitless, as the epoxy didn't set hard enough (either it was too old or I didn't mix it right). In the end I just hammered the next size key into the bolt as it was so soft. Worked out in the end. Put a stainless steel bolt in now. They're much harder.

Lesson learned I suppose. Don't use old allen keys...

Cheers for the help guys!

desweller

leeefm wrote:

Hadn't even got as far as loosening the stem bolts. I was just taking off the top cap to loosen the expander bung (carbon steerer). I think it was a combination of crappy allen key + very soft bolt. Anyway cheers for the suggestions, helped a lot. I first tried using epoxy to bond said crappy allen key into the bolt. This, however, proved fruitless, as the epoxy didn't set hard enough (either it was too old or I didn't mix it right). In the end I just hammered the next size key into the bolt as it was so soft. Worked out in the end. Put a stainless steel bolt in now. They're much harder.

Lesson learned I suppose. Don't use old allen keys...

Cheers for the help guys!

Lesson not learned...you should have loosened the stem pinch bolts first. The whole shooting match has a tendency to bind up once they've been tightened.

leeefm

Noted, thanks.

The Rookie

Disagree, if you're removing the top cap, there is no need to loosen the stem bolts at all....where's it going to go if you loosen them?

desweller

Beats me. On some bikes it does this, on some it doesn't: the assembly appears to expand axially as it's compressed radially, and the top cap screw ends up with much more tension on it than you'd expect. I've rounded one off myself in the same way as the OP.

davis

Aye. Always loosen the stem bolts first, whether you're loosening or tightening the topcap. It just ain't worth the risk.

Anyway, to remove yours, you might have some luck with getting a Torx bit in the hole and using that. From memory T20 or T25 would be about the right size, but make sure it's a tight fit and put it in straight. I'd put some Screwgrab on it first, and push it in with your fingers first as hard as you can, make sure it's straight, and give it a few taps with a hammer to push it in further. Now, hope like hell and whack a hexdrive socket on it.

ricky1980

ignore did't read the while thread >.<

tptvmbircn

if not badly rounded a mm up in allen key, the good thing is its only alloy, drill the head out, remove top cap, unscrew bolt and replace. It's what I had to resort too on a friends bike.