Green Locktite...how to remove?
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,886
Likes: 3
I feel your pain.
An impact driver is an excellent suggestion...if you can get the driver into the spot where the bolt is located....I couldn't (it was on the left swing arm, near the frame pivot...the two bolts I needed to take off were under the belt and end of the fender...the bolts that would hold the new passenger leftside peg support...if I could ever get the effing things off). I finally got enough penetrating PB blaster into the bolts, placed a big vice-grip on the bolt top (which wasn't easy becasue there's not a lot to grab on the round-headed bolt top flush against the swing arm).....the Harley dealership mechanic suggested the vise-grips, using heat (couldn't use much because it's on a painted part), whacking it with a cold chisel at an angle, and penetrating oil. If I broke one of them off I'd have been disassembling the whole rear end of the bike to get enough room to drill out the bolt to retap the swingarm attachment point.
When I mentioned to the Harley mechanic I'd never seen anything like it in more than a few years of working on stuff, he said, "welcome to my world".....and that the factory people had a reputation for going ape with the pneumatic wrenches and locktite during assembly. He said he was only half-joking about HD being tired of hearing about parts falling off their bikes....so they weren't taking chances during assembly. He said there are parts on specific models (changing from year to year) that are legendary among mechs for difficulty of removal.
When I took off the little torx head bolt holding the front of the belt guard it sheared off flush....and I just drilled that sucker out (it gets thrown away because the passenger peg mount replaces that function on that side). My guess is that the same factory ******* that put the two closely located parts was having a bad day with a line supervisor. The identical T45 bolts on the right side came off fine.
When I put the rear luggage rack and sissy bar on the bike I expected the T45's to be just as difficult to remove but they came out just fine. I now approach every bolt on the bike pretty warily.
I will say say that the assembly instructions that come with HD MoCo accessories are easily the best I've ever seen (some of the metric instructions are nonexistent or written in engrish).....and the shop manual for the FXD has been an excellent purchase too.
An impact driver is an excellent suggestion...if you can get the driver into the spot where the bolt is located....I couldn't (it was on the left swing arm, near the frame pivot...the two bolts I needed to take off were under the belt and end of the fender...the bolts that would hold the new passenger leftside peg support...if I could ever get the effing things off). I finally got enough penetrating PB blaster into the bolts, placed a big vice-grip on the bolt top (which wasn't easy becasue there's not a lot to grab on the round-headed bolt top flush against the swing arm).....the Harley dealership mechanic suggested the vise-grips, using heat (couldn't use much because it's on a painted part), whacking it with a cold chisel at an angle, and penetrating oil. If I broke one of them off I'd have been disassembling the whole rear end of the bike to get enough room to drill out the bolt to retap the swingarm attachment point.
When I mentioned to the Harley mechanic I'd never seen anything like it in more than a few years of working on stuff, he said, "welcome to my world".....and that the factory people had a reputation for going ape with the pneumatic wrenches and locktite during assembly. He said he was only half-joking about HD being tired of hearing about parts falling off their bikes....so they weren't taking chances during assembly. He said there are parts on specific models (changing from year to year) that are legendary among mechs for difficulty of removal.
When I took off the little torx head bolt holding the front of the belt guard it sheared off flush....and I just drilled that sucker out (it gets thrown away because the passenger peg mount replaces that function on that side). My guess is that the same factory ******* that put the two closely located parts was having a bad day with a line supervisor. The identical T45 bolts on the right side came off fine.
When I put the rear luggage rack and sissy bar on the bike I expected the T45's to be just as difficult to remove but they came out just fine. I now approach every bolt on the bike pretty warily.
I will say say that the assembly instructions that come with HD MoCo accessories are easily the best I've ever seen (some of the metric instructions are nonexistent or written in engrish).....and the shop manual for the FXD has been an excellent purchase too.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,319
Likes: 1
From: Deep South Texas
If you just need heat, you can hold a solder iron tip on the bolt for a while. Depending on the size of bolt, it may take a while to reach 350F. I have done this on small machine screws.
Last edited by Roadie09; Jan 3, 2010 at 10:39 AM. Reason: typo:)
Banned
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,706
Likes: 7
From: Woodstock, Ont , Can
If your condition will allow it, Heat up a steel bar red hot and place it on the head of the bolt. It will conduct the heat from the head to the threads eventually enough to soften the loctite. The more contact surface between the two the quicker it will conduct. A bar reheat might be needed if it cools too quickly but this has worked for me a few times, especially on pipe plugs where you risk chewing out the small allen section before the plug breaks free. I guess torx will fall into this category as well. Normal hex nuts and bolts usually will break free without problems.
Ron
Club Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 145,895
Likes: 821
From: 40 miles Northeast of Indy..
We used this penetrating oil at work in our Skilled trades shop for yrs,,, best we ever seen....not sure on loctited bolts...those we just heated up... bit can't use the touch on the bike....
http://www.chesterton.com/Product%20...tdms723_EN.pdf
http://www.chesterton.com/Product%20...tdms723_EN.pdf
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 112,202
Likes: 1,316
From: On a hill among the hills, PA
Threadlockers
LoctiteŽ Threadlocker Green
Prevents vibration loosening of pre-assembled fasteners
For use on electrical connectors, instrumentation, screws, and set screws
Ideal for fasterners #2 - 1/2"
LoctiteŽ Threadlocker Green
Prevents vibration loosening of pre-assembled fasteners
For use on electrical connectors, instrumentation, screws, and set screws
Ideal for fasterners #2 - 1/2"
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,473
Likes: 15
From: River City Western Canada
Never had a problem wrenching fasteners that have been thread locked so not sure what your concern is...Loctite is just so fasteners will not work themselves loose
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Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 178
Likes: 0
From: Western Kansas
Good luck
