Front brake pad removal problems

Ok, worst thing first. Sometimes it doesn't pay to get out of bed.

(Sorry for the links, I normally use flickr to post pics, and it is a PITA to upload pictures to for sharing, I don't have a whatsit, uh..."photobomb" account, or whatever that thing is everybody else uses, but these links are my public dropbox folder, should work) EDIT: found BBCode generator, trying thatwell, that didn't work, just made another link)

Stripped head


I stripped that silly allen head screw that you are supposed to remove to get the pads out. Any ideas on getting it out of there? I can replace it, no problem, but it has to come out first.

Also, other side:

Out part way


That one won't seem to come out any farther? Or is it just my imagination. I swear it is just turning in place at this point, but it isn't out of the way of the pad, see here:

Pin in the way


What the deuce?

 

I'm not to familiar with the 750's, but I can make a suggestion as to removing a stripped allen head bolt. My Dad showed me this and it has worked for me in the past on more than one occasion...

1. Usually I'd suggest soaking the stripped bolt in question with PB Blaster or some kind of penetrating oil, but these are your brakes we are talking about, and oil and brake pads do not play well together. definitely DO NOT get oil in your brake pads.

2. If you have a bunch of allen wrenches laying around like me, spend some time looking for a size slightly bigger (metric or standard is fine)than what is normally needed for your particular bolt.

3. When you find one, and if you don't mind possibly sacrificing it, grab a ball peen hammer and pound that sucker in there. you have to hold it very straight and give it a few good wacks, but it will get itself stuck in there.

4. once you've gotten the allen wrench embedded, apply a bunch of pressure directly down on top on the allen wrench (imagine pushing the allen wrench into the bolt head) and SLOWLY begin to turn the bolt outward.

Sometimes it takes a few tries, and sometimes it doesn't work, but when it does, you save yourself the hassle of running around town looking for EZ outs at the local Home Depot...

If my suggestion doesn't work out, and you need to get EZ outs, I'd suggest getting a quality set from Sears or maybe Grainger.

 

Use Kroil, or some heat, don't take a hammer to it.

 

Yeah, thanks, those suggestions were about what I thought. I had already tried putting a bigger allen wrench in before I even posted. Part of the problem is so much of my stuff is in boxes, I'm working in a friend's garage, no idea where my torch is, I doubt he has one.

I'm still wondering why that other one seems to not want to come out, it's turning but seems to get to a certain point and not any farther, even though it turns. I hope there's not stripped threads in there. No idea why there would be, that one came out pretty easy(compared to the one I stripped)

I was a little worried when I realized they were allen head bolts holding the pads on. Really? Not a phillips head I can use my impact driver or a bolt I can put a socket on, no, of course not.

Edit: I forgot to mention, I have some of these(somewhere) not EZ out exactly: http://tinyurl.com/795xyte but...

 

I wouldn't suggest smashing the living crap out of it with a hammer. I meant more like give a few precise taps to get an allen wrench embedded. Either way its a lousy situation. I chalk it up to people being in a hurry and not using the rights size tools or techiques in the first place, and making a bunch more work for themselves later on... oh well I've been there too...live and learn...

 

The one that you loosened but won't come out and further -> there's no more threads. Gently tap it with a allen wrench or drift from the other side.

 

Yeah, I figured that out about the no more threads. Having to tap it out makes it hard to replace while it's on the bike, but I was rebuilding anyway.