chillspike

New Bike, dahon speed p8, has never ever touched the road yet and I'm already fixing it. I wanted to attach an LED light strip to the front handle bars by way of the grips. So I unscrew the grip and pull out the plug to see how I could attach this light and when I go to put the screws back on one of them will not catch and the other didn't go in straight (my fault). I brought my Allen wrench to its limit (it cork screwed) trying to tighten one so the grip would not turn but I must have stripped the screw because it is turning in circles. So, fuming, I go online and order some new Biologic grips. Go back to my bike to take off the second grip, remove the first screw with the Allen wrench. Go to remove the screw from the tip of the Allen wrench and it's stuck. I'm mean I-can't-even-get-this-off-with-pliers stuck. This Allen wrench is part of a portable bicycle tool set I bought. If I don't get this screw off, we're talking between perfectly new grips and a new tool set, maybe $45-$50 wasted right there. All because I just wanted to unscrew my handlebar grips.

Never even had this bike on the rode yet.

Thumpic

Welcome to the world of bicycle wrenching. The longer you work (learn) on your bike; the more money you'll save. You're just behind the curve right now. One or two flips and you can generate a fund to maintain and increase your fleet.

chillspike

Just went outside and took a hammer and my frustrations out on Allen wrench with the secondary goal of knocking the screw off. Sparks literally flew but no joy.

See attached photo.

jgedwa

We have all been there. I recommend walking away from it for a bit. Go think of other things. Then when return to it, you will be a little bit smarter than you were. Stripped threads are gone, but I bet you can figure out a way to get the bolt off the end of the allen wrench without too much trouble. Good luck to you.

Jim

chillspike

Thanks for the needed encouragement! I have to not lose it.

AnkleWork

Just curious, are you sure you know how to use that tool correctly?

Thumpic

Just guessing, but I think you've got a combination of cheap wrenches and choosing the wrong size (1 size too small) tool. The set screw and tool are both goners. Take a break; buy a good set of wrenches.......and start over.

chillspike

Thats what I'm doing. Stepping out for awhile. Ordered the new grips, though.

FBinNY 

The problem is that you have a low quality, soft allen key. It twisted in the bolt jamming and crushing the points of the hex into the flats of the bolt.

Like most things mechanical the solution lies not in brute force, but finesse. Force got you into this mess, use brains to get out.

Use a pair of pliers, or a vise to hold the screw and turn (force if necesary) the hex key back in the opposite direction to how you jammed it. In this case, since it sounds like it jammed taking the bolt out, you'll turn the wrench to the right to free it.

Thereafter, buy and use only good quality hex keys for anything except light duty work

lopek77

Using undersized allen key is the biggest issue...not the quality of the material. Some sizes in ISO and ANSI keys are so close size wise that are really easy to mix-up if we don't pay attention.

FBinNY 

I prefer to look at the evidence before forming an opinion. The photo clearly shows a twisted and bent key, a reliable indicator of low quality. OTOH, he had a metric tool kit, and metric hardware, so there's little opportunity to pick the wrong size.

So of course, it could have been the wrong size key, but it most definitely was a soft key. Possibly a combination of both.

In any case, the main intent of my post was how to retrieve his bolt.

lopek77

Here lol Other tool was also used...

AnkleWork

+1

02Giant 

That allen set screw is toast, the threads are messed up.

Hit it again...

lopek77

Hahahahahaha...The real question is Will it blend?

chillspike

So I bought the biologic arx short/long grips. I hope they come with installation instructions. I don't want to screw up the install.

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone. Feeling very much the newb today.

chillspike

Tried one size up and it doesn't fit. One size down, too small. The size I need, still has the screw on it and that is not coming off for nothing. I have to buy a new pocket tool set. Unbelievable.

jgedwa

You can get that screw off of there. No way it is on forever. Jim

chess.gary

This intrigued me. Does this mean buying parts, assembling a bicycle, and selling the finished product for a price higher than the total cost of the parts? Or does it mean buying a bicycle and trying to sell off the individual parts? Or buying a bicycle, selling off the good individual parts, buying cheaper versions to replace the sold parts, and selling this new bicycle? Or something completely different?

Thanks, and best regards.

Thumpic

Sounds like you were using SAE sizes instead of metric; or vice versa........

Thumpic

[QUOTE=chess.gary;16583160]This intrigued me. Does this mean buying parts, assembling a bicycle, and selling the finished product for a price higher than the total cost of the parts? Or does it mean buying a bicycle and trying to sell off the individual parts? Or buying a bicycle, selling off the good individual parts, buying cheaper versions to replace the sold parts, and selling this new bicycle? Or something completely different?

Thanks, and best regards.[/Q

The short answer is....yes....LOL! Flipping is buying something that needs repair/rehab, performing that repair/rehab, then selling it for a profit. Sometimes a flip can be as simple as hosing off your item and then advertising it. Sometimes guys don't even hose them off. All of the examples you listed are valid forms of flipping. The main things that you need are knowledge of your items, your market and skills.

The simplest flip is a complete but neglected bike. Completely and thoroughly clean the entire bike. Neatness counts.

Replace all the consumables (tires, tubes, bar tape or grips, cables and housing, usually seats, sometimes brake pads) clean rebuild/repack/replace all the bearings and adjust everything to top performance. Sometimes all of that is not necessary.

Read these forums and you'll have a solid idea of what it takes. Good luck!!

chillspike

I took it outside and tried to hit it off with a hammer. No dice. I could mail it to you and you can try.

seedsbelize 

If it was me, I'd take out my handy dandy rotary cutter, and cut it off, Allen wrench and all. At least then you could fold it up again, and go along as if nothing happened.

tomato coupe

It's not very clear in the photo, but is the allen key twisted in the direction consistent with over-tightening? If so, I'd say that's one of the only ways to get a set screw really stuck -- by torquing on it after it has bottomed out in a hole.

AnkleWork

Looks like it. Good catch.