steve-in-kville 

I posted this in the Mechanics forum and have gotten a lot of replies, but since this is SS/FG related I will post here as well. My Kilo TT came this week and I want to switch out the chain ring from 48T down to 44T. Anyways, the chain ring bolts are seized. Usually I use a big flat blade screwdriver, on the nuts but the bolts protrude out the back. I am told that some form of lock-tite has been used and the bond needs to be broken. Park makes a tool to hold the nuts but no LBS has them to sell. I could mail order one but that doesn't help me know.

So far I have tried:

1) WD-40.
2) Compression ring pliers. Bent the pins.
3) Applied heat with a solder gun. No luck.
4) Combination of the above.

I just took the drive side of the crank off to make this easy and so I do not scratch the bike. I am almost ready to take a torch to the bolts to loosed them. Any ideas before I go insane?

Nagrom_

They should make a tool designed to hold chainring bolts in place.

Scrodzilla

In my experience it is more difficult to remove stuck chainring bolts when the crank isn't attached to the bike.

Also, what bike shops don't carry these?

steve-in-kville 

I know they do. Just no one has them for sale on my area. Gotta mail order one.

steve-in-kville 

Scrod - most of the shops have them. Just not for sale. In a pinch I could have a LBS remove my ring to get me going, but I already drove 30 minutes yesterday to the only *real* LBS we have for a bunch of spokes. And I do not think the wrench will work.... these suckers are on tight!

Scrodzilla

Yeah, you're right. Why would the tool specifically designed for that sort of thing work?

TejanoTrackie 

Who told you that Loctite was used ? I've never seen that done on new cranks from the factory. Nor does it make any sense to do so. Like Scrod said, just get the proper tool before you ruin everything. I've never been unable to remove chainring bolts when using the tool.

steve-in-kville 

Okay, okay, I'll get the tool....

Scrodzilla

Sixty Fiver

If it is a new crank it is unlikely the chainring bolts are seized... if thread lock was used I doubt they would have used the red which requires more heat to remove than a soldering gun would provide.

You just need the right tool for the job.

steve-in-kville 

I'll see what I can do. I may just reinstall the crank and ride it as it is until the tool can be delivered. Thanks for the replies, guys!

steve-in-kville 

P.S. I am diggin' the Kilo so far! Will post pics once its dialed in.

Xgecko

AL corrosion can be defeated with ammonia. instead of heathave you tried freezing it? though a soldering iron isn't hot enough to do much you need a torch

Scrodzilla

As he said in the original post, it's a brand new bike. I highly doubt anything is corroded.

FakeFuji

If you have spares you can just drill them out

Scrodzilla

Yes, do that instead. Proper tools be damned!

Nagrom_

If I didn't have the right tool, had spare bolts, and needed an immediate fix, damn right I'd drill them.

009jim

Soldering iron won't be enough heat. Stick it in the oven for a while, then pull it out and squirt some of that CO2 electrical cleaner just on the bolt to shrink it down.

TejanoTrackie 

If all else fails, I recommend this :

europa

I've never seen the proper tool in the shops here. Mind you, the attitude in this benighted country is that the whole bike is disposable. The industry is currently working on the belief that a flat tyre is grounds for changing bikes, their big problem being that they still want people to buy $2,000 wheels to replace the perfectly good wheels their bike came with. Most shops I've stalked out of after uttering heresy in the hearing of the 'sales staff' wouldn't even realise you CAN change chain rings, you change entire groupsets instead.

You think I'm joking don't you. HAH! There are reasons I'm as hard to get on with as I am and why I value the good shops that I find.

hockeyteeth

This thread:

bngbox

Okay, so I bought the Park Tool and another generic brand tool, both which are supposed to do the same job. I had to grind down the generic one a little bit to make it fit and it latches, but still starts to round off the top of the nut because I can't put enough pressure on it I guess, while turning the Allen key.

The Park tool doesn't even fit into the slot because the middle stub on one end is too long and it hits the inside of the bolt. I don't to grind this one down too cause it's nicer.

So as you guys can see, I have the right tools for the job...but they're still not coming off. It's a brand new SRAM S300 1.1 Crankset, never installed on the bike by the way. I just got it. And I'm pretty sure the factory put Loctite on them or some form of glue substance...I can't get any of them off.

Now I'm thinking I have to drill them...any other ideas?

Jared.

My Omniums had thread lock (blue Loctite) on them from the factory. Luckily the chainring bolts took allen wrenches on both sides.

I know that doesn't help in getting them off, just wanted to clarify.

bngbox

Yeah I bought new A2Z bolts for when I actually get these off, but as I'm in China for the next month or so, I'm stuck with crappy resources. Even the big local bike shops with all the Park Tools won't be able to fix this. I think this really might need a drill. Speaking of crappy resources, I tried drilling one of them and the guy's drill bit broke! These things are tough, indeed (and their tools are crap). Now I have one partially drilled bolt and four others with the back sides slightly stripped...

I had this problem with only one of the bolts on my old Truvativ Crank. The other bolts were still pretty hard to remove, but not as hard. This crank seems impossible. Do you guys think that I have to ride it first to break it in a little?

europa

Locktite typically lets go with heat. Maybe a bit of research on the Locktite blue is in order.