Tool Time

[EWG]

I'd use heat shrink.

Of course you would!

That would be pretty sweet. If you can find the right color...

And I agree on Pedro's quality. Used to be quite good. I don't buy Pedro's tool now. Buy my old ones, like cone wrenches, chain breaker, chain whip, cassette nuts, T handles, etc have held up really well. Their screwdrivers, however, kinda suck (even the older ones.)

[EWG]

Does anyone know where my missing 2mm T handle is? Yes, I’ve checked the bottom of the sock drawer


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Clearly it's with my Bondhus 5mm and 7/32. When you find them can you send them along?

And I have a couple extra random 2mm T handles to send in return...

[adrenalated]

I'm half expecting to see a recommended 10 step process for putting on nitrile gloves.

Whoa whoa whoa. 10 steps? We wouldn't want to rush something like that.

[Dee Hubbs]

On older cranks, I like to use my Park Pedal taps to clean out the threads. A thread chaser would be better, but I dont know anyone that makes those in the 9/16-20 L/R threads pedals use.

Nobody in the industry makes a pedal chase, so you need to make your own....
Find a trashed set of pedals that have a good strong hardened steel spindle with wrench flats.
Strip the all the pedal stuff, and make a chase out of the threads on the end of the spindle. Cut a few perpendicular slots across the threads, and you have a good thread chase.
I made some years ago when I had to make a chase from a crank puller.

But where did those chasers go?
I must have lent them to someone in the days before my tool sign out list was created. (its just a dry erase board saying Frank has my spare Digital Lezyne shock pump)

I will make a new set! Photos to come.

FYI I have the Hozan pedal taps. Their Japanese steal is so good, and they have a nice alignment head to make sure your die is lined up before your cutting teeth engage. I wish I had a vendor/discount to more of Hozans tools.



Gunder inspired photo

[BigHerm]

Timely pedal talk here. I am the owner of a left (NDS) GX crank with a Canfield Mountain pedal spindle with rounded 8mm hex fitting. Tried hammering torx bits, Wera hex+ key. Recently drilled with a 9/16th bit and attempted to use an Irwin straight flute bolt extractor. Bent it, although this was foreseeable as it was way too small diameter.

I'm looking to try again, this time with bigger traditional bolt extractors. Not sure if any readily available extractors are better than any others. I have been using tri-flo as a penetrating oil because that's what I have. Worth using actual penetrating oil?

I really want to salvage this crankset to use on my gravel commuter. Any ideas?

[Gunder]

Nobody in the industry makes a pedal chase, so you need to make your own....
Find a trashed set of pedals that have a good strong hardened steel spindle with wrench flats.
Strip the all the pedal stuff, and make a chase out of the threads on the end of the spindle. Cut a few perpendicular slots across the threads, and you have a good thread chase.

FYI I have the Hozan pedal taps. Their Japanese steal is so good, and they have a nice alignment head to make sure your die is lined up before your cutting teeth engage.
)

I should make some pedal thread chasers... just need to find a good sacrificial pair at some point.

Those Hozan taps look really nice.

Timely pedal talk here. I am the owner of a left (NDS) GX crank with a Canfield Mountain pedal spindle with rounded 8mm hex fitting. Tried hammering torx bits, Wera hex+ key. Recently drilled with a 9/16th bit and attempted to use an Irwin straight flute bolt extractor. Bent it, although this was foreseeable as it was way too small diameter.

I'm looking to try again, this time with bigger traditional bolt extractors. Not sure if any readily available extractors are better than any others. I have been using tri-flo as a penetrating oil because that's what I have. Worth using actual penetrating oil?

I really want to salvage this crankset to use on my gravel commuter. Any ideas?

Ive always found that I have had the best luck using heat with any stuck bolt (provided its not in / near a composite part). Get it really warm with a blow torch, then any extraction method you use, will at least have a fighting chance.

[EWG]

Timely pedal talk here. I am the owner of a left (NDS) GX crank with a Canfield Mountain pedal spindle with rounded 8mm hex fitting. Tried hammering torx bits, Wera hex+ key. Recently drilled with a 9/16th bit and attempted to use an Irwin straight flute bolt extractor. Bent it, although this was foreseeable as it was way too small diameter.

I'm looking to try again, this time with bigger traditional bolt extractors. Not sure if any readily available extractors are better than any others. I have been using tri-flo as a penetrating oil because that's what I have. Worth using actual penetrating oil?

I really want to salvage this crankset to use on my gravel commuter. Any ideas?

How much of the spindle is showing? I tend to be fairly low tech on this stuff, and my inclination would be to grind the spindle flat enough on each side to use a 24" adjustable crescent wrench on it.

[BigHerm]

I can borrow my lady's torch, that's something I hadn't considered. All metal in the area.

All of the spindle is there, I just pulled the platform pedal off. That is a great idea though. I could file two flat spots and use my forearm length crescent. That sounds more likely to remove than some extractor digging into the fitting side.

Thanks, I am cautiously optimistic.

[Dee Hubbs]

Timely pedal talk here. I am the owner of a left (NDS) GX crank with a Canfield Mountain pedal spindle with rounded 8mm hex fitting. Tried hammering torx bits, Wera hex+ key. Recently drilled with a 9/16th bit and attempted to use an Irwin straight flute bolt extractor. Bent it, although this was foreseeable as it was way too small diameter.

I'm looking to try again, this time with bigger traditional bolt extractors. Not sure if any readily available extractors are better than any others. I have been using tri-flo as a penetrating oil because that's what I have. Worth using actual penetrating oil?

I really want to salvage this crankset to use on my gravel commuter. Any ideas?

Left hand drill bit is my go to for stuck bolts.
If my mind is working correctly the Left hand crank (NDS) is left thread, so from the back side you would spin the axle counter clockwise to remove it.
A left hand drill bit spinning and cutting counterclockwise should catch/dig into the metal and magically unthread the the axle from the crank.
Ace Hardware sells individual Irwin Left Hand bits. Cost is reasonable for the quality. Small bits $9 to big bits $18.
I have a few bits for typical bike M4-M6 bolts.

[anotherVTskibum]

Left hand drill bit is my go to for stuck bolts.
If my mind is working correctly the Left hand crank (NDS) is left thread, so from the back side you would spin the axle counter clockwise to remove it.
A left hand drill bit spinning and cutting counterclockwise should catch/dig into the metal and magically unthread the the axle from the crank.
Ace Hardware sells individual Irwin Left Hand bits. Cost is reasonable for the quality. Small bits $9 to big bits $18.
I have a few bits for typical bike M4-M6 bolts.

I'm with him on the left-hand bits. I live in New England and used to do a lot of work on my own cars, so I've got a variety of stuck -fastener tools. If you can get a good angle at the bolt, the reverse-thread drilling usually works pretty well, especially with internal fasteners (allen and torx) that encourage the drill bit to stay in the right spot.

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[BigHerm]

Thanks again for the tips. Was able to get it out using a big left hand bit, specifically an Irwin EX4 that requires a 1/4" predrilled hole. I also filed down some flat spots for the crescent but was unsuccessful using that alone.

I cleaned and chased the threads with a good pedal and all appears fine with the crank threads.

If I ever find the guy that stripped the hex hole... oh wait 🤦♂️

[Gunder]

Thanks again for the tips. Was able to get it out using a big left hand bit, specifically an Irwin EX4 that requires a 1/4" predrilled hole. I also filed down some flat spots for the crescent but was unsuccessful using that alone.

I cleaned and chased the threads with a good pedal and all appears fine with the crank threads.

If I ever find the guy that stripped the hex hole... oh wait ��♂️

Congrats!

I too am a fan of Left hand bits, and have a full index of them.

However, I find that by themselves I have less than a 25% success rate unless the faster is fairly loose and just has an F'd head. My typical method is heat first, then drill with the correct size Left hand bit, then use a screw extractor.

I have several different types of screw extractors, however, I seem to have the most success with the screw extraction pliers, when there is something to grab, When there isn't, I then like to use the Eazypower Bladed screw extractor bits. They just seem to grab better than the various spiral styles.

[anotherVTskibum]

If I ever find the guy that stripped the hex hole... oh wait 🤦♂️

I've been wanting to fire my mechanic for years, but nobody else works as cheap as he does, and he doesn't make me bring the bike (or truck) to him.

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[BigHerm]

My next project is now to remove the left hand bit from the damaged spindle. No vice so I am trying to hold the ground flat spots with an 11mm box wrench and the extractor with my crescent. May try to locate some vice grips for the spindle...

[Dee Hubbs]

However, I find that by themselves I have less than a 25% success rate unless the faster is fairly loose and just has an F'd head. My typical method is heat first, then drill with the correct size Left hand bit, then use a screw extractor.

I have several different types of screw extractors, however, I seem to have the most success with the screw extraction pliers, when there is something to grab, When there isn't, I then like to use the Eazypower Bladed screw extractor bits. They just seem to grab better than the various spiral styles.

I really like Rennsteig Double Edge extractors. They bite really hard, and you can go either direction with them. I like this feature because with a stripped head sometimes you can get it to bite and tighten the bolt a bit, and then spin it the other way to remove it.
I have the Size 1 for M5 and M6, and a Size 2 for M8 and M10.
Really high quality tools, German engineering. It has a hardened tip and allows you to hammer it into your bolt without the fear of breaking it.
Believe it or not you can order them to your Home Depot store for +/-$13 each. I like to only order the bike size ones I need.

[Gunder]

I really like Rennsteig Double Edge extractors. They bite really hard, and you can go either direction with them. I like this feature because with a stripped head sometimes you can get it to bite and tighten the bolt a bit, and then spin it the other way to remove it.
I have the Size 1 for M5 and M6, and a Size 2 for M8 and M10.
Really high quality tools, German engineering. It has a hardened tip and allows you to hammer it into your bolt without the fear of breaking it.
Believe it or not you can order them to your Home Depot store for +/-$13 each. I like to only order the bike size ones I need.

I’ve been looking at those for a while, but haven’t dropped in yet. You just cost me $48 for the full
set. Thanks!

[dannynoonan]

Pedals are reverse threaded to the direction of your crank rotation. That’s so they won’t work loose, but it also means that they naturally tighten over time. Getting them loose to remove them can be a thing.

As long as they are installed nice and tight they’ll just keep getting tighter. That said, I’ve seen them put on too loose on a mtn bike or two, and the vibrations have let them back out till thread was showing. Terrifying to find. Not on my bike but I reminder finding that on a friend’s that I noticed on a ride.

You sure about that? I always thought it was the reverse, that they essentially were self-loosening. That's why, when you put a set on, you can tighten them by pinching the spindle and backpedaling the crank - if backpedaling will tighten them then just pedaling will loosen them..... Also why when back in my shop days if the kids doing assembly didn't tighten them enough, the customer would come back in with pedal in one hand, bike in the other, and usually wallowed out crank threads. And also pissed.

So, to answer the question, I make em tight but bearing in mind that I'll be taking them off again, not crazy.

[EWG]

You sure about that? I always thought it was the reverse, that they essentially were self-loosening. That's why, when you put a set on, you can tighten them by pinching the spindle and backpedaling the crank - if backpedaling will tighten them then just pedaling will loosen them..... Also why when back in my shop days if the kids doing assembly didn't tighten them enough, the customer would come back in with pedal in one hand, bike in the other, and usually wallowed out crank threads. And also pissed.

So, to answer the question, I make em tight but bearing in mind that I'll be taking them off again, not crazy.

It’s not the force of the friction of the pedal axle spinning that causes the pedal to loosen. It’s precession. The force on the axle from pedaling causes the spindle to have unequal force, which makes it wander inside the crank arm. It wanders forward (tighter.)

I do not remember enough physics to draw the force vectors or any shit like that. Some crusty mechanic taught me that years ago - without the word precession, that’s for sure. I think he used the word dumbass instead. To describe me.

[dannynoonan]

It’s not the force of the friction of the pedal axle spinning that causes the pedal to loosen. It’s precession. The force on the axle from pedaling causes the spindle to have unequal force, which makes it wander inside the crank arm. It wanders forward (tighter.)

I do not remember enough physics to draw the force vectors or any shit like that. Some crusty mechanic taught me that years ago - without the word precession, that’s for sure. I think he used the word dumbass instead. To describe me.

Lol, that's a great explanation tho!!! Thanks for the edumacation

[Gunder]

I think he used the word dumbass instead. To describe me.

It's funny, but thats pretty much how my dad taught me; hey dumbass it's that way or it wouldn't work at all, now go figure out why that is. At the end of the day, it was a really good way to learn how things work as it forced you to Stop, Think Observe and Plan.

The other side of it, is my dad is a brilliant engineer, but he never did any preventive maintenance. Which at first thought blows me away, but in after thought, I'm really starting to think he did a cost analysis, and figured it was cheaper to run his shit in to the ground, maintenance be damned and by new shit.... I'm not so sure that works in todays economy, but he did just put 5K miles on his E-bikes drivetrain with zero maintenance until I gifted him a full replacement for fathers day.... so I think he might be on to something...

[EWG]

Rather than put this on the regular sale page, maybe I'll just drop a note here. I'm getting rid of some Klein screwdrivers as I'm mostly converting over to Wiha. Klein is excellent, so I'm not really sure why I'm doing it, but there it is. The ones I have that are essentially new are a phillips 2 and 3 and a cabinet/flat 3/16 and 1/4 (with bending tab.) If you want em, PM me and I'll sell em fairly cheap.

Edit: Klein drivers are spoken for.

[XXX-er]

so today my sram gear changer starts falling off the handlebar and I realised all the fasteners which I would have thot were allen are actualy T25

which didnt matter anyway cuz even if it was allen that multi tool was in an other pack

I managed to borrow a T25 driver in the P-lot and even found my latest multi tool at home which has the right bits

so I learned shit today and i can see how some fucking dentist who buys a succession of boutique bikes

ends up clueless

[Gunder]

so today my sram gear changer starts falling off the handlebar and I realised all the fasteners which I would have thot were allen are actualy T25

which didnt matter anyway cuz even if it was allen that multi tool was in an other pack

I managed to borrow a T25 driver in the P-lot and even found my latest multi tool at home which has the right bits

so I learned shit today and i can see how some fucking dentist who buys a succession of boutique bikes

ends up clueless

Sram's higher end stuff has been almost exclusively T25 for years now. I really like how they are consistent with their hardware like that, unlike Shimano... On my Offering, I ended up replacing all of the hardware with Titanium, so it is almost all T25.. sure makes working on that bike easy.

Not to mention the hardware matches the cranks now.

I also just got this guy in todays mail.


They are
5 mm Laparoscopic Storz Type Fenestrated Grasping Forceps. I picked these up specifically for routing internal cables on E-bikes as its a pain in the ass, as they go between the motor and the frame. Not only can you grasp things with them, but you can lock the tips closed, and then rotate them 360 degrees. They are pretty slick.

[toast2266]

Sram's higher end stuff has been almost exclusively T25 for years now.

Heh. Just yesterday I was thinking how annoying it is that sram went from 5mm to T25, then back to 5mm on their derailleur mounting bolts. Extra annoying since it's hard to see what head it is.

[EWG]

Heh. Just yesterday I was thinking how annoying it is that sram went from 5mm to T25, then back to 5mm on their derailleur mounting bolts. Extra annoying since it's hard to see what head it is.

Just use a 3.5 flat head and a hammer. Whack it in hard till it sets up, then you are good to remove.

Once.