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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: GSinUS on May 13, 2007, 12:19:49 PM

Title: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: GSinUS on May 13, 2007, 12:19:49 PM
Has anyone else found that the two screws holding the front brake cover are good for nothing because their heads are so soft!  The phillips head on one of them on my bike is stripped and I can't get an anchor with a screwdriver to unscrew it :((

Any tips on how I can get it out?  Has anyone faced the same situation?

Thanks!
Title: Re: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: dgyver on May 13, 2007, 12:34:36 PM
Looks like you need to drill it and use aa ez-out screw extractor. Personally I do like the twisted type, the tapered ones have worked the best for me.
Title: Re: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: sanjay on May 13, 2007, 01:51:14 PM
Same thing happened to me.  If you have or can get an impact driver, try that.  I didn't when I bought the bike, and didn't really know about it, so I just used an EZ-out.
Title: Re: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: Affschnozel on May 13, 2007, 01:52:35 PM
OK I had the same issue, get yourself a hammer and a small punch, place it on the outside of the stripped screw
hold the punch initially at 90 degs and tap it gently until there's a sufficient dent in the screw head ,
now the hard part, tap the punch(which is held into the dent) gently in anti-clockwise direction be careful not
to use too much force and slowly work the screw out this way ,works wonders :thumb:
Title: Re: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: GSinUS on May 13, 2007, 05:41:35 PM
Finally it gave.  God it took a while!!  Used all the methods (screw driver, hummer) finally EZ out did it.  Now battling with dissipating sunlight to bleed the system - but doesn't look optimistic (as per next msg)
Title: Re: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: ducati_nolan on May 13, 2007, 11:52:23 PM
Whenever I find a screw that isn't very easy to remove, I'll give it a little shot of WD-40 then place the screwdriver in the screw and then give the screwdriver a sharp rap with a small hammer (not too hard though) the shock and vibration helps the lube work into the threads and usually the screw will come out without too much trouble.

Of course the most important thing is to use the right size screwdriver and make sure it's in good shape. A worn out or wrong size screwdriver will strip out screws really quick.
Title: Re: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: Wrecent_Wryder on May 14, 2007, 03:34:06 AM
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Title: Re: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: moon_raker on May 14, 2007, 11:19:31 AM
I recently had the same problem. so I tigged a fin on the screw head and forced it loose with vice-grips...

Id just buy a used one off ebay or replace it with a plastic one....
Title: Re: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: SeriousGeorge on May 14, 2007, 04:09:53 PM
You really need an impact driver for those screws. Should be able to pick up one of the cheap ones for around $5. I think I got mine at Harbor Freight for about that. A better quality one should still only be $10 or $15. May not help you if it's already stripped, but a much better solution for the future.
Title: Re: How to open front master reservoir cover?
Post by: mp183 on May 14, 2007, 05:39:47 PM
Quote from: Affschnozel on May 13, 2007, 01:52:35 PM
OK I had the same issue, get yourself a hammer and a small punch, place it on the outside of the stripped screw
hold the punch initially at 90 degs and tap it gently until there's a sufficient dent in the screw head ,
now the hard part, tap the punch(which is held into the dent) gently in anti-clockwise direction be careful not
to use too much force and slowly work the screw out this way ,works wonders :thumb:
I use this method all the time on various machines around the place I work at.
Never met a screw that I was not able to remove using this method.
Even works of screws where the head got stripped.