Fork cap question

[alehman]

Hey all, i am putting progressive springs in my forks and in the process of removing the fork caps, one of them deformed very slightly from the torque of my impact driver.




As new caps are very expensive, i was wondering what your thoughts on reusing this one would be. On an allen head this big (17mm), would i have to seriously worry about it rounding out? I should note that the reason it was more resistant to come out than the other side, and consequently deformed, is because i didnt loosen the upper triple tree clamp one side and i did on the other--- a mistake i wont be repeating.

[shinyribs]

I think you'll be OK. Like you said,with the clamp loosened,it should go in easier. It really doesn't take much pressure to tighten these caps either.

[sgtslag]

I had a heck of a time finding a socket for those!  Turns out, a Volkwagon Bug used a 17mm hex head to remove their oil plugs.  Found the necessary socket at O'Reilly's Auto Parts store.

Back on topic...  Apply some anti-seize to the threads, torque to spec, then after you tighten the triple tree, it will not come loose.  It will, however, come out easily when you need to change the fork fluid (annually, or semi-annually).  As long as you torque it gently, it will not deform further, and you will be fine.  I had a similar issue with mine, same thing, when I installed the Progressive Fork Springs, and fresh fluid.  Cheers!

[alehman]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I tried finding an allen wrench large enough (no luck), and then I tried seizing a bunch of nuts onto the threads of a bolt that has a 17mm head and turning it with a crescent wrench--- also no luck. I ended up ordering a 17mm hex bit online, and it came the next day. The impact driver I have is a massive life saver.

For those who are wondering, Sears has a Craftsman corded electric impact driver for 100 dollars that puts out 360 ft-lbs of torque and hasn't failed me yet. It's nice if you don't want to buy an air compressor plus pneumatic impact driver for $$$$.