Removing rear shock inserts

[ngiovas]

I need some help removing my rear shock inserts. I made a tool to
remove them. It is a thick steel plate with a hole in the middle that
fits over the shaft of the insert and has two tapped holes that hold
pins that fit into the notches on the threaded cap of the insert. The
problem I am having is that the metal on this cap is so soft that
whenever I try to loosen it the metal is just tearing and the cap is
not spinning.

I have torn up two of the notches on one of the inserts and wanted to
stop before trying to go further. Is there any other way of removing
this cap? It doesn't really matter if the cap is destroyed in the
process since the new shock has a new cap with a large hex nut that is
used to tighten it. I was hoping someone could give me some advice.

Thanks,
Nick

[Howie97630]

Nick,

The new cap will screw into the threads replacing the old cap. I just
tapped my old ones out with a chisel.

Doug 65 Elan

[ngiovas]

Thanks Doug. There is nothing funny about the caps (like a left hand
thread) is there? It just seems like they aren't budging. Of course, they
have been in there for over 40 years. I will try the chisel and see if that
will work. I was just worried about damaging the threads.

-----Original Message-----
From: ***@***.***lto:***@***.*** Behalf
Of Doug Troutman
Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2005 9:46 PM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Removing rear shock inserts

Nick,

The new cap will screw into the threads replacing the old cap. I just
tapped my old ones out with a chisel.

Doug 65 Elan

[saarhus]

Most of the original strut tubes had a small area peened into a recess near the top edge of top screw-in retainer. The does a very good job of preventing removal of the top cap. Suggest that you use a drill just slightly larger than the depression and drill away the depression. No need to penetrate the cap, just remove the steel tube dimple. This will free up the top to unscrew WITHOUT stripping those soft alumin(i)um threads.

Stan

Thanks Doug. There is nothing funny about the caps (like a left hand
thread) is there? It just seems like they aren't budging. Of course, they
have been in there for over 40 years. I will try the chisel and see if that
will work. I was just worried about damaging the threads.

Nick,

The new cap will screw into the threads replacing the old cap. I just
tapped my old ones out with a chisel.

Doug 65 Elan

[type36lotus]

Have you also tried a little heat? I have one of those high temp heat
guns which are wondeful for heating things in an even fashion. I
think mine goes to 1,500 - 1,700 degress.

Mike

--- In ***@***.***, "Stan Aarhus" <saarhus@a...> wrote:

good job of preventing removal of the top cap. Suggest that you use a
drill just slightly larger than the depression and drill away the
depression. No need to penetrate the cap, just remove the steel tube
dimple. This will free up the top to unscrew WITHOUT stripping those
soft alumin(i)um threads.

[B7wal]

I did not fancy using a chisel, so I used a suitable sized plumber's
pipe wrench to grip the edge of the screw. The advantage of a pipe
wrench being the more pressure the stronger the grip. It worked a treat
and no damage.

Alan W



-----Original Message-----
From: ***@***.***lto:***@***.***
Behalf Of Michael Geiger
Sent: 05 June 2005 15:25
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Removing rear shock inserts

Have you also tried a little heat? I have one of those high temp heat
guns which are wondeful for heating things in an even fashion. I
think mine goes to 1,500 - 1,700 degress.

Mike

--- In ***@***.***, "Stan Aarhus" <saarhus@a...> wrote:

good job of preventing removal of the top cap. Suggest that you use a
drill just slightly larger than the depression and drill away the
depression. No need to penetrate the cap, just remove the steel tube
dimple. This will free up the top to unscrew WITHOUT stripping those
soft alumin(i)um threads.












CopyrightC LotusElan.net and the author:

[jeff jackson]

***@***.***e:

["e s"]

They need changing

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[mikecauser]

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 16:49:48 +0100 "***@***.***" <***@***.***> wrote:



No. In principle the fluid should flow very slowly, but stiction in the
seals would stop the whole thing moving.

My test of dampers for a slightly heavier Lotus is to pull it fully out
and push it back by hand. If I can _only_ _just_ do it, the damper is
fine, but would give a ride on the soft side of my preference. If it
won't move at all by hand then I back off the adjustment (for Koni or
Spax) until it will move, then harden until it won't. If opening &
closing it by hand is anything less than very difficult then it's shot
unless it is adjustable.


Mike
--
Mike Causer Email - mailto:***@***.***
GPG KeyID 1C2DDA07 WWW - http://www.mikecauser.com
Flood the fen again! - Wicken Fen enlargement - http://www.wicken.org.uk

[abstamaria]

Nick

I used a pipe wrench first time around with my struts. This will mangle the
cap, but the new cartridge will have a new cap.

Andres

["e s"]

Tube is steel; retaining nut is steel

??

My [steel] strut tube was also peened in several spots, but it was done later. I did not repeat it, and did have one unscrew later, handles funny thatway


----- Original Message -----
From: "Stan Aarhus" <***@***.***>
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Removing rear shock inserts
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2005 22:34:03 -0500



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[M100]

On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 16:03:17 -0500, "e s" <***@***.***>
wrote:


On the replacement Koni's I've used that's certainly the case but all
the original Armstrong insert retaining nuts I've come across and had
the misfortune to remove have been aluminium.

Martin

72/45

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