Seat Removal Issue

[hvansh]

Hey everyone,
 
Hoping someone has an idea for me on this, ive winterized my bike and its up on stands now, i want to connect the battery tender Jr i have to the battery and try to forget about my baby until Spring however bolts/screws that hold the seat in place i feel are tightened by Zeus himself.  Ive been trying with my Allen keys and a allen screw driver but cant even seem to put a dent in loosening them.  Is there any advice or a tool that someone could recommend to get these off?  I have a breaker bar so im wondering if i could use a allen attachment that would fit ?
 
I guess im just wondering if anyone has had issues and if they had a solution.
 
Thanks in advance ! 
 
 
 

 

[reboot]

No real issues with mine. I use a socket (1/2 drive I think) and can break them free pretty easy. I could not see my self ever using a breaker bar to remove them. It could be they got cross-threaded by who ever put the seat on last on your bike (Dealer or old owner). Could be lock-tie too.
 
Get something that you can put a little leverage on and try a quick forceful "pop" (going the correct way of-course and see if that frees them.

[motomeek]

Just to note, it is a terrible angle. You will have to bend the seat out of the way to really get to them. But yeah, be careful with cross threading. It's happened to me.

[ducttapewd40]

They're not terriblly torquey, but a set of metric T-handle Allen wrenches is a great thing to have to work on metric bikes. If you need more leverage than than 6 inch tool provides, I'd take it to the dealership and make them deal with it.

[YZEtc]

Go buy an Allen socket for your breaker bar, or improvise by using something (like a box end of a wrench) to add needed leverage to the Allen wrench you already have.

[rick]

I've used a socket with an exrtension in a pinch to add leverage to an Allen key. A hex key socket is the way to go. I also use ball end,T handled keys for this job. There's
Really no need for those bolts to be gorilla tight.

[Mr.Puss]

Cant contribute anything that hasnt already been offered up.
Ahhh Zeus was working on the assembly line that day huh? "Godzirra" torqued the living sheit out of my oil pan bolt. They must be in competition with one another in some running joke.
 
If and when you get that sucker off, (if you havent planned to already) wire up the battery with the SAE quick connect for future hassle free charging. Throw a few SAE on, they're super handy.

[cassecou]

Just to note, it is a terrible angle. You will have to bend the seat out of the way to really get to them. But yeah, be careful with cross threading. It's happened to me.

I second on being careful on the removal of the seat screws. I cross threaded one of mine. The seat still holds firm, mainly when I am on it , but those nuts are very soft and, as motomeek mentioned, the angle to which you must hold the wrench makes it too easy to cross thread.
 

[Eastern Kayaker]

I know you have your bike ready to store for winter, but if you purchased it from the dealer like that (and still under warranty) call the dealer. Let them deal with this problem, since their tech caused this issue for you. Those bolts should not be that difficult to remove, even with the weird angle the bolts are placed.

[aj0188]

I just removed the seat yesterday to install an SAE connector for my battery tender and wiring for a heated jacket/gloves. Bolts did seem to be torqued really high, but I found the allen wrench that comes with the bike (under the passenger seat) worked really well compared to small allen keys I had laying around.

[Beemer]

Whenever I didn't have a breaker bar to slip over something I sometimes clamped a vise-grip wrench onto the tool for extra leverage and some tapping with a hammer if needed. Got a small/long piece of pipe that will fit over that Allen key? Be careful with t-handles, if you over exert with them you can hurt your wrist.
 

[hvansh]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas i'm going to give er a go tonight and see what i can get accomplished. Failing that id have to wait till i could get the bike back to the dealer as the snow is already on the ground in Toronto Canada
 
As for the SAE quick connects? Is there a place to purchase these and is there a link to a thread as to how to install them? or add them to the bike?
 
Much appreciated!!!
 
 

[mjh937]

If it does turn out that it was cross threaded do not let the dealership tell you it was done at the factory. They connect the battery as part of the dealer prep so they should fix their mistake.

[rick]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas i'm going to give er a go tonight and see what i can get accomplished. Failing that id have to wait till i could get the bike back to the dealer as the snow is already on the ground in Toronto Canada  
As for the SAE quick connects? Is there a place to purchase these and is there a link to a thread as to how to install them? or add them to the bike?
 
Much appreciated!!!
 

would have guessed your Battery Tender Jr. came with a short pigtail - complete with an SAE end.  
Info, they're plenty easy enough to find https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-081-0069-6-Terminal-Disconnect/dp/B000NCOKZQ/ref=sr_1_9?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1483132762&sr=1-9&keywords=sae+connector  
 
 
 

[firstyammerha]

I was thinking of a short piece of threaded rod and a wingnut to replace the allen bolts. The local home improvement warehouse didn't have the metric threaded rod so it's on the back burner for now.

[rick]

maybe a metric "stud" like https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=metric+studs if you can't find threaded rod. Auto parts stores will also have
 
You could always just take a hacksaw to a bolt to cut off the head. A little dressing to clean up the ends and it's good to go. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a bolt 2x as long as you need, cut off the head and then cut in 2 pieces.

[gregjet]

They are 6mm bolts so should not be tighter than 12ftlbs EVER. These really only need to be about 6'lbs as they don't actually hold any load. If they are someone has overtightened them.
You can't use heat so very careful application of a high quality allen key is the only way. Stress high quality because the bolts on these bikes are pretty poor quality and you can round the centre easily.
A old style impact screwdriver and correct allen bit is probably the best bet.
When you replace it pull the seat corners right out of the way and apply a little silicone to the threads. This will break out easily when needed but stop the bolt loosening. Blue locktite very sparing if you must, but here silicone will help it go in and not tear up anything when you next take it out.
ENSURE the allen key shaft and the bolt are properly aligned with the hole shaft when you replace them. 5 and 6 mm threads strip very easily so use a short handle to reduce the leverage.
The bolts only hold the seat in place not support it, so no need to have them very tight.

[kakusaizou]

Buy a set of 3/8" hex bit sockets. Use an extension and a 3/8 ratchet with the appropriate sized socket. Should come off easy, if not, you have bigger problems to worry about.

[DewMan]

Go buy an Allen socket for your breaker bar, or improvise by using something (like a box end of a wrench) to add needed leverage to the Allen wrench you already have.

+1 Who ever prepped your bike at the dealer may have been in a hurry and was using an air ratchet to put the seat back on if you've never had the seat off since you took delivery.
I've lost track of how many times I've used a box end wrench on the end of a hex key to break free a stubborn bolt. You might want to use a hex that you don't mind if it gets bent in the process. Gotta love included installation tools that come with Ikea stuff  for that job.
If you plan on doing most of your own maintenance/mods. I would highly recommend a set of quality hex sockets. They're so much faster to use than "L" wrenches. I suggest you get a shorty set since they'll be less likely to twist but you can still get the length you need by using socket extensions on your ratchet.
Best of luck to you getting them loose. Let us know how it turns out.
 

[rick]

Once you've overcome the monkey factor - mine was too tight from the dealer as well -, I use T handled - ball end, hex wrenches for a job like this, both on and off.