| Author | Message | ||
     General_ulysses |
Not too familiar with the whole torx drive stuff, but I see they're used extensively on the Uly. Anyone know of a good durable torx drive set that's priced right? Preferably for use with a 1/4 or 3/8 drive ratchet. Not into snap on prices, but don't want any China junk either. Also, I assume this bike uses JIS Phillips screwdriver heads? Is the bike combined metric and standard? Been having some weird experiences with socket/wrench fit. | ||
| Luftkoph |
Craftsman or even tractor supply ones work. some of the suspension and,throttle body are metric | ||
| Griffmeister |
Craftsman is okay but try finding a T-27 in the store. I think Sears only has that size in the full set that always seems to be out of stock. From what I've experienced, the Snap-On stuff is still stronger and less likely to have a poor fit in those little screws with the high strength Loctite.  For most repairs, you really only need the T-27, so go on fleabay and buy one there on the cheap. | ||
| Uly_man |
"Also, I assume this bike uses JIS Phillips screwdriver heads?" Its a good idea not to assume anything with this bike. "Is the bike combined metric and standard?" Yes. "Been having some weird experiences with socket/wrench fit." Yes you will. Strange bike. Most good T-27 bits like Draper Expert are fine. Torx bolts put a high load on bolts and with the locking paste HD use it is easy to break them. DO NOT use the hollow core type either. I buy them 6 at a time. Also get a long T-27 for adjusting the head lights. It makes is SOOO much eaiser to do it. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I picked up a pile of torx screwdrivers at a few different places... Advance Auto and Harbor Freight I think. Having them as a screwdriver is good as it keeps you from over tightening them and stripping them out. Go as tight as you can get with a handheld screwdriver. Harbor Freight also has a red blowmolded box of "screw driver bits" which includes all sorts of goofy stuff and it's very cheap. Kind of annoying as the head often gets left in the screw instead of staying in the driver, but it works and it's cheap. A lot of stripped torx heads are because you use the wrong size head. Like a T25 when it is really a T27. Once I started using the right size and stopped over torquing the poor things, I've had great luck with them. I have them on many of my vehicles now... the Saab, the wife's Mini (BMW), and the Buell. | ||
| General_ulysses |
Thanks for the replies everybody. Ok, so T27 is not a type of torx bit, it's a particular size of a torx bit? The size that's used most on body panels and elsewhere on the bike? There's another type of torx bit which is the security bits and they have a hole in the middle of them, and don't get those because they're weaker and not necessary for the Buell...is that right? Is there metric and standard or is there just one type labeled by numbers including #27? Also, as a head's up to those who may not know this (for those that do, you can skip this part): When me and my best friend were kids working on our Japanese motorcycles back in the 70's, we were always stripping out the phillips head screws on engine cases and elsewhere on the bikes. We never knew why this always happened, I (being a kid in pre-internet times) just figured it was part and parcel of working on bikes. I would learn later in life that there are "Japanese Industrial Standard" (JIS) screwdrivers that are different from the standard phillips head screwdrivers available in your average American hardware store. Turns out the two are a little different and the American phillips screwdrivers don't quite fit properly into JIS screw heads. This leads to stripping out the phillips head (+) part of the screw. So all those years I was stripping phillips head screws out on my Japanese dirt bikes, it was mostly because of not having the right screwdrivers all along. Although I do recall at times using the screwdrivers from the factory tool kits and they seemed to work better. Maybe some of you made the same mistake. If not, guess I'm alone in my stupidity!  So the Buell being an American bike, but really made all over the world - uhhh, which type of fastener did he use for the phillips head screws? So far I'm thinking it's JIS. I already stripped out the screw (using a craftsman screwdriver) that holds down the plastic brake and clutch lever shields. I used the Buell tool kit screwdriver on the front master cylinder cover yesterday and it fit perfect. I'm thinking it's JIS, but not sure yet. Any help along those lines would be appreciated. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Yes, the numbers are sizes. I don't think there is metric or SAE, just numbered sizes. Not sure about the phillips screws. | ||
| Tootal |
Having a VW beetle as a teenager I used to buy a lot from J.C.Whitney. One time they had a deal where if you bought X amount of stuff for three cents more you would get an impact driver. So that's what I used on my dirt bikes and never had anymore problems with Phillips head screws. When I was changing to the 2010 rear wheel I had to remove the rotor etc. The torx screws were so hard I actually broke my impact driver after all these years! Well, I guess I got my three cents worth!! Had to go and buy another one to finish the job. Definitely a must have in your tool box. | ||
| Etennuly |
The screws on the hand guards have a thread locker on them. Makes it difficult to not mess them up with any screwdriver head. The hand impact driver is an excellent tool for breaking them loose. I use the Craftsman torx bits in my shop. they work well and are easily exchanged when they do break. It can be difficult to find the T27 separately. It can be had by ordering though. The main killer of torx bits and screws is not having the bit bottomed in the screw head, and not having it held straight into the head. A little angle will make half the bit's corners loose contact. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I haven't broken any yet, but Kobalt makes a decent set sold through Lowe's. They say lifetime warranty, but again...I haven't broken any yet (good sign in itself). Best luck I have popping them loose is my 1/4" DeWalt 18v impact screw gun. Not a ton of torque, but the impact side of things helps break them free nicely. Yes, 25, or 27, or 15...denotes the size of the star. I do not think there is a metric or SAE difference...they're just Torx bits. | ||
| General_ulysses |
Tootal, ya we eventually got an impact driver too. And it did help a lot, but even with the impact driver and the standard phillips bits in it, we would still strip the JIS fasteners from time to time. Our final fix was to take a flathead screwdriver and hammer/chisel a slot into the side of the stripped phillips head. Then set the flathead screwdriver blade into the slot, angle the screwdriver and hit it with a hammer to rotate the screw. This almost always worked, but it really boogered up the screw heads. And I remember the JC Whitney catalog, that used to be my "internet surfing" back in the day. I used to dream about all the stuff I would buy when I started driving a car. I loved all the RV and especially the VW stuff they sold in the VW section of the catalog. I used to fantasize about building a VW baja bug. I remember they sold these fiberglass kits and they had one called a basher kit I wanted to get (even though I didn't have a VW or any other car yet). And then they had the big bore cylinder/piston kits, the special intake manifold and weber carb, the 4 into 1 header exhaust with stinger, lift kit, roll bar, the whole works. They had everything in there. Heck I'd still like to build a baja bug! I was looking at the torx bits they have at Lowes (kobalt) looks pretty good and cheaper than the Craftsman set ($22 vs $40). Plus I'm not sure how much longer Sears is going to stay in business, so maybe I'll start buying some of these Kobalt tools instead. | ||
| Timmytime |
Hey tootal , I just finally got a impact driver , for the 1991 Honda cub & it was a must have , job complete ! On a nother thought swinging bridges ride is coming up Soon are you up to the ride ? Let's ride soon 314 614-5560 timmytime | ||
| Uly_man |
The main Torx bit is a T25. Yes a screwdriver to re-fit them but it can be hard to get them out in the first place. As said a impact driver or other to do this. Jap bikes/cars used to be built dry. That is with clean bolts so after a while they were hard to get out. The steel was also like cheese and many a time it would damage the heads. | ||
| Ourdee |
I like the buell tool kit. Torx/priced right? Hmmm, I use a snapon set at home. I don't try cheeping out on torx. May just be me. | ||
| Teeps |
I use Mac Tools torx bits, that came with a driver handle, PM86TA (on handle.) Unfortunately it appears that Mac does not sell this handle bit set anymore. Note: I have never stripped a Torx screw/bolt when using "Professional Grade" bits. | ||
| Tootal |
They had everything in there. Heck I'd still like to build a baja bug! Here's my high school joy! Kept J.C. Whitney in business for a while!  | ||
| Griffmeister |
Come on Tootal, everyone knows that wheel spacers on a Bug are a no-no.  Uly man, don't confuse the issue. Main torx is T-27. Speaking of phillips screws, I believe the heads on the hand guards are an SAE #3. If anyone's trying to remove those with a #2 phillips that could explain the poor fit. | ||
| Jimj |
The T-27 Torx bit fits all the 1/4-inch bolts on my XB's. But the T-27 size was not in the 1/4-hex drive bit set I bought from Lowes. I bought individual T-27 bits from McMaster-Carr supply company (mcmaster.com). Every size, length, and type of Torx bit you can think of. Industrial quality and FAST shipping. CAUTION... the Mcmaster catalog is a guy's 'Wish Book' like no other! | ||
| Kevmean |
And remember that as well as normal philips headed screws you also get pozidrive which look similar but have markings between where the driver fits to signify they are pozidrive ............. pozidrive are far superior to philips and the bits are not interchangable and will damage the heads if the wrong one is used. | ||
| Uly_man |
"Uly man, don't confuse the issue. Main torx is T-27." Not my intention at all. I use the same size Torx bit that come in the tool kit. They fit all the bolts of this size on the bike. They are marked as T-25 but may be otherwise in the US. | ||
| Tootal |
Not when you're 17!  | ||
| General_ulysses |
Tootal I remember that fiberglass kit in JC Whitney! It was called the wide eye bug kit. Looks like you also got the tubular front bumper. COOL.  | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I have a couple of these on order. http://www.handsontools.com/KD-Gearwrench-45081C-T -27-Flexible-Torx-key--Chrome_p_79089.html | ||
| Tootal |
Unfortunately I rolled that one three times and hit a tree! 8 tracks all over the road!! I later built another one with the cheap $100.00 kit. Never painted it, just build the engine and put big mudder tires on it. It was ugly but it was a lot of fun off road! | ||
| Griffmeister |
Rolled three times? Good thing it wasn't a soft top, ouch!  | ||
| General_ulysses |
Tootal you're lucky to still be with us. I knew a guy that went off the side of the road and rolled his bug just before highschool graduation. He didn't make it! | ||
| Tootal |
We had just put Triumph TR7 seats in it that morning. I was going down a road called 7 hills and the last three were like a roller coaster. We always got airborne on them. As I was nearing the top it all of a sudden dawned on me, what if somebodies coming the other way!? I didn't slow down, just moved to the right. Well the road was crowned and at 17 I hadn't learned basic geometry yet but when I went airborne it sent me side ways in the air. My rear tire ripped off the rim and it dug into the road and that was it. Fortunately I didn't have any seat belts in the car and I rolled into the back seat. My foot got stuck under the front seat until we hit the tree. It hit under the drivers seat and shoved it into the roof. There was no room for me!! My brother was still in the front seat clinging to the "Oh SH*T" bar! Our mother died when we were 4 and 2. I think she's been working overtime keeping us alive!! | ||
| Firstbuell |
hey panhead_don, that's an AWESOME inexpensive tool link !! - thx hey Fasted - do ya also want 1 of these [plus mebbe other sizes as well?] |
