need help with loosening handle bar

Hi
I have picked up an old mountain bike and wanted to adjust the handle
bar height, it is held down by an M6 hexagonal socket head screw, I've
tried using M6 hexagonal keys to loosen it, but have destroyed three
keys with no success. I have sprayed a lot of WD40 on top before I did
the first attempt, and after the first failure, I have tried turning
the bike upside down and poured WD40 down the centre tube of the fork,
but I still cannot loosen it.

Please help. What should I do or are there special tools for the job?
My hexagonal keys are just normal keys from HomeDepot.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Dennis

Zonta wrote:
Hi
I have picked up an old mountain bike and wanted to adjust the handle
bar height, it is held down by an M6 hexagonal socket head screw, I've
tried using M6 hexagonal keys to loosen it, but have destroyed three
keys with no success. I have sprayed a lot of WD40 on top before I did
the first attempt, and after the first failure, I have tried turning
the bike upside down and poured WD40 down the centre tube of the fork,
but I still cannot loosen it.

Please help. What should I do or are there special tools for the job?
My hexagonal keys are just normal keys from HomeDepot.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Dennis

Are the keys you're using stripping without stripping the head of the
bolt? if so you need better ones. I suspect that the head of the bolt
is partially stripped as well however. Do you have enough clearance to
use a "bolt-out?" That's one gimmick tool I've had great success with.
If you don't, I would suggest putting some valve grinding paste on a
Torx bit that is just barely too large to fit in the hole (and that you
don't care about) and hammering it in. You'll destroy the Torx bit, but
you just might get that stubborn bolt out.

good luck

nate

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Zonta wrote:
Hi
I have picked up an old mountain bike and wanted to adjust the handle
bar height, it is held down by an M6 hexagonal socket head screw, I've
tried using M6 hexagonal keys to loosen it, but have destroyed three
keys with no success. I have sprayed a lot of WD40 on top before I did
the first attempt, and after the first failure, I have tried turning
the bike upside down and poured WD40 down the centre tube of the fork,
but I still cannot loosen it.


How are you ruining the hex keys? I've never heard of ruining the keys
whilst keeping the screw intact.

WD40 is rather a poor fluid to use anyway. Get yourself some AeroKroil.