BCTTT Forum

I have a bit of play in the headset on Nighthawk. After enough miles Argon 18's revolutionary "3D head tube" must have gone a bit loose and needs tightening up.

The challenge is, my headset bolt has corroded with sweat etc. and the 5mm hex key that would normally work to disassemble the headset and inspect it just slides in the slot.

Any tried and tested ways to remove it? (I guess I'll need to swap it out for a new one anyway)

Mr mofo to this thread about stripped threads to bring his wisdom and correct saw angle, please.

i'd suggest drilling it out, but don't do that. get a shop to do it. or bop.

Squirt GT85, WD40 or a similar penetrating lubricant (fnarr, fnarr) around the area and leave to soak for a few hours then try again. You could always try Röstshock (Reca/Würth) or similar product to lower the temperature and break the bond. Failing that, drill it out using a left-hand drill bit and extractor. Another thing to try is using a Torx in there as these can bite in a little bit more. Gently tap it in with a hammer to get a bit more purchase

Invest in a decent set of 3/8" drive hex/Allen sockets as the T-handles won't give you enough torque to undo something like that, and the cheaper stuff is a bit Chad Valley and made of cheese. I'm an ex Snap-On dealer so know one or two things about tools

"Sweat-baked headset bolt"

Sounds nice. But what's for pudding?

if it is the bolt head that has rounded, put a thin elastic band over the top of the hex key before inserting it - this helps to grip the rounded edges.

If it is something else, buy a new bike