Fork oil drain bolt head stripped

[mkpaulk]

Purchased a 97 GL and the drain bolt for the fork oil has the head striped out. If you’ve encountered this can you share how you SUCCESSFULLY removed this bolt?

[1goldwingnut]

Buy a new bolt then use a vice grips on the old one. Clamp the vice grips as tight as you can.

[Happytrails]

I'm guessin he meant the allen head bolt at the bottom of the fork legs? Heres a couple threads that might help.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=16118&p=202155#p202155

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=53244

So the 3 options that people posted are take it to a machine shop and have the bolt removed, or drill down into the bolt/wack it with a big hammer to snap the head off the bolt allowing you to remove the fork tube from the leg and remove whats left of the bolt or another one I saw in a video was to jam an SAE allen slightly bigger into the round off 6mm bolt head and hope it bites enough to back out the bolt.

[1goldwingnut]

Sorry . I realized that after I posted. I was thinking engine oil .

[mkpaulk]

Well, I ended up drilling the head, weakening it enough, I was able to turn it with a screwdriver wedged in it. I just hate taking a drill to expensive parts. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Tynker]

I'm guessin he meant the allen head bolt at the bottom of the fork legs? Heres a couple threads that might help.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=16118&p=202155#p202155

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=53244

So the 3 options that people posted are take it to a machine shop and have the bolt removed, or drill down into the bolt/wack it with a big hammer to snap the head off the bolt allowing you to remove the fork tube from the leg and remove whats left of the bolt or another one I saw in a video was to jam an SAE allen slightly bigger into the round off 6mm bolt head and hope it bites enough to back out the bolt.

When I have a Allen head strip out, I use a torx and drive it in, and the Allen generally comes out.