Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

MickLC wrote:

laidback wrote:
Have rattle gun so just need socket.

Look for Kinchrome 4wd hub sockets in stores like auto pro. There's a few different sizes and they're just like the one in the picture.

Cheers mate, going into town tomorrow so will get one.

John, the front sprocket on your trackie has been replaced by Rod (and is -1 tooth from standard) so it should come off easier than the horror stories you are hearing about. Once you have the right size socket, either use a rattle gun, or the wood through the tyre and a pipe on a good breaker bar technique and it should come off no worries.

Also you're more likely to unlock a stubborn nut/bolt with a bit of a jolt rather than just gentle increasing pressure.

laidback wrote:...could just use a nut but want speedo drive (uses the square bit for the pulses.

I thought the speedo had been blacked out on that bike. What do you want to know the speed for anyway?

1 inch drive rattle guns were and are the very best thing for difficult nuts

I used to call mine UBE when working on caterpillar heads to remove the injectors,

UBE = U Be Farked now

Nelso wrote:

laidback wrote:...could just use a nut but want speedo drive (uses the square bit for the pulses.

I thought the speedo had been blacked out on that bike. What do you want to know the speed for anyway?

Your right about that mate...I got a new knut for it.

Need for gear indicator...I get lostafobia and can't remember what gear I'm in...not that's much of a problem as I forget what gear is needed for any corner anyway...hehehe.

Nelso wrote:.....John, the front sprocket on your trackie has been replaced by Rod (and is -1 tooth from standard) so it should come off easier than the horror stories you are hearing about. Once you have the right size socket, either use a rattle gun, or the wood through the tyre and a pipe on a good breaker bar technique and it should come off no worries........

sounds good - it means the OEM tightness is gone.

The horror stories are all true. During the 90's especially, Kawasaki went to ridiculous lengths with the tension applied to front sprocket nuts. I have tried every type of rattle gun - air, electric, big muthafuckas you name it - not ONE of them could undo the front nut on some bikes. The breaker bar we used on Mel's bike was like 2 fucking metres long !!! I was really worried about bending the swingarm or breaking a spoke on the wheel, there was that much wailing on the bar........

Mechanic at CMC even commented when we finally took Mel's ZX6 into the shop - normally he could get these off with only 1 application of the blue chisel but hers took 2 !

I guess later-model bikes must be a lot easier to do these days.

Why so tight if there's a locking tab...

laidback wrote:...Why so tight if there's a locking tab... ....

NFI mate its a mystery to us all .....I have never seen an old-school sprocket nut as tight as anything from the 90's......and the old dungers all used locking tabs as well......

Some of those little Jappy Chappys must be sumo wrestlers...

Blue chisel?????

Sprocket removed...easy peasy....

bonester wrote: Blue chisel?????

Also known as a gas axe.

Frank wrote:I never found it that hard, Ride out to Glenn's and get him to take it off, easy as!

+1

Took me using a 5 foot scaffold bar over my breaker bar to get enough torque to change my front sprocket on my ZXR track bike!
Shit job but it worked!