RiderForums.com - Kawasaki Motorcycle Forum banner

Front Sprocket Nut

4K views 31 replies 5 participants last post by  Zed7 
#1 ·
I've tried everything! I CANNOT get this nut to break loose. I have followed instructions from multiple videos and the technical manual, but to no avail. I've tried a breaker bar, a long torque wrench, and a 200ftlbs impact wrench. Nothing will budge this thing. I even stood on the breaker bar and... nothing. I heated it up mildly with a torch too. I'm hesitant to use solvents or a break- loose spray.

Any tips? I'm at the end of my patience and may just leave it at this point.
 
#2 ·
Try soaking the nut with some good quality penetrating oil. Spray it where the nut contacts the sprocket in short sprays 10 minutes apart about 6-10 times, give it one last good soaking and then allow the bike to sit over night. Try again with a long handled ratchet wrench with a breaker bar attached while you tap the socket with a hammer. Let us know how you go.
 
#3 ·
Ok, assuming you flattened out the bend washer, this is what I did to remove that nut from my 650 Versys (which had the tightest countershaft nut I ever encountered).

In my shed I had the bike held upright with tie down straps. No rear stand. I had the engine in neutral as I didn’t want to hammer the gears. (My 1/2 inch electric impact was useless).

To lock the rear wheel from spinning, I stepped hard on the rear brake then tied it down with tie-wire. Shoving a wooden board between the spokes will only serve to damage them.

Then I used a 1/2 inch breaker bar with a four foot long piece of pipe as a handle extension making the effective length of the breaker bar five feet long.

I got behind the bike (because there was more open space to work) and lifted with such force the rear wheel lifted off the floor nearly a foot.
With the rear wheel off the floor I let it drop a bit then pulsed up on the extension handle and…. BOOM! The freaking thing sounded like a rifle shot. I broke the countershaft itself, or at least I could have sworn I broke the countershaft. I did not. Whew!

After changing the sprocket I reinstalled the nut using the proper torque spec.

This was a common complaint on the 650 Versys forum I belonged to. Kawasaki way over tightened that nut at the factory. I rode it for years at the proper torque spec without issue.

If you use my method, you should get somebody to sit on the bike, in neutral, with both the front brake applied and a lot of rear brake. Their extra weight will help hold the bike down also.
 
#7 ·
This was a common complaint on the 650 Versys forum I belonged to. Kawasaki way over tightened that nut at the factory. I rode it for years at the proper torque spec without issue.
Yes - also a common complaint with the Ninja 650. There are a few threads somewhere here from years ago with guys having the same problem.
 
#4 ·
Well, update:

I took all the steps mentioned above, and some extra steps too. Put a cheater bar over my breaker bar and pressed down with all my strength. BANG! I thought I got it! Nope. Jokes on me. The damn nut rounded off. Like, all the way off.

So I'm out of ideas. Short of cutting it with a tungsten carbide burr, that nut is an integral part of the bike. I have wrestled seized bolts and nuts before, but absolutely nothing like this. I have a feeling the spindle wasn't dressed properly with moly or anti-seize. So through vibration and pressure, the nut is basically welded to the shaft.

Very, very frustrating.
 
#5 ·
Oops, shoulda mentioned… six point socket only.
You might still be able to get it off with a six point socket if you haven’t used one already. Also, the breaker bar/socket must be 90 degrees to the shaft/nut. If you have any other angle it'll peel off. I know you can get it square by lifting from the rear.
Some small amount of heat on the nut will help but you don’t want any heat on the shaft at all.

If you can’t bang a six point on (or a six point with shim stock) then a careful session with a cutoff wheel is your next step. Perhaps you could cut just partway (to stay away from the shaft threads) then more twisting with a socket will split the nut.
 
#6 ·
I'm just gonna leave it alone. The front sprocket doesn't look all that worn. I wanted to replace the sprockets with the chain but I'll just do the chain and rear sprocket. If I mess up that shaft, I'm really up the creek on this bike. The reality is in a couple years I'll probably trade up or sell. I gave it an honest shot haha
 
#9 ·
Surprised the socket didn't crack before rounding-off the nut. That factory torque is ridiculous for sure.

Think I'll go out to the KLX and remove/retorque the nut/bolt just to prevent this sort of fusion in the future.
I thought for sure my breaker bar was going to snap at the head pin. It didn't, but it bent though. And the socket teeth are slightly rounded as well.

Like I said, I've never encountered a seized nut like this one. I tried all the tricks in the book. I'm sure that at some point it was removed then reinstalled without the moly/oil anti-seize compound applied to the threads.

At least I have peace of mind that my front sprocket will NEVER spin off while in use :LOL:
 
#10 ·
Don’t forget to rebend the bend washer.
That Versys was the only new bike I ever encountered this over torqued nut on.

Also, I know you’re supposed to replace chain and sprockets together, which I normally do, but I’ve done just the chain before if the sprockets looked good and 12,000 miles later when I sold the bike, they still looked good.
I believe the rear sprocket on the Versys didn’t have an offset and could be reversed to get at the unworn part of the teeth. There was a member on the site that used to do it. The Ninja may be the same.
 
#11 ·
Don’t forget to rebend the bend washer.
That Versys was the only new bike I ever encountered this over torqued nut on.

Also, I know you’re supposed to replace chain and sprockets together, which I normally do, but I’ve done just the chain before if the sprockets looked good and 12,000 miles later when I sold the bike, they still looked good.
I believe the rear sprocket on the Versys didn’t have an offset and could be reversed to get at the unworn part of the teeth. There was a member on the site that used to do it. The Ninja may be the same.
Yup I'll bend it back just in case. The sprockets look fine for wear. I just wanted to upgrade to racing sprockets and do it with the chain. But it's okay. Not the end of the world.

I have had 4 different bikes over the years, 3 of those were dirt. But I've never seen a nut seize like this one. The KTM was really tight but nothing like this.

I figured well, now this bike has a lifespan haha. It'll be crushed and recycled with that forsaken nut still attached! (That's a joke, I'll cut it off before I scrap this bike)
 
#24 ·
Dis you see the PSR socket? It's expensive, but I don't think I need to say anything else as you will understand the why. Even our very best swear words don't do this but justice.

 
#26 ·
Here's what's crazy...., That socket has only been available for a short time, and it's not from Kawasaki. For years we went through just what you did. Never knowing which socket we were supposed to use as no one size socket fits very well.

I've had mine off 3 or 4 times and it's still a pita. It's always tight.
 
#32 ·
I used the proper mm SIX POINT socket and pulled up from the rear to keep the socket square to the nut. There was no slipping on the nut. The problem was excessive torque, which my four foot cheater bar overcame.
A twelve point socket would have slipped. Ever wonder why all impact sockets are six point sockets? (Hint: twelve point sockets slip).
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top