Trying to install F3 Floorboards

[Capt. Bob]

Man, I hate that I have a demonstrator F3-S that had the footpegs moved likely several times to accommodate different U-Fit positions. I went to install some BRP floorboards and in the process of removing the two bolts that hold the peg on the frame tube, one of them was so over-torqued that the 5mm t-handle tool I have started to spin inside the bolt head. Now I am trying to figure out how to get that stripped bolt out of the footpeg bracket so that I can install the new floorboards. Anybody have some advice on how to remove that stripped bolt? I tried some heat on the bolt and that didn't work. Am I going to have to drill out the bolt and then use an easy out to get the remaining metal out. I am not that concerned about the pegs because I want to use floorboards. Thanks in advance. Bob

[Copperman]

Man, I hate that I have a demonstrator F3-S that had the footpegs moved likely several times to accommodate different U-Fit positions. I went to install some BRP floorboards and in the process of removing the two bolts that hold the peg on the frame tube, one of them was so over-torqued that the 5mm t-handle tool I have started to spin inside the bolt head. Now I am trying to figure out how to get that stripped bolt out of the footpeg bracket so that I can install the new floorboards. Anybody have some advice on how to remove that stripped bolt? I tried some heat on the bolt and that didn't work. Am I going to have to drill out the bolt and then use an easy out to get the remaining metal out. I am not that concerned about the pegs because I want to use floorboards. Thanks in advance. Bob

I was thinking an easy-out, too.

[Roadster Renovations]

Drill and easy out. Only choice I can think of....

[Capt. Bob]

Thanks Copperman and Doc. You confirmed what I was thinking was my only way out at this point. I hate taking my machinery to techs who don't know how to use a torque wrench. When I hear a tech say that they can "feel" a certain torque value, I run the other way. Well, I have been charging up my 18v drill and it is time to do some drillin'. Bob

[SpyderNeil]

Thanks Copperman and Doc. You confirmed what I was thinking was my only way out at this point. I hate taking my machinery to techs who don't know how to use a torque wrench. When I hear a tech say that they can "feel" a certain torque value, I run the other way. Well, I have been charging up my 18v drill and it is time to do some drillin'. Bob

At least with an Allen bolt you have a good center point to drill into!

Neil

[jcthorne]

Use the correct size bolt extractor on that allen head bolt. No need to drill. The extractor will bite into the rounded hex hole and allow you to remove the bolt.

[Tazzel]

You will love the F3 Floorboards but the pegs are a bi*ch to get loose. Fortunately mine came out with a lot of effort and cussing with out stripping. Maybe you did not cus enough.

[CA Railwhale]

You will love the F3 Floorboards but the pegs are a bi*ch to get loose. Fortunately mine came out with a lot of effort and cussing with out stripping. Maybe you did not cus enough.

When I installed the passenger footboards, I found out the hard way not to remove one bolt, then the other. The second bolt just spins the insert. The best way I found was one turn on each bolt at a time.

[Diamond Dave]

Had to drill out and use easy out both times ! Thought about replacing w hex heads

[SPYD3R]

the same thing happened to me.....
BRP loves their Loctite for sure....
i used a 5/16" dia. drill bit and drilled right through the head, this way there is no material left to hold onto the bracket... you'll need to go to your local FASTENALL and buy a new bolt...
good luck, and ride safely...
SPYD3R

[KJWEB]

The best way to remove the bolts as mentioned above is to wrench on both bolts at the same time. Prior to that though, heat up the bolts with a small butane torch.

[bigwhammy]

Man, I hate that I have a demonstrator F3-S that had the footpegs moved likely several times to accommodate different U-Fit positions. I went to install some BRP floorboards and in the process of removing the two bolts that hold the peg on the frame tube, one of them was so over-torqued that the 5mm t-handle tool I have started to spin inside the bolt head. Now I am trying to figure out how to get that stripped bolt out of the footpeg bracket so that I can install the new floorboards. Anybody have some advice on how to remove that stripped bolt? I tried some heat on the bolt and that didn't work. Am I going to have to drill out the bolt and then use an easy out to get the remaining metal out. I am not that concerned about the pegs because I want to use floorboards. Thanks in advance. Bob

Hi,
Two bolts under the front foot pegs.
Drill the head off. If you drill both heads off and drill out some of the bolt from head side you can take it all to a bench. OR Heat the bolt from behind slightly on the threaded bit hanging out. Go from behind with a set of vice grips and screw out bolt anticlockwise and replace with new ones.

For floorboards/ pads the 2 bolts above the bracket holding the actual floorboard/pad on, screwed in parallel with the frame.
Assuggested you can undo both but one may start spinning the brass bush and then it gets messy plus undoing 2 at a time allows for errors in keeping the socket in the head squarely. Two at a time is not best option for rears as the rubber bushes let the bush and bolts move and socket has more chance of stripping the head out.

Best but always works tortoise option.
Working on one bolt at a time.Get a good impact type socket to fit the hex.
Heat the head slightly of 1 bolt only. socket on and tap on 3 times. Should screw out. more heat and tapping if not it will come out - make sure the hex socket is newish and a good fit. A cheap socket will destroy the head! Make sure the hex spanner/ socket is a good tight fit. Do not try it with a cheap silver thing, get a black one.
Unscrew this bolt and clean the thread put back in tight.
Heat and unscrew the other and clean and screw back in snuggly. The 2 brass tabs in the inside bush engage into the floorboards/pads
Unscrew the first one 1/4 turn then the other one1/4 turn repeat until both come out. If one starts to spin the brass bushing it indicates that the 2 small tabs are not located in the pad so tighten up the other bolt again and do it gain. Do not keep going the brass tabs will self destruct.
The rears especially should not be over heated as it will destroy the rubber bushes and then the pads will not stay up out of the way when not used.
Reports of people putting them back on after drilling the bolts and bushes out destroying the rubber bushes.
Issue is steel bolt in to brass with locktite.

New BRP floorboards come with new bolts and brass bushes BUT NO black rubber bushes.
If all fails drill the heads off until you hit brass OR cut off bolt between rubber and pad use the new bushes and bolts.
David

[Capt. Bob]

Wow, what a journey it has been to do what was seemingly a simple task of removing some bolts to install some BRP floorboards. I have not yet installed the floorboards as I just completed taking off the old foot pegs.

Some things learned along the way. On the second set of bolts, I did what somebody recommended which was to just barely crack one bolt and then go and crack the other bolt. I had installed another 5mm wrench into the bolt head before doing this and banged a few times on the bolt head to help loosen things up. This worked wonderfully with a 5mm T-handle hex head wrench that I have.

Now, back to the first peg and the stripped out bolt head. I had committed too far with my drilling to use and extractor. I tried and easy out but the stainless bolt was too hard to get much of a bite into the metal. So, at first, I had used titanium metal drill bits to drill out the bolt head and was finding the progress of the drill bits almost non-existant. I called an engineer friend of mine who reminded me of the work hardening issues related to stainless steel when you use too high an rpm and make the stainless even tougher to cut. So, I backed up and started using progressively larger drill bits until I had the entire size of the bolt head drilling and went a lot slower to prevent work hardening of the metal I was cutting. Eventually, this worked and I was able to open the jaws of the foot peg attach points to remove them from the frame rails.

This has been quite a learning experience and I want to thank EVERYONE who weighed in on the subject to help me get this project further down the road. After I install the floorboards, I will take a picture and you can all share in the successful project. Funny how BRP listed the R&R of the parts as less than .5 hours. Bob

[Capt. Bob]

Well, some strange twists and turns in the floorboard saga. As I had previously reported, with the help of several posters, I was able to successfully get the pegs off of the F3-S. I mounted the floorboards with the U-Fit Position 3 and found that when I comfortably placed my feet on the floorboards, my natural tendency was to place the back half of my foot off the floorboards. I realized that given my physiology, the feet forward position of the F3 was just not that comfortable. I know for some, it is much more comfortable than the more upright position of say the RT.

Well, I pondered this for a few minutes, measured the length of my shoe that was comfortably off the back of my floorboards in position 3 and realized that Position 1 which placed the floorboards about 3.5" rearward might be better. So, I called my local Can-Am dealer and as luck would have it, they had a set of Position 1 bars for the SM6.

Went down and purchased them. Came home and installed the shorter shifter/brake bars and Position 1 seemed much more like my Harley Tri Glide position-wise and did not seem to put much of a strain on my back. I look forward to going on a lengthy ride tomorrow and seeing how much I like my legs more directly under my knees and a more upright sitting position on the F3-S.

I can't reinforce enough the suggestion made that when loosening the bolts that hold the pegs or the floorboards on that you loosen them very little while alternating between the two as you loosen them. If you unloosen one side too much, it seems to put a significant amount of pressure on the tighter bolt and makes it more difficult to remove in part because the brass backing plate is likely causing some fulcrum motion on the less tightened bolt. Fortunately, in ALL of the operations I performed over the past couple of days, every bolt/nut was tightened to BRP specs this go around with a torque wrench and very sharp-faced tools. Shift Side Floorboard.jpgBrake Side Floorboard.jpg

[Capt. Bob]

The position 1 change was not effective in reducing the pressure on my left glut which is the cause of significant pain sensations. Will be trying position 3 with the floorboards and adding a different kind of seat pad other than the Butt Buffer to see if I can get some relief. Unfortunately, if I cannot find a comfortable position, I will be forced to sell this beautiful machine. Can't tolerate things that seem to aggravate my physical conditions. Not yet throwing in the towel but a bit discouraged. Not to keen on a getting a different seat than comes with the F3-S because they all fit so differently. I would hate to keep throwing money at the problem and not find a satisfactory solution.

[Peteoz]

The position 1 change was not effective in reducing the pressure on my left glut which is the cause of significant pain sensations. Will be trying position 3 with the floorboards and adding a different kind of seat pad other than the Butt Buffer to see if I can get some relief. Unfortunately, if I cannot find a comfortable position, I will be forced to sell this beautiful machine. Can't tolerate things that seem to aggravate my physical conditions. Not yet throwing in the towel but a bit discouraged. Not to keen on a getting a different seat than comes with the F3-S because they all fit so differently. I would hate to keep throwing money at the problem and not find a satisfactory solution.

I know it's an aftermarket seat, and you aren't keen, but it would be worthwhile speaking to Daylong, Bob. That's exactly what they are about........fitting seats to address an individual's problems. If they say they can help you, there's a 95% chance they can, and they guarantee fit.

[Capt. Bob]

I know it's an aftermarket seat, and you aren't keen, but it would be worthwhile speaking to Daylong, Bob. That's exactly what they are about........fitting seats to address an individual's problems. If they say they can help you, there's a 95% chance they can, and they guarantee fit.

Pete, I think I am going to be giving up the ghost as they say. I tried several different add-on bladder type cushions today and what I am finding is that in a very weird way, the angle of the seat area relative to the floorboards, handlebars or footpegs are just too uncomfortable for my left hip that had sustained some prior injuries and is also suffering from arthritis and bone-on-bone deterioration. I have ridden the F3-S for about 1800 miles and have not been able to resolve the uncomfortable feelings I have been getting from the position of the bars, seat, peg/floorboards. I put a lot of the best farkles on the trike (BRP 2-up shock/F4 windshield/floorboards/Ronbar/BRP backrest/BRP belt tensioner, True Laser align/ etc.) and someone will get a very sorted 2015 F3-S with less than 8k miles and all three tires replaced only 1800 miles ago with fresh oil.

[Peteoz]

What a bummer, Bob......

[Capt. Bob]

Pete, You need two F3-S's for Oz. My pristine and heavily farkled trike is now up for sale with lots of pictures in the "4 Sale by Owner" forum. Since it is getting so hot in Oz, come to Florida and buy the F3 and enjoy the gentle Fall Florida weather. Bob