Bicycle Mechanics - How do I remove this brake lever? (with pic)

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themistermister
08-13-09, 09:58 AM
I've searched far and wide for a way to remove this sort of brake lever but I have not had much luck. Attached is a picture of the lever, apologies for the quality. It's an 80s Shimano 600 lever, secured by a nut screwed on to a bolt going through the pivot mechanism. How do I go about removing this? I've tried long-nose pliers but can't seem to get the nut to turn. My smallest crescent wrench--which is fairly small--doesn't fit. All other levers I've worked with up to this point have been secured by a simple allen bolt. Any help is appreciated.

jsharr
08-13-09, 10:03 AM
I have never seen a brake lever with a nut inside. Thin walled deep socket and an extension, or possibly a nut driver would work.
themistermister
08-13-09, 10:05 AM
It's hard to see due to the fuzziness of the picture but the part of the bolt closest to the camera (sticking out above the nut) is the bottom of a bolt. There's no place for an allen wrench to go, unless I'm missing something.

exRunner
08-13-09, 10:06 AM
Nut Driver?
Glynis27
08-13-09, 10:11 AM
Nut Driver?

One of these.
http://gfxdug.com/wp-content/gallery/product/nut%20driver.jpg
themistermister
08-13-09, 10:15 AM
That's exactly what I need! Now I just need to drag the bars/levers over to the hardware store and figure out the correct size. Thanks everyone.
idcruiserman
08-13-09, 11:26 AM
9mm was the size on my old Santana for Mafac levers.
rumrunn6
08-13-09, 03:09 PM
the levers I have require an allen wrench which fits into the center of the nut not around the outside
MrPhil
08-13-09, 03:23 PM
the levers I have require an allen wrench which fits into the center of the nut not around the outside


And I have a red lawn mower!

The picture blurrily shows there is a nut and not an allen screw. My educated guess is 9 or 10 mm.
rumrunn6
08-13-09, 03:25 PM
OK a-hole it looked like an allen head to me. whatever
JohnDThompson
08-13-09, 04:21 PM
The classic tools for this:

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/Product_Images/CA-143--2.jpg

These will work also, and are much easier to find (http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=594510960559&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Hand-Tools&tc=Y-Wrenches&item_id=HZ-C73) these days:

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/Product_Images/HZ-C73.jpg
DannoXYZ
08-13-09, 09:13 PM
Thin-walled deep-drive sockets will also work. I've chucked them on a lathe and milled the wall-thickness to a minimum for especially tight situations.