don’t know if any body can help but i cannot get either of the bolts in the bottom bracket link out – they just turn and won’t move. I can get the nuts off and have tried knocking them out but they are stuck in – any suggestions – thanks in advance

Hey.

Have you applied penetrating solution or used a vice etc to try and press them out.

Hard to say without seeing the problem, any chance of a photo?

I’d be looking at a day soaking in some sort of freeing agent like Plus Gas, then maybe bodge some sort of press with a head-set press/sockets/U-clamps etc [edit: or, indeed, a vice]. Make sure you support the link while you’re pressing the bolt out. Must have seized in the inner race of the bearings, so they’ll turn with the bearings.

I have vague recollections of destroying the original magnesium monolonk to get the bloody thing out so I could retrofit the uprated alloy version, but it was several years back, so the details are a little hazy.

I’d suggest maybe asking on the Maverick section on mtbr.com though. There aren’t many Maverick owners over here and even fewer ML7s about, but chances are someone there’s had the same issue recently.

Not yet – don’t have a vice to hand and have knocked them out in the past – but will try some penetrating fluid tomorrow – the bolts turn but just won’t shift pictures should be attached – thanks in advance left side and right side nuts removed

Thanks both – will try the overnight soak and work from there –

Thread a longer bolt/screw into the opposite site from what you want to remove, try to get as many threads to connect as possible so that each thread has less pressure on it, makes it less likely that you will damage the threads, then put something like a steerer tube spacer or similar tube of the appropriate size on the side that is to be pressed out, then gently use the vice, plus gas and penetrating solution is also a good idea!

Good luck!

thanks to all – I have released the bolts now

Cool, hope you get your bike up and rideable soon 😀