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The one where an important bolt snapped


SometimesSansEngine
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Also known as "gather round kids and listen to SSE's tale of woe"


Decided to put this in the pitstop area, even though it's all sorted now. Truth be told I didn't want to talk about it until it was resolved. As you may imagine I was sick as a parrot at the time.


So two Saturdays ago I picked up my new bike and rode it home. I wanted to fit the crash protection ASAP, knowing that it would be just typical to have a slow speed drop before fitting them. Took the fairings off, cut the bits I needed to in the inner fairing, then started to take the first engine mount bolt out.


Started to undo it, it was a touch stiff but nothing too bad... turned it a few times.... GEDUNK


Arse. An interesting noise emanated from both my mouth and rear end


 

Bugger.jpeg.3d53fb8bdd80fc8aab1d5ef51b7a0c3e.jpeg

 


For the avoidance of doubt, the bolt is meant to be this long


 

Feck.jpeg.bad3b5f77be05a7695413750f1c2a210.jpeg

 


So where's the rest of it? Oh, just having a snooze deep in here


 

Arse.jpeg.f64752a6a8fa0302fac69662185721b8.jpeg

 


Well crap. What a great way to ruin a perfectly good day. I categorically did not get a good night sleep on Saturday. Sunday was a write off, everywhere was of course shut and the best thing I could do was research who locally may be able to help. I've extracted studs before but not on anything I massively cared about. I knew I'd rather throw some money at someone who knew what they were doing then attempt and fail myself, making things worse in the process.


Fast forward to Monday and I nipped to my local bike place. They wouldn't be able to see it for a good week, but mentioned a local machinist. Headed there, guy wasn't interested unless I took the engine out for him. Told me I'd just as well do it myself but "go in straight or you'll make it worse". Thanks for the advice :hammer:


Call a relatively local company on my list who specialise in diesel glow plug and injector removals, but also stud removal. No answer (and never did return my voicemail or email). Call the second company on the list. They pick up and after I explain my predicament he says "Well I bet that ruined your day didn't it?" For some reason that instantly made me think "these might be the ones".


They're an engine repair and rebuild company, and he says based on the description they shouldn't have to drop the engine. So if I can get it on a van and to them, they'll have a look. Didn't even bother asking for a possible cost. What was the point? It needed doing. They also assured me that the bike would be kept inside at all times.


Booked in some transport and two days later waved my bike away (side note: if you ever need a bike transported, Dave at Ace Services Bristol is brilliant https://www.aceservicesbristol.com/)


Fast forward to yesterday, and I get an email to say all done, and they'd also removed the engine mount bolt on the other side and fitted the brackets for my crash bungs. £183.50 all in, which truth be told I was overjoyed with. I'm still glad I didn't attempt anything foolhardy myself and just handed it over to someone to deal with. Couple of hours labour, including removing and refitting the fairings, drilling it out and fitting the new bolts and brackets for me.


So if anyone finds themselves in a similar predicament, I'm more than happy to suggest Price Bros Auto Engineering in Bristol http://www.pricebrosengineering.co.uk/

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I know how you felt, whilst removing the header exhaust bolts on my B12 I heard the same, horrible GEDUNK. Same as yourself I thought if I ham this up it's mega so my trusted bike tech in upper teen picked it up, helicoiled & fixed. All to fit a stainless steel collector box. As it goes I'm midway through fitting crash sliders too but that will be a saga told in the pitstop or maybe tried & tested later. I've had a few issues, not of my making. Glad you're all sorted :thumb:

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A question or two , why the van ? How did the broken bolt render the bike unrideable ? And why do you think a perfectly healthy looking bolt without a hint of corrosion should break so readily ? Just curious .

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A couple of reasons really. I just didn't want to risk it. The local bike shop said it would be fine for a short journey if I was careful. But this place was a good hour away (is that short? I dunno), coupled with the fact that I'd need to ride it there and get a lift home. Since my wife was working most days my dad would be next best bet, but he was away for the week. The van got it to them quicker and therefore onto the fix quicker.

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Follow up questions.... too brute force and ignorance? Shitty faulty bolt? Threadlock? Dunno. Trust me all these thoughts and more have gone through my head.


The bolt was a touch on the stiff side as I started removing it, but having taken engine bolts out before to fit crash protection I know they are often threadlocked in.

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Follow up questions.... too brute force and ignorance? Shitty faulty bolt? Threadlock? Dunno. Trust me all these thoughts and more have gone through my head.


The bolt was a touch on the stiff side as I started removing it, but having taken engine bolts out before to fit crash protection I know they are often threadlocked in.

 

My vote is an erroneous bolt

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My vote is an erroneous bolt

 

My retired neighbour used to work in this sort of field and looked at it today and made some noises and then went on about the material used, the way it had split and what that meant. But a lot of odd words were used that I can't remember. But I think the summary was "that was possibly an erroneous bolt". But maybe he was trying to make me feel better and he thinks that I'm an idiot.

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I removed the camshafts on a GSXR once and every bolt snapped in the same place on the way out . Luckily they all snapped at the point where the thread stops so they were really easy to wind out by hand . They had probably been over torqued or reused against manufacturers advice . Scary stuff though .

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You have my sympathy last engine block bolt I had shear was on a boat on a mooring.. accessable by dinghy.


My engineer had basically said it's a manifold and if it's going to shear it will go on me as easily as you....


Well 1 sheared, :shock: .


Next phone call to engineer, will you know as much about removing them as I do, suggest you start with easy-out. This is hand tools only no 240v power on floating boat


Dinghy run ashore for easy-out...


Easy-out nearly snapped managed to get it out,


Next advice was drilling, it out by hand drill..


As much removed as I dared, tap to clear threads.


Dinghy run ashore for taps.


Tap threaded into clean threads 3/4 turn in 1/2 turn back, doing well.


Tap snaps clean off.


Oh duck. Phone call to my engineer, bring me the head is got to come of I'll get it serviced since it's got to come of and refit it for you.. it won't be cheap :shock:


Phone call to old marine engineer friend, so you have a tap broken in the engine head. Yes. That's not very good is it. No. You know you will probably have to rebuild the engine. Yes. That's not very good is it. No.


How have you got yourself here, I give him full story. That's not good. No.


He then suggests, taps by nature are very hard metal, you did not drop the tap did you? Use hammer? (He knows me well) No and I actually had not, although actually shearing bolt... I won't mention.


Well he says there is one thing that might.... Do you have large hammer, hand in tool box strangely yes 1 pound lump 🔨, a sharp punch, again hand in, yes.


Well the thing with hard metals is they are very brittle, if you hit the tap hard enough with one swing there is small chance, it will shatter.


If you ever try this at home wear safety glasses... They really explode.


It worked, it took me 3 days and countless ciggerette's (why do I have a pension) to get that one bolt out.


My marine engineer's comment when job was done was original solution and for all you smoked it was cheaper than me being involved :scratch:


IMHO You made the right choice...

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Cheers [mention]onesea[/mention], chatting to many of my (mostly more mechanical/maintenance/engineering background) friends I'm beginning to learn that just like "dropping your bike" stories many seem to have one of these types of tales. Does make me feel a bit better about it all!

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