Stripped head and broken sump bolt... Help

[Port]

I learned two bad things today and i'm going to ask some (possibly) obvious question just to get your opinions

The PO broke off a sump plate bolt. The on on the front edge on the right side. I could get it out but it would suck. I don't want to pull the engine and i don't have a drill i could get at it good with. I could find someone to weld on a nut. This is my preferred option but i don't have someone to do it for me or a welder. My question is:

• Will it leak if i try and run it with just the 5 good bolts?

The PO stripped the threads out of the head for one of the six 8mm bolts on the head (bolt #13).
I realized this while re-torquing the head due to a front side oil leak. The torque sheet marks it out for 16 ft.lbs it only took 10. The other 5 took the 16 ft.lbs.

• How bad is this?
• Is there a danger of running it as is?
• Will it still leak?
• Can i fix it?
• Can i fix it without pulling the engine (i don't have a space for that right now)
• Is this a valid option: https://www.grainger.com/ec/pdf/Loctite-Form-A-Thread-Data-Sheet.pdf

 

[fredintoon]

I learned two bad things today and i'm going to ask some (possibly) obvious question just to get your opinions

The PO broke off a sump plate bolt. The on on the front edge on the right side. I could get it out but it would suck. I don't want to pull the engine and i don't have a drill i could get at it good with. I could find someone to weld on a nut. This is my preferred option but i don't have someone to do it for me or a welder. My question is:

• Will it leak if i try and run it with just the 5 good bolts?

The PO stripped the threads out of the head for one of the six 8mm bolts on the head (bolt #13).
I realized this while re-torquing the head due to a front side oil leak. The torque sheet marks it out for 16 ft.lbs it only took 10. The other 5 took the 16 ft.lbs.

• How bad is this?
• Is there a danger of running it as is?
• Will it still leak?
• Can i fix it?
• Can i fix it without pulling the engine (i don't have a space for that right now)
• Is this a valid option: https://www.grainger.com/ec/pdf/Loctite-Form-A-Thread-Data-Sheet.pdf

View attachment 121215

Hi Port,
of course it's better if you fix it, but you already know that, eh?
It's not bad, just annoying.
The danger is running out of oil if it leaks and you don't keep checking the oil level.
You bet it'll leak, the question is, how much?
Unless you are a total klutz, sure you can.
Fix in place is doable for the problems you describe.
No experience with Form-A-Thread. Let us know if it works?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

You could do an old Fel-Pro trick, run a fine/consistant bead of gasket-maker around the sump gasket. Let it full cure before installing.



The head bolt #13 doesn't see much load. #2 and #7 handle the rocker loads there.

 

[5twins]

Bolt 13 is part of the pattern that just holds the top cover on. It's not part of the head bolt pattern that actually seals the head gasket. Every bolt in the diagram you posted except the little #11 one at the rear contribute to holding the top cover on so having just one not quite tight enough probably won't hurt anything. I would want to fix it eventually but I don't think it's a "must do now" item. It probably won't cause a leak.

 

[xjwmx]

I don't want to pull the engine and i don't have a drill i could get at it good with. I could find someone to weld on a nut. This is my preferred option but i don't have someone to do it for me or a welder.

If it broke off at the head and there's enough sticking out you could try to turn it with vice grips. Heating it good with a propane torch first would help a lot. Welding a bolt to it like you said is another way I've seen work. Lay the bike on its side to get at it better. Personally if it came to drilling, I'd let a machine shop handle it.

But I think a solution like 2M's will keep it from leaking. I wouldn't have a problem with doing that. If you had the engine out for some other reason later it would make sense to take care of it.

 

[5twins]

Supposedly, those sump bolts were a special type designed to break off before they stripped the threads. Maybe that's all that happened and if a stub of the bolts remains sticking out, it may spin out easily. Pull the sump plate off and see.

 

[mrtwowheel]

Stripped threads in cast parts can sometimes be taken care of by just using a longer bolt. Sometimes there can be like 10mm of good thread left in the casting.

Scott

 

[gggGary]

yes like 5T sez, have you removed the sump plate? There should be enough bolt sticking out to grab. maybe cut a slot with a dremel cut off wheel. If not then get a LH drill bit and find, make or buy a bushing so that the cover held on by the other bolts acts as your drilling guide. I can about guarantee that bolt will come spinning out of there before you ever drill through it. About every auto store stocks a small LH drill bit set for $10ish.

 

[Port]

Thanks you all for your quick and thoughtful replies!

run a fine/consistent bead of gasket-maker around the sump gasket. Let it full cure before installing.

- To clarify this, the stack would look like:

• Sump plate
  
• gasket (dry or oiled?)
• bead of gasket sealer fully cured (to act as an O-ring?)
  
• casing

Stripped threads in cast parts can sometimes be taken care of by just using a longer bolt. Sometimes there can be like 10mm of good thread left in the casting.

- Yeah i thought about this but haven't figured out if there are more threads. Anyone know off the top of their head if a longer bolt is an option for this particular bolt?


What other options are there for fixing the stripped head?

Lay the bike on its side to get at it better.

- Never tried laying a bike down like that so im not quite sure how to go about it. Ratchet straps from the rafters? Im not very confident in the rafters i have over head so idk about that.

 

[gggGary]

Lay bike on it's side cardboard or carpet scraps to protect shiny parts, Have a 5 gallon bucket handy to rest the handlebar end on. make sure the gas tank isn't full LOL

 

[5twins]

I think those sump bolt holes are blind. In other words, they don't go all the way through the case. If that is the case then there probably isn't room for a longer bolt. But, is this one stripped? Are the threads stripped in the case or is the head just broken off the bolt?

I think it's best you fix this one, that top one you can let go. If you use gasket sealer, that sump cover will be very, very, VERY hard to remove next time. I think many here will agree because we have encountered such sump covers.

 

[Signal]

Should have read first post before bursting into print. OP already knows what I was going to post.

 

[Port]

I think those sump bolt holes are blind. In other words, they don't go all the way through the case. If that is the case then there probably isn't room for a longer bolt. But, is this one stripped? Are the threads stripped in the case or is the head just broken off the bolt?

• The question of getting a longer longer bolt was for the stripped threads in the head for bolt #13.
  
• I plan to extract the broken bolt from the sump mounting boss.

Lay bike on it's side cardboard or carpet scraps to protect shiny parts, Have a 5 gallon bucket handy to rest the handlebar end on. make sure the gas tank isn't full LOL

• do you have a picture or video of a bike laying over like this? Im a bit couscous about doing it.
• where will the weight bearing be when on its side?
• Do i need to remove the exhaust (OEM pipes)?
  
• I'm not quite sure what to do with the bucket
• can you get it stable on its side

 

[gggGary]

it'll be stable as long as the end of the handle bar on the bucket and the tires are the support points. without something stopping it itwill just keep on going til the wheels are off the ground it works for me but I'm a wild n crazy kind of guy.

 

[xjwmx]

- Never tried laying a bike down like that so im not quite sure how to go about it. Ratchet straps from the rafters? Im not very confident in the rafters i have over head so idk about that.

I just push mine over when I need to Seriously, but I let it down slowly. Remove the tank and unbolt the turn signal stalks on that side. Make sure the wires running to them don't get pinched.

 

[Port]

My buddy is going to let me borrow his motorcycle jack to do it