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valve cover bolt thread pitch and dia?
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:58 pm
by oldrider25
Well, a number of months ago, I had my valves adjusted by Del Amo Motorsports in Redondo
Beach, CA. It would appear they overtorqued the right side front valve cover bolt. I noticed
an oil leak that got progressively worse. I went to check the torque on the valve cover bolts
and the one bolt just spun. Crap. At least I can get to it with a drill so I can insert a Helicoil.
What a PITA.
Anyone know the thread pitch and dia helicoil insert to use? I don't have a thread pitch
gauge and I might have to order the kit online if my local machine shop doesn't have any. I'm
going to a machine shop tomorrow and will take the bolt with me. I used to get my inserts
from a foreign auto parts store in Hermosa Beach. But, they've long since folded.
John
valve cover bolt thread pitch and dia?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:17 pm
by Gary LaRue
Why don't you take it back to them and make them unscrew what they screwed up?
Lash
----- Original Message ----
From: oldrider25
To:
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 10:58:00 PM
Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Valve Cover Bolt Thread Pitch and Dia?
Well, a number of months ago, I had my valves adjusted by Del Amo Motorsports in Redondo
Beach, CA. It would appear they overtorqued the right side front valve cover bolt. I noticed
an oil leak that got progressively worse. I went to check the torque on the valve cover bolts
and the one bolt just spun. Crap. At least I can get to it with a drill so I can insert a Helicoil.
What a PITA.
Anyone know the thread pitch and dia helicoil insert to use? I don't have a thread pitch
gauge and I might have to order the kit online if my local machine shop doesn't have any. I'm
going to a machine shop tomorrow and will take the bolt with me. I used to get my inserts
from a foreign auto parts store in Hermosa Beach. But, they've long since folded.
John
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
"bolt - on" rack extender found only on e bay
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:49 pm
by Terry Taylor
As the price of gas approaches $4.00/gallon I find myself using the KLR more & more for running simple errands. Recently,I purchased a rack extender that bolts in place of or directly to (with longer bolts) the OEM rack. The price I believe was $54.00 +s/h.This is a nice rack,they have 2 different styles available.I purchased the one that tapers towards the front. I know the OEM reccomendation is about 20lbs. payload or so but I have had success with carrying a 35lb. bag of fertilizer on it.I have carried a 55lb. bag of dogfood on it.My daughter sold cookie dough as a fundraiser for her school. We will make delivery of the product through the neighborhood this evening with a full size cooler on it. If you find yourself in a similar position I would certainly reccomend a look at it.
---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
valve cover bolt thread pitch and dia?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:54 pm
by oldrider25
'Cuz it would be very difficult to prove it was their fault after so
many weeks. I bought an off-brand Helicoil kit for $26 which included
the inserts, tool, and tap. It's about a 10-min operation to
drill/tap/insert.
John
--- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Gary LaRue wrote:
>
> Why don't you take it back to them and make them unscrew what they
screwed up?
> Lash
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: oldrider25
> To:
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 10:58:00 PM
> Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Valve Cover Bolt Thread Pitch and Dia?
>
>
> Well, a number of months ago, I had my valves adjusted by Del Amo
Motorsports in Redondo
> Beach, CA. It would appear they overtorqued the right side front
valve cover bolt. I noticed
> an oil leak that got progressively worse. I went to check the torque
on the valve cover bolts
> and the one bolt just spun. Crap. At least I can get to it with a
drill so I can insert a Helicoil.
> What a PITA.
>
> Anyone know the thread pitch and dia helicoil insert to use? I don't
have a thread pitch
> gauge and I might have to order the kit online if my local machine
shop doesn't have any. I'm
> going to a machine shop tomorrow and will take the bolt with me. I
used to get my inserts
> from a foreign auto parts store in Hermosa Beach. But, they've long
since folded.
>
> John
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
valve cover bolt thread pitch and dia?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:23 pm
by rcoker2882
> Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Valve Cover Bolt Thread Pitch and Dia?
>
>
.
>
> Anyone know the thread pitch and dia helicoil insert to use? I don't
have a thread pitch
I had the same thing happen to mine a few thousand miles ago, I
actually think I had my torgue wrench set on the wrong setting, I took
the cover bolt to the local hardware store and they had a heli-coil
type kit in stock that matched the metric bolt but I don't remember the
size. The reason I'm writing is to warn you, when it is drilled out it
absolutely must be drilled straight and then tapped straight because
mine ended up just a little cocked causing the shoulder bolt to not
line up and seat down through the valve cover all the way and I had to
use a large hole washer on top so it would press the cover down tight.
Ron
Missouri
valve cover bolt thread pitch and dia?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:20 pm
by Gary LaRue
Yeah, I understand that. I have a diesel Volkswagon Golf which I take to a dealer for routine servicing which, at 10K miles can be months apart. I've become quite friendly with the service person there, even recognizing my voice when I call. Once, they left a couple of bolts out of my engine cover and it took me about thirty thousand miles to finally get it fixed. Not because they didn't do it, but because I kept forgetting to mention it to them after the first time. Bottom line was that they didn't replace one because it was stripped out. I looked him in the eye and told him that I don't wrench on my car (true) and if it were stripped, they should repair it. He took it right back in and I left with all the bolts in place.
If I wasn't a regular customer I suppose they may have refused. Maybe not. On the other hand, it sounds like a quick easy fix for you. Hey, we each do what we think is right, no?
Lash
'Cuz it would be very difficult to prove it was their fault after so
many weeks. I bought an off-brand Helicoil kit for $26 which included
the inserts, tool, and tap. It's about a 10-min operation to
drill/tap/insert.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
valve cover bolt thread pitch and dia?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:02 am
by oldrider25
Thanks for the tip. But... Such "modifications" are expected from us KLRistas.

To wit: The plastic "ears" and "nipples" have long since broken off of my radiator shrouds. I
drilled and zip tie them to my radiator and radiator overflow guards.
John
--- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "rcoker2882" wrote:
>
> I had to
> use a large hole washer on top so it would press the cover down tight.
> Ron
> Missouri
>