AUTO
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Chapter VI: Engine Re-build #2 01/12/02During the first re-build I performed on the engine back in Vancouver, I over-torqued an engine case bolt (Doh!). These bolts are long, but fairly skinny, and do not require a large amount of torque. Foolishly, I used the only torque wrench I owned (one of the larger ones best reserved for crankshaft bolts and lug nuts) to try and achieve the proper torque. The result was a stripped case. I was both frustrated at what I had done and excited that I was so close to completion of my first engine re-build. I decided to just fill the stripped hole with liquid thread (which did virtually nothing), and continue with the re-build. After about 500kms of riding, there was no evidence of oil leaks or damage resulting from the stripped bolt. I had always planned on taking the engine apart and heli-coiling the stripped hole whenever the opportunity arose (in terms of time to do it and/or a period in which the bike would be inactive). In the meantime, after conferring with a local motorcycle mechanic, I may not have to tear the motor down after all. He noted that the bolt is small in diameter, and uses minimal torque, such that if I can locate a slightly longer bolt and catch a thread or two more at the bottom of the stripped hole, I should be O.K. As soon as I have the motor cleaned up, I'll pull the stripped bolt out, check how deep the hole actually is, and see if there might be a thread or two intact down there somewhere that a longer bolt can grab. Fingers crossed... So as it stands there may or may not be an engine teardown in the near future. Either way, the stripped hole will be heli-coiled on the next teardown, whether that be in the next couple of months or the next few years...
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