Venting My Spleen - Can cross threads be repaired easily?

[Blindly]

Hi All,

Just venting my spleen before I decide to knock down the door of my dealer.

I've just taken the seat off my Suzuki to remove the bikini cover and give the tank a nice full polish for this weekends entertainment. And lo and behold, one of the bolts that hold the seat in place has been cross threaded into the frame. The bolt is OK but the threads in the bike are kn**kered. And guess who was the last person to refit the seat, my local dealer who serviced the bike 4 weeks ago.

I hate finding these things when I can't go speak to them immediately. Now I've got to wait, wound up, until tomorrow and then argue with the dealer about who did the damage.

On a reasonable note, how easy is it to repair this type of damage? Or should I insist they replace the damaged frame?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Grrrrr........

Blindly :x :x

[Biker Biggles]

The dealer should be able to tap the thread out and repair it.Not a big thing but bloody annoying for you to discover it like that. :evil:

[Warren]

you have several options (or they do)

you can use a helicoil to repair the threads, its basically like a bit that you tap into the hole.

or you could use a tap and die set (ive seen them cheap at shows) to make a new thread.

have a look in the back of a haynes manual, it will explain how they work there.

but ive never used any of the methods.

a tyre fitter cross threaded my brake calipar bolts, and as it was about 3 months til i realised, i had no comeback really, but it has resulted in me buying a new calipar.

they have also bent the threads of my pinch bolts on the forks, but ill cross that bridge when i come to it.

[Sid Squid]

If you have a bolt of the same thread size, cut a groove in it lengthwise and then carefully screw that into the damaged thread, this will often tidy the thread up enough for re-use, if not then you can examine further methods.

[Razor]

I'd just re-tap the thread, the bolt is what a 5mm or a 6mm?

[Sid Squid]

I'd just re-tap the thread, the bolt is what a 5mm or a 6mm?
As would I, but I'm guessing that chap in question doesn't have any taps - except maybe in the bathroom - as don't most of the country.

[Anonymous]

I'd just re-tap the thread, the bolt is what a 5mm or a 6mm?

When you re-tap a crossed thread - especially a smallish diameter in a thin section - a nice sharp tap removes a lot of metal ...and leaves behind not much thread at all.

Sid's solution is much better: the bolt is likely to be similar hardness to the frame and will ease the threads back into line rather than cutting away big chunks of metal. Long term solution is an insert or captive nut or similar.

IMveryO.

[northwind]

I've only ever got one seat bolt in, tbh. But I don't know if the pointies need both.

[riktherider]

if you have one use a finishing tap, as you allready have the thread there. if you use a standard tap then it COULD mess the thread up more. you need a tap with a flat end to it which is slightly chamfered before the tap.
or just do what i did when i found out mine was cross threaded, wack a nylock behind the thread and use that instead. much better than the aluminium frame threads.

[Blindly]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Just to update, my dealer was very good. Offered to put it right straight away. Asked me to bring bike in he'd make sure it got sorted. Well, there was I ready for a fight and he took all the wind out of my sails. So I'm off there tomorrow with a wonky seat and be back trying to break the land speed record in the afternoon. :twisted: :twisted: (Only kidding, I'm sensible, no really I am).