What to do if you strip your carb bowl screws

[Tanzarian]

Hi Folks,

Thought I would share this little mod I had to do last week to my 78 GL1000. All of my float bowl some screws that had stripped threads so I migrated some of the bolts up from a M4 to a M5 size. Not much too it, just drilled them out to the recommended tap drill size and threaded the holes M5. (just don't drill too far!)

I threaded the bolts in as far as they would go and put nylon lock nuts and lock washers on, as I did not trust them to stay in on their own. This has worked great and will work even better when I buy a carb rebuild kit with new gaskets!!!

I had to grind a little bit off of the outside of the float bowl with a dremel tool to clear the nuts and head of the bolt but there's lots of meat on the corners of the bowls

[Tanzarian]

Well, I don't have enough post yet to post url's so if anyone wants pics, let me know and I will send them to you.

Armin

Hi Folks,

Thought I would share this little mod I had to do last week to my 78 GL1000. All of my float bowl some screws that had stripped threads so I migrated some of the bolts up from a M4 to a M5 size. Not much too it, just drilled them out to the recommended tap drill size and threaded the holes M5. (just don't drill too far!)

I threaded the bolts in as far as they would go and put nylon lock nuts and lock washers on, as I did not trust them to stay in on their own. This has worked great and will work even better when I buy a carb rebuild kit with new gaskets!!!

I had to grind a little bit off of the outside of the float bowl with a dremel tool to clear the nuts and head of the bolt but there's lots of meat on the corners of the bowls

[Frenchy]

Great tip! I use the same method, except I don't use a back up nut.. I use allen head 5mm machine screws. There's also a product by Permatex to repair stripped holes. I plan on trying it out on my next stripped carb screw, & reporting back to the club on it..

[evilratwing]

I have 2 stripped screws... I'm contemplating using some JB weld and fashioning "studs" for those 2 out of cut m4 screws and nuts...

Am I ..nuts? [pun intended]

[jpbadger9]

Really easy way is to use a #8 machine screw. Slightly larger diameter, same thread pitch as 4mm..........

[CYBORG]

I just repaired three of them with Heli-coils. Looks stock and works perfect

[sunnbobb]

Thanks, i do the same. Easy to get the slightly larger crews to thread right in.

[Kentheshoe]

Do you have to worry about galvanic action between the stainless heli-coils and the carb body? McMaster Carr sells "high performance" coils that are coated to keep reaction from happening. I'm doing the carbs on my '75GL and have three bad holes. Using Randakk's kit. Very nice kit. These carbs are somethin' else Just taking my time and trying to do it right. I love this forum. So much great info.

[ericheath]

The right way is helicoil or timecerts. I have forced m5's in. Risky business. I now buy a few extra stainless Allen screws with heads small enough to clear the bowl. I then make three to four relief cuts and grind the tip into my own homemade tap. For aluminum it works fine.

[olchris]

The right way is helicoil or timecerts. I have forced m5's in. Risky business. I now buy a few extra stainless Allen screws with heads small enough to clear the bowl. I then make three to four relief cuts and grind the tip into my own homemade tap. For aluminum it works fine.

+1 ...I have done similar by putting one cut into a bolt now tap, with a 1mm skinny disk and "angle" it so it cuts like the shoulder of a drill but with teeth...

I have various sizes up to 17mm to "clean out" powdercoat, paint and whatever.. If i havent got the correct tap...

Almost a hijack

[Sidecar Bob]

I tend to agree with Randakk on that subject of stainless &/or allen head screws: http://www.randakksblog.com/stainless-s ... ith-carbs/

Stainless helicoils are a different matter, though. I asked Stanley Engineered Fasteners (maker of Helicoil) about that and they said it isn't normally a problem because the fit between the Helicoils & the tapped hole is much tighter than the fit between a bolt and a threaded hole so moisture can't get in to cause galvanic action.

[Toehead]

GL1000 carbs are zamak, and will always be prone to stripping.

It's best to use a time-sert.

GL1100 carbs are better quality castings and I would be more inclined to tap the next largest fastener.

[Pedrotq]

G'day to All

I just stripped two screws in my carb cluster as the PO used wood screws and after all the messing around I was not in the mood to strip them down again to do a proper repair.

The stock screw is an M4 x 0.7mm thread, but you can use a 5/32 x 32tpi screw and she will cut in nicely and tighten down enough (be gentle).

This will get you out of a jam so you can aquire some Helicoils or Time Serts to be fitted in at a later date.

Just my 20 cents worth