Hope this isn't that bad....

[manshack_one]

ok. I guess I was missing something. I thought for some reason the threaded stud stayed in place and the barrel nut took care of holding it down. Went right past me somehow. Might as well replace them all like you said. So what are the specs on these bolts (length, thread, etc.). Will I need a lock washer with them? Since my PO did just enough to keep it on the road there are lots of things not exactly original on the bike so I have to solve these mysteries as I go along.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Manshack,

They are 8mm size, and should be 1.25mm pitch according to info I found in some searches. I went to the local hardware store a good while back, and bought some SS bolts, but then read a warning from Dan Hodges(experienced race car builder) about NOT using SS bolts or studs for head exhaust bolts/studs due to the thermal/chemical welding that occurs between the SS bolts and the aluminum head!

The OEM nuts do not use lock washers. I got flat washers to use with the bolts, cause once the exhaust is secured and bolts tightened, the heat usually locks the nuts in place. But I have also had one vibrate loose and OFF during a rally, had to get a nut from autostore to fix it!

The PO of the basket case that I have not done much work on had already pulled the studs from the head.

Looks like I may go back and get some regular steel hex head bolts instead of the SS ones, so that I could use some mild blue threadlock. Others may say to use ANTISEIZE, since steel can also develop chemical bonding to aluminum.....IIRC!
T.C.

[manshack_one]

TC, the 8mm is the size of the head right? How long over all does the bolt need to be? I'm not sure how deep that hole is.

[John]

OEM Flange nuts

I run across a couple of header nuts and studs today. The studs are short and from a Special, and the nuts are OEM. Ya want 'em?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Shack,

8mm is the diameter of the threaded part!! The length will depend on the type of exhaust, the flanges and their distance from the head. You'll want to do some measuring, how deep into the head the bolt can go, how far out it needs to protrude to reach the header flange, etc.!
T.C.

[manshack_one]

John, hold 'em for me for a little bit. I just need one to get the job done so I'll try local first so I can get the bike on the road by Sunday. If that doesn't pan out I'll get a few bucks for shipping to you ASAP.

TC, Thanks for the info. I'll get that stud out of there and use it as a guide when I go to the parts store.

[manshack_one]

Here's what they looked last night after my exhaust clanged to the floor:



Where I marked the stud 'A' is my problem. Concurrent with the theory that the bike had been dropped badly, it would appear that stud had been knocked off completly somehow and a replacement either welded or JB'd in it's place. I know the angle looks funny in the pic but it's straight, trust me. Shouldn't they all look like 'B'?

Also, 1 & 4 are wet on the inside while 2 & 3 look fine. Probably because everything is out of whack on the carbs from me "wrenching" on them. Maybe after the sync it will be better.

Also found that my welder skipped fixing the #2 header pipe where the clamp came off. Words will be had over this issue.

So, it looks like I'm stuck with stock barrel nuts on 'A' stud on #4. But I should be able to swap one of the barrel nuts on 2 with it and get one of those bolts we mentioned earlier to take it's place.

[trbig]

Before you get too awefully deep into this thing, and do a fix on that stud that may or may not work, requiring another teardown, just remember that a good used head isn't all that expensive. That stud has to hold up to a lot of pressure, heat, and vibration.

As Pro stated earlier, if it ever starts leaking, those exhaust gasses can cut through the metal. Maybe it will be on the head, and maybe on the header where it wouldn't seal again even with a good head. A good set of headers will usually run more than a head?!?

If you think you can fix the stud... great! But if it's pretty iffy, you may shop around a bit and get a good deal on a used one.

Just something else to consider.



Tod

[ross]

just a note...have been searching ebay and they do have the valve cover gasket on sale for $12 and if u want the cam chain is $25.....good luck on your project

[manshack_one]

Update Time

Ok, I finally got the exhaust put back on it and took a little test drive. No more leaks from the header gaskets so that's positive. I even pulled the plugs when I got back and 1-3 are great looking. #4 isn't all that great looking. It looked half fouled by gas and half burning right. I decided to go ahead and move into the next stage and try to sync those carbs up. I finally built that DIY carb stick and it looks great but after getting the bike warmed up it just started pulling the ATF fluid into number one. 2 rose up, 3 fell down and 4 pulled up. It just seemed like #1 was the worst though. It ended up sucking some in before I could hit the switch so I have to burn that off before doing anything else. I guess my bench sync didn't go so well, eh?

So my question is, if #1 is pulling that hard, which way do I have to turn the screw to bring it back down?

[manshack_one]

I need a tech day

I can't even remember what all i've done since my last post. main things are changing the oil because of a stuck float spilling gas down into the crankcase and making the bike leave a trail of smoke behind it. Oil's changed so i'm back to trying to sync my carbs. I'm using a diy version with the tubes and ATF fluid. Seems no matter what I do it wants to pull that fluid up into the intake. It may be better for me to build the vaccuum gauge version with the pvc tube until I can figure out what's going on. The again, i do remember a rider from the college station area who said once that if I got it running him and another fella from over there might drive on down one weekend. with that said i may have to start a little contest. I'm calling my carbs un-syncable. if you can sync them I will provide an all you can eat bbq and beer buffet. any takers?

[wa407mpp]

Is that offer open to anyone, I've been known to travel great distances for good ribs, even went to Georgia a time or two .

[manshack_one]

You bet!

Hey, if you come down that kind of distance I'll go around and get ribs from every place in town so that not only do you get an all you can eat, it can be a taste testing event too!

I'm thinking of posting this little offer as a separate thread just to get some more attention to it. I'm sure there are those who have grown tired of me whining about my carbs and subsequently stopped reading my thread.

[manshack_one]

Holy Cow!!

I just realized where you were. google maps indicates a distance of 2416 miles! These ribs better be damn good. that's 2 iron butt rides back to back!!