Thanks. I've been running into a bad streak of luck lately, so I'm a bit hesitant to touch anything right now....

I am concerned about the tang. The bolts go through the casting, and I'm it's going to need to be broken off. I've got to figure out how to keep it from dropping into the tranmission (where I can't recover it).

 

If this place doesn't have it..it does not exist any longer on Earth!

http://nickscustomcycles.com/

 

Hmm... I wouldn't want that bit of hard steel in there, either. Magnets or grease wouldn't always catch or grab it, either, can't think of a way that would guarantee it couldn't drop inside. Most of the helicoils I've done were in blind holes where the tang could be fished out, or wouldn't hurt if just left there.

An alternative that doesn't leave any steel bits behind is Time-Sert, a solid walled insert. Downside is, the tools to put it in make it way more expensive, bore hole, bore a counter-bore (has a flange on top that has to be flush), and the insertion tool. Some people have said they just used tools they already had, but you'd have to be careful with that and it would be real easy to mess up the counter bore for the insert's flange. You can see how it works in this video:

I've never inquired into it, but if you were interested in a Time-Sert, might ask local auto parts shops if they rent or loan the tools if you get the insert from them. The tools cost more than a shop would probably charge you to put one in - if you could get the bike to them.

When you drill and tap the hole, for whatever kind of repair, there will be aluminum shavings. These probably wouldn't hurt the gears, but I wouldn't want any kind of particles to get in the bearings. I grease the flutes in the drill bit and tap, have had good luck catching most of the shavings that way. Don't go all the way in with one try, do about a quarter inch, back out and clean, re-grease and do some more. That hole is horizontal, so stuff won't fall in if you don't push it in.

 

Thanks guys.

After a bit of poking, I think it's a blind hole. Not really sure, but I've never been inside a Harley 5sp (or any other motorcycle transmission..).

I considered running an 8mm bottoming tap into the hole and going with a slightly larger bolt, but nixed that idea.

I ended up running a clean out tap into the thread, and managed to get the bolt in. I only torqued it to 10 lb/ft, but it was enough to compress the lock wash flat. It isn't 'fixed', but it's 'repaired'. There are three other 5/16 socket heads that hold the bracket on, and I got them all torqued to 12 lb/ft. So I don't think the bracket is in any jeopardy of coming loose.

When I get home from work today, I'll bolt the Thunderheader on and see how everything lines up and 'fits'.

 

This is a little late since you got the bolt to hold torque. 10 ain't much but where its at , bet it will hold.

To many years ago a we were fighting a similar case of not wanting the tang to have any chance of falling in. can't remember exactly what it was on but this what we did for a 5/16 hole.

Cleaned out the hole real well. Installed the helicoil with a bit of red loctite. Then took a 1/4 bolt and cut a slot in the end of it. We put some epoxy glue in the slot on the smaller bolt, slid it in the hole and engaged the tag. Walked off and left it cause it was 24hr glue. Didn't have the quick dry stuff.

Next day after work we used the 1/4 bolt to break the tang off, the tang came out stuck to the bolt.
This may have been overkill but it certainly worked.

WP

 

Nice hack using the epoxy!!!

If it wouldn't have turned down enough to compress the lock washer (or popped up), I would have went with 'Plan B' and installed the Helicoil.

Only time will tell it it loosens up, but at least it's one of the easier bolts to get to. And with three others holding the bracket on, I'm not worried about things falling off...

 

Managed to get a couple of hours in the garage after work. Got the header installed:



The instructions that Thunderheader includes are terrible. I ended up having to remove the right foot board in order to get the header on the bike and aligned. Let me tell you that the last time that was taken off was probably a good 10+ years ago. And whoever put it back on, torqued the hell out of it.

I hope to get some time tomorrow to finish bolting the shields and muffler on. I'm beat...

 

I hope you have better luck, but the clamp loops inside the heat shields were a problem for me. The first one that let loose on me almost gave me a heart attack. I was five hundred miles from home, it was 10:00 at night, and 35 degrees. I thought something in the top end had broken and I was about to experience a catastrophic engine failure.

I wrapped the headers........... no more problems.

 

As a matter of fact, my son (who put a Thunderhead on his old 883 - Christmas gift from dad - and wrapped them) asked me today if I was going to wrap mine.

I'm going to see how the heat shields hold up. I've had a few on the OEM exhaust bust a hose clamp. Thanks for the heads up, it'll be one more 'noise' I can look for...

The more I look at it, the more I'm thinking I should remove the oil spout casting (again) and paint it black.

 

Well you won't get any discouragement from me!