Repairing Threads in Outer Fairing
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,377
Likes: 647
From: Santa Clarita
Yep. This is the answer to the OP's question. Do not pass go, and ignore all the other answers. Get you a half dozen or seven of these, and keep 'em around, you'll use 'em all eventually. The slotted side goes in first, acts as a thread cutter. There's another thread on this topic a couple three weeks back.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 469
Likes: 20
From: Lawrenceville, Ga
I noticed last evening when I was installing the outer fairing on my Road Glide that one of the screws going into the outer fairing never tightened up as the others did. I was just wondering if anyone has been able to repair these threads in this situation or should I just resign myself to using the next larger screw. I would think that a threaded insert or even maybe a helicoil might work and keep the problem from developing again. If you've repaired these with good result I would like to hear about it.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...erts-pics.html
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,590
Likes: 31
From: Western Illinois, land of bad roads, and corrupt politicians
It's a ROAD GLIDE. There are no brass inserts. 
Yep. This is the answer to the OP's question. Do not pass go, and ignore all the other answers. Get you a half dozen or seven of these, and keep 'em around, you'll use 'em all eventually. The slotted side goes in first, acts as a thread cutter. There's another thread on this topic a couple three weeks back.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,999
Likes: 55
From: Bay Area
Hey Shooter, you think theyll get it with the 3 stooges icon. Agreed theres no brass fittings on a RG. Dang batwingers!
A solution I have heard of but havent tried yet is to take a piece of abs plastic sprinkler pipe and shave off fine shavings in a containor and add a little acetone and mix it up. fill the hole with it and when it dries drill the proper size hole. Id suggest to try it on something besides the fairing first.
A solution I have heard of but havent tried yet is to take a piece of abs plastic sprinkler pipe and shave off fine shavings in a containor and add a little acetone and mix it up. fill the hole with it and when it dries drill the proper size hole. Id suggest to try it on something besides the fairing first.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,590
Likes: 31
From: Western Illinois, land of bad roads, and corrupt politicians
Hey Shooter, you think theyll get it with the 3 stooges icon. Agreed theres no brass fittings on a RG. Dang batwingers!
A solution I have heard of but havent tried yet is to take a piece of abs plastic sprinkler pipe and shave off fine shavings in a containor and add a little acetone and mix it up. fill the hole with it and when it dries drill the proper size hole. Id suggest to try it on something besides the fairing first.
A solution I have heard of but havent tried yet is to take a piece of abs plastic sprinkler pipe and shave off fine shavings in a containor and add a little acetone and mix it up. fill the hole with it and when it dries drill the proper size hole. Id suggest to try it on something besides the fairing first.
I don't know.... they are after, all just batwing drivers.
The ABS filings and acetone actually sounds like a good idea.
But I discovered the ultimate way to have non stripped fairing holes.
Have a FedEx truck hit you, and let them buy a bunch of new parts, including a new fairing.
I found a brass insert at Ace HW last night that accommodates an 8-32 machine screw. I won't know if there is enough meat to install it until I remove the fairing again, so that may be a while. I also purchased some Mr. Grip, so that will be my temp fix because it can be accomplished without removing the fairing. I may check to see how big the Harley inserts are, it is possible that they might work. I really don't see why Harley would use inserts in the batwing, but not in the Road Glide. Stripping these holes seems to be a common problem. I can tell you I have been very careful not the apply too much torque to these and this one still stripped out, so I believe that the others are not far behind.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 469
Likes: 20
From: Lawrenceville, Ga
Just think how much faster it would be if you had a Bat Wing
This coming from a TriGlide that ya just know is SOOOOO aerodynamically designed!
This coming from a TriGlide that ya just know is SOOOOO aerodynamically designed!
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Joe Kucinski
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,999
Likes: 55
From: Bay Area
Actually I have repaired a bat wing and it was neglected for a while, it was a royal pitfa trying to remove the old insert w/o f@#$ing up the exterior finish. Frankly I would rather fix a sharknose, especially since I have a plastic mig type manual feed welder.
Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 992
Likes: 2
From: TN
I noticed last evening when I was installing the outer fairing on my Road Glide that one of the screws going into the outer fairing never tightened up as the others did. I was just wondering if anyone has been able to repair these threads in this situation or should I just resign myself to using the next larger screw. I would think that a threaded insert or even maybe a helicoil might work and keep the problem from developing again. If you've repaired these with good result I would like to hear about it.