Trying to change pipes on my newly-acquired sportster and I've stripped one of the bolts coming out of the head! []
&nbsp\\;
I can't seem to fix it with a die![>:]
&nbsp\\;
What kind of trouble am I in?
&nbsp\\;
Thanks in advance,
&nbsp\\;
Ron
&nbsp\\;

 

See my signature, If it aint broke, fix it till it is. , did you round the head or strip the bolt? Try to re-thread it

 

It's just a stud. You can get a stud remover from Sears or your local hardware store and then replace it with a new stud. It's not that hard, just a pain when you'd rather be riding. Just be sure to get some Lock-Tite for when you go in with the new stud.

 

take the bolt totally out and replace it with a better bolt from a hardware store.

home depot has a small wood panel with various sizes nuts and studs on it and you bring yours and find the correct size so you cant go wrong. usually in the fasteners section right by the selection of all the various bolts and crap

dont try to fix the threads on a stripped bolt, it will never work the same.

when you replace it, check the exhuast often for the first day or two or riding,

 

Man that is a tough one.

good luck

 

You can spend two hours dinking around with a vise grip (which may or may not cause collateral damage to the cooling fins) or you can take 10 mins with the right tool. I've done this dozens of times with exhaust studs on air-cooled airplane engines, which have cylinder designs that are similar to HDs.

You also want to be very careful about taking a short cut and just finding a bolt that will fit into the cylinder hole. That hole was DEFINITELY not made to have bolts turned in and out of it multiple times. (You strip that hole out and you get to enter the wonderful world of helicoil installation, which ain't fun...)

The most important thing I learned from the old hands is this: Good tools don't cost, they pay.

 

Stud remover is a neat little (or big) tool.&nbsp\\; Hope you find one the fits wherever you need to go.

 

Worst case scenario I'd say take it to the dealer and have them grab a new one for you, might cost a little more but then you know you have the right one.

 

New studs from the dealer are only a couple bucks! Get a stud remover and do it right. easy job!

 

its been all day, get it done bud?