Stripped engine right side engine / slider?

[ABQFJR]

I had to do both sides on my bike. Spent many hours thinking, pondering and worrying. Spent about 5 minutes, drilling, tapping and dropping in a helicoil. On the Gen 1, both sides can easily be done without removing anything.
Originally put anti-seize on after doing this job. Had to re-torque several times. Do not require anti-seize on this. Had to pull off and clean. Since the helicoil is steel and the bolt is steel, they don't corrode where they meet.

Also, maybe stupid point, but when you break the tip off the end of the helicoil, it doesn't actually go into the engine, it just drops down in front of it.

Helicoil seems to be fine with the torque since it should only go to 35 ftlb.

Helicoil kit did cost $90. But have done both sides, 2 other bikes and still have a few inserts left. Have had to do some brake rotor bolts that got striped as well.

Maddad,

I know this thread is a little old, but hopefully you'll read this and be able to answer/clarify:

You were able to install a helicoil on the LEFT side of the engine without having to drop the engine at all? There was no issue drilling/tapping/installing THROUGH the frame hole?

I'm losing thread on both sides, and would like to fix it. The right side would be easy, but I've been uncertain about the left due to the lack of space afforded by the hole in the frame.

Although my bike is a Gen 2, I believe this section of the bike wasn't changed from Gen 1 to 2 (or to 3, for that matter).

 

[BigOgre]

Ok, my turn. But with a question.

Had the fairings off of my '04 over the winter and like the OP and others, the right side slider bolt was difficult to remove. Not a constant resistance though but only as the bolt came around to a certain point, almost like a high-spot or something where it would tighten and squeal a little then turn freely again. It did this for about the first half-dozen turns out (where I was also holding my breath and tightening/loosening little by little) and then gradually getting easier as it backed out. Seemed like the last half came out without any resistance at all.

Looked at the threads on the bolt and couldn't see anything obviously damaged. Dug out the OEM bolt and carefully compared the two, both looking the same thread-wise. I cleaned up the slider bolt and started it back in but at about halfway I came across the same binding so took it out. I then tried the OEM bolt and that's what brings me to post here. That bolt went back in fairly easily although I did feel some of the same 'high-spot' resistance in about the same area just much less of it. Took that bolt out, cleaned it up real good and gave it just a touch of anti-seize and I could now almost turn it all the way in just by hand with no hint of resistance. Of course now I had to try the slider bolt again but that was just like before, no change.

So the OEM bolt is back in and torqued down but as I'd rather not ride around with a big hole in my fairing, I thought I'd throw it out here for thoughts and ideas. Don't want to do a Time-sert/Helicoil fix if it's not necessary. K&G sliders btw installed for several years and last removed maybe two years(?) ago. Don't recall ever noticing anything with them before. Also going to look harder for that thread Geezer mentioned earlier also. TIA.

 

[ionbeam]

Spend money , get a 'chase' tap and chase the hole. Off to Harbor Freight........

A chase tap is slightly smaller than a regular tap. In terms of the real world a regular tap would work, but there is always a but(t). You should use oil on the tap and gently work the tap in a few turns, and out a little bit, then in again and oil the tap again. The object is to keep the tap cutters free of any metal bits; the oil works to float any metal bits out of the threads. The nice thing about a chase tap is that being slightly smaller in diameter it mostly corrects threads and clears any corrosion and will zip right in with much less chance of breaking. Which brings us to the big but -- if you do break the tap in the hole your best recourse is to ride your bike to a machine shop and have them $$remove$$ the broken tap 'cause you can't do it without really making a cluster of it.

Or, you can anti-seize the offending bolt, torque it up and forget about it and let any future, foolish owner fight with it

 

[Geezer]

I recall someone posting years ago about the bolt on the R&G sliders being a slightly different pitch than the stock bolt. Since you are turning that bolt into threaded aluminum it would not be difficult to get a slightly different pitch thread into the hole.

If you can, verify that the bolt for the slider is indeed exactly the same pitch thread as the original bolt. The easiest way I can think of is to take both bolts to the hardware store and try them in a steel nut. If they are not exactly the same then all you need is a new bolt of the correct pitch and length.