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PPS - After browsing your photobucket account, I think I can see the root cause of your problems.

You've got a car tire on that bike! :nono: Now, didn't we warn you about bad stuff happening with those things?
Oh shit...Another data-point. Somebody alert the naysayers!!

Squeal, I will tell you that the Timesert solution sounds the best to me. I grew up in the machine shop that my dad owned for 30 years. I would swear they used to be called Keen-Serts, or something like that, but a lot of the aluminum work they did for government contractors called for either Helicoils on light duty stuff, or Keen-Serts for big jobs that required strength.

If they are meeting Government spec for nuclear components, I wouldn't stress putting one in a bike head.

 
Maybe if you are able to do the repair yourself with help from the Forum...no need to blow off the kids Christmas presents and birthday presents?

Good luck on your fix...
Looks like the part you are looking for is 3P6-11190-00-00 - COVER, CYLINDER HEAD 1 $128.59 from Stadium Yamaha Throw in 5JW-11193-00-00 - GASKET, HEAD COVER 1 $16.39 and you can save Christmas and your bike.

 
Maybe if you are able to do the repair yourself with help from the Forum...no need to blow off the kids Christmas presents and birthday presents?

Good luck on your fix...
Looks like the part you are looking for is 3P6-11190-00-00 - COVER, CYLINDER HEAD 1 $128.59 from Stadium Yamaha Throw in 5JW-11193-00-00 - GASKET, HEAD COVER 1 $16.39 and you can save Christmas and your bike.

Negative on that one squirrel buddy.

That is just the valve cover and valve cover gasket. The plugs screw into the head, not the valve cover (you knew that!)

If he wants to replace the head w/ new it'll be more like $1151 for a new head plus ancillaries (head gasket, lots of other gaskets, not sure what the "head" comes with. Looks like it comes without any valves).

 
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Squeal - I wish I could give you some sound advice, but I'm about as mechanically-inclined as your average retarded toad.

With that said, I'm still following this thread and wishing you the best of luck, 'cause I'd be screwed.

 
Looking at the Timesert website it should work withuot removing the head as there is no tab to remove. I have had good luck packing the tap with grease to contain the chips. I also do the tapping with the exhaust valve open and blow out the chamber with air. if any chips are left behind they will get burned up and they are soft. If it was mine I would go for it and expect good results. Looks like the kit is around 115.00 and the 10 MM kit is what you want.
I had one done on another bike way back. A mechanic had the exhaust valve open and maintained high air pressure with a large compressor connected and sealed to a muffler outlet to blow scarf up and out while putting in the insert. It worked well.

 
Maybe what I've experienced is unusual but when I remove the sparks plugs they are almost always slightly loose. I tighten them to the recommended torque but they're never very tight at removal. Don't use anti-seize and don't see the need for it.

I usually tighten new plugs twice. I'll compress the new washer to the correct torque, loosen the plug and then tighten and torque again. I'll go 16K miles or so before removing the plugs so they usually stay in place for at least 20 months.

Don't know if spark plug threads are like bolt threads but the first three threads on a bolt carry almost 3/4 of the total clamping load. The first six threads carry 98% of the load.

"There is little point in having more than six threads in anything. Nuts with National Coarse threads typically have 5 threads in them, whereas nuts with National Fine threads have about 8 threads. Nuts are usually stronger than the bolts they are on, which is to say that the bolt will usually break before the nut strips."

https://www.gizmology.net/nutsbolts.htm

 
While I am sure it is outdated information now that we have engineers that study metal coatings and know a lot more than I do. I have been taught and have always practiced, if the metals are not the same type they get anti-seize. If you have to be able to get it apart again, it gets anti-seize. Almost every bolt gets some kind of treatment, anti-seize or loc-tite. Since my first VW Bug, I have anti-seized every plug I have put in for any reason. Not had a stuck plug since I started using the stuff. With the exception of a few heavy handed cross threads, every stripped plug I have had to fix was lacking anti-seize.

When you do get those holes fixed, no matter how you choose to fix them: chased, heli-coiled, or time-serted. Make sure you put a little anti-seize on the threads. I always use the silver stuff but the gold stuff may work too. In my experience even wheel bearing grease is better than nothing.

 
The only time I ever used anto-seize on plugs they backed out. Never used it since, never had an issue with removal. I wouldn't even consider it on lug nuts!!!

 
+1 - I always put anti-sieze on spark plug threads and lug nut/bolt threads. It just makes life that one little bit easier. ;)
And changes torque specifications by 30%-40% because it lubes the threads.
Which would be (only partially) true if one were to actually use a torque wrench for spark plugs threaded in an aluminum head. It is also probably within the the (non)calibration gauge R&R error range of most of our home mechanic, DIY torque wrenches. Did you get yours calibrated recently? Me neither.

I say partially because, when was the last time you pulled a spark plug and the threads were pristinely clean? Generally there will be some film of motor oil or other spooge on those threads already. So you can't really use the "dry thread" torque value as a baseline anyway. Not to worry... the engineers should have already taken that little tidbit into consideration when developing the service torque specs. Well, all of them except the Yamaha motorcycle engineers who spec ridiculous drain plug torque values. :blink:

I do not routinely use a torque wrench on spark plugs (or drain plugs, or many other relatively low torque fittings in alloy holes), as it is a great way to pull out the threads due to over torquing (even without anti-sieze). Some things require a torque wrench. Spark plugs and drain plugs just ain't one of them.

FWIW - you only put anti-seize on the threads of wheel lug bolts, not the seating surfaces. In many (most?) cases, this is called for in the appropriate FSMs.

The only time I ever used anto-seize on plugs they backed out. Never used it since, never had an issue with removal. I wouldn't even consider it on lug nuts!!!
I don't know what you did, but you did it wrong. Been using antisieze on items previously mentioned for decades with never a problem. And as I said, you only put it on the threads. Not the seating surfaces.

Hmmm... I wonder if the "anti-seize" tangent is enough to push this into NEPRT...

 
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Quick update for everyone. I removed the tank and was able to get a much better work angle and visibility. I had not touched #3 plug yet and guess what? Lo and behold it was siezed too!! These are the factory plugs as far as I can tell, so this happened from the factory or since that time they have dilectrically welded themselves. There was no anti-seize on the plugs. They are NGK and supposedly you shouldnt need sleeze on NGK plugs. At least that is what they advertise. I have found different. I have ALWAYS sleezed my plugs and never ever had this problem. You can rest assured It gets used on all my equipment. I also use dielectrical grease on all my connectors and boots. So back to the update. I managed to clean up #1 and #3 with a plug tap. I coated the tap in grease and caught the filings. I have been using a shop vac with a small tube to get down in the holes. I fought number two hole for three or four hours and cannot remove the broken plug from the head. I have ordered an EXTENDED Timesert kit. The kit was $220, but should make it easy. I will keep you all updated. The kit should get here before Thanksgiving. Hopefully I can have my sweetie up and running within two weeks. I am taking my time and being very careful. Worst case scenario; I will have to pull the head. So I am trying this first in the hopes I can save myself the $2000 repair bill. You have to pull the motor out the bottom to get to the head; at least unless you are Houdini. The R&R flat rate just for the head was quoted to my at $1600. That does NOT include head bolts, gaskets ad infinitum. So you see I dont have a lot to lose by trying at this point. I am really disappointed at Yamaha for their total dismissal of my problem. They declared it was a "maintenance issue" and told me that the plugs should have been changed at 12 months. Well that was several years before I owned it; so I had no control over the time frame. I thought they would be good about it, but they are like every other big corportation. They are only interested in the initial sale and once you are down the road they couldnt care less about you. Terrible customer service. Rotten attitude on the phone. I was very polite and courteous to them. The basically told me to go F#@* myself......I will let you know how the HOME repair turns out. Wish me luck. TZ

 
You have to pull the motor out the bottom to get to the head; at least unless you are Houdini.
Wait, wait, waaaaaait a minute, Tyler..... that doesn't sound quite right. :huh:

I know Mike Luke from Desert Valley Powersports has done a metric buttload of tickers back in the day, and I just don't seem to remember the lower block being removed when he pulled the head. (Though it has been a while, since the tickers were fixed many years ago.)

Perhaps it was more an issue of removing the engine mount bolts and rotating the engine in place (obviously a very slight amount) to gain the necessary clearances to pull the head... can't really recall, it's been too long.

But I think it merits a phone call to him Monday....

Man, this fucking sucks monkey balls.... :angry:

 
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First off, let me say that I truely feel bad that this happened to you. It sucks and I hope you get it fixed with out to much trouble or money spent. With that said, I really don't understand how you can blame Yamaha for this. It is a used bike that is almost 5 years old!! You have no idea what the last guy did. He could have pulled the plugs once a week for all we know. Like I said, I really feel bad for you, but I know if I sold a bike in 2007 and had a guy come to me in 2011 and ask for me to cover needed repairs I'd tell him to pack sand too.

 
If it comes down to it, instead of spending $2000 top fix the head, maybe you should shop for a new (used) motor on the web and just replace the whole thing. It should cost about $1K instead of 2 and you'd have a butt load of spare parts left over.

 
ugh, rotten worse-than-luck.

It is a used bike that is almost 5 years old!!

You have no idea what the last guy did ...
yeah, kinda the way my thoughts go.

... the original owner possibly replaced plugs at the 600 mile service in a bit of proud new bike owner fanaticism, and

managed to do a royal job on first 3, before getting the technique down for plug #4.

Not that it fixes the bike any better, though. Best to you.

 
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Those plugs look like they have more than 1,100 miles on them. Usually Denso plugs are used from the factory and you have NGK??? I think somebody has been in there before you. My two cents

 
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