Project: 1985 GS550ES

[Thomas Kenny]

Skreemer I sent you a PM. I do not have pods on mine.

I run a K&N and standard air box. Tom

[MelodicMetalGod]

Sheared Bolt! What to do?

So, the plan today was re-install cam-chain tensioner (I had removed it when I removed the starter), re-install carbs (which I finally finished cleaning and rebuilding earlier this week!), re-install air box, battery box, battery, etc (all the stuff I had to remove to make room to remove the carbs).

I got as far as halfway through re-installing the cam tensioner when the bolt sheared off as I was torquing it. I hadn't even reached spec!

Question 1: How to remove sheered bolt? The shear point is about 2-3 threads out of the hole but I've had no luck grabbing it with any tool I own due to the tight space. Here's an older pic of where the cam tensioner is and the tight space in which I have to work. Obviously the carbs aren't on yet, but the space is till tight. NOTE: To be clear the cam chain tensioner is the "wheel" located in the lower right of the pic, just below the intake boot and nestled amongst the oil lines.

Question 2: Where can I get a replacement bolt locally?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[MelodicMetalGod]

Sheared bolt is OUT!!!

Wooohoooo! \\/ Fortunately, I managed to get the little bugger out by adding a pair of 6" bent nose pliers to my tool collection. With them I was able to get a good angle on the bolt and create enough pressure and cross-bite to break the remainder of the bolt loose and get it out clean. My day is SOOOOOO much better now! \\/

[MelodicMetalGod]

Where to find replacement bolts?

So far I've been stumped to find replacement bolts locally (bike shops were closed today when I went looking). Any suggestions?

[CA180]

go check in the phone book for a fastener company... Thats what i do when i'm looking for a random sized bolt. They usually have a guide to measure the thread pitch and what not.

[80GS750]

you are so lucky. i just had to pay out the nose to get 3 broken bolts removed. i also broke off a drill bit and an easy out in 2 of the holes.

ouch ouch ouch

[Nerobro]

Almost without exception, the bolts on your bike are just standard metric thread bolts.

IIRC it's a m5 bolt. nothing fancy. It's not something that's highly stressed, so don't worry about it to much.

What bothers me is what you were torqing it to. much more than snug is way beyond what most of the bolts on the bike need. For instance your valve cover bolts are something like 6lbft.

[550ERAT]

Nice Work So Far Melodic.....here Is A Question For All You 550 Experts. Had The Carbs Rebuilt On My 550e (1983). Replaced The Plugs, Intake O-rings And Even The R/r And Battery. Bike Runs Much Better But...........the Person That Did The Rebuild Was Going To Sync The Carbs With A Sync Tool. He Did Everything The Instructions Say To Do (what To Disconnect And What To Leave On, Which Way The Petcock Should Be, Etc.....) He Said The Bike Would Not Run With The Tool Connected And If It Did, It Seemed Like It Was Only Running On Two Cyls. Is There Something We Are Missing? If Need Be, I Can Have Him Post, He Is Registered Here.

[MelodicMetalGod]

Almost without exception, the bolts on your bike are just standard metric thread bolts.

IIRC it's a m5 bolt. nothing fancy. It's not something that's highly stressed, so don't worry about it to much.

What bothers me is what you were torqing it to. much more than snug is way beyond what most of the bolts on the bike need. For instance your valve cover bolts are something like 6lbft.

The cam tensioner isn't highly stressed? Hmmm. I wouldn't have guessed that.

The torque according to the FSM for the Cam Tensioner Mounting Bolt is 6-8 N-m (.6-.8 kg-m, or 4.5-6.0 lb-ft). Does that seem excessive?

[Killer2600]

The cam tensioner isn't highly stressed? Hmmm. I wouldn't have guessed that.

The torque according to the FSM for the Cam Tensioner Mounting Bolt is 6-8 N-m (.6-.8 kg-m, or 4.5-6.0 lb-ft). Does that seem excessive?

No but at that torque I'm surprized you were able to shear the head off. 6 lb's is slightly more than snug, anything stronger than cheap plastic should have stood up to the test...

[550ERAT]

Bump!! Did Anyone Read My Post Above?

[Dave8338]

If it won't run with the sync tool hooked up, you must have something wrong. Are you trying to sync them all together or one at a time?

[MelodicMetalGod]

No but at that torque I'm surprized you were able to shear the head off. 6 lb's is slightly more than snug, anything stronger than cheap plastic should have stood up to the test...

Agreed. My only guess is that the bolt had aged in dog years for the last 22 years! :-D

[MelodicMetalGod]

Almost without exception, the bolts on your bike are just standard metric thread bolts.

IIRC it's a m5 bolt. nothing fancy. It's not something that's highly stressed, so don't worry about it to much.

....

FYI: Turned out it was an m6 that was the match.

[MelodicMetalGod]

It's Alive and it wants to Run!!!!!!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Twice around the block and NO issues!!!!! \\/

I finally got the time (and the bolts, at Ace Hardware) to complete final phase of re-installing the carbs, air box, battery box, igniter, fuse box, battery, fuel tank and then the seat! (I haven't seen the seat on this thing in over two months. I almost forgot what it looked like!).

I fired it up late last night for just a moment. Started on the first try! Almost couldn't sleep in anticipation of taking it out for a test ride around the block today. Had a ton of stuff to do before I could get to the bike today, but when I finally did, again, it started right up, like it was just as anxious to get out of the garage as I was. It's like we were cured Vampires that hadn't been outside in the daylight for centuries.

Now that it's running I'll start thinking about how to make it even better, but for the moment I'm just gonna get it registered and enjoy riding! \\/ \\/