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Where does the long bolt go?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ian Donahue
  • Start date Start date
I

Ian Donahue

Guest
Hi everyone. I took my valve cover off my 1983 GS850g for shimming, and I thought all the bolts were the same length but when I was bagging them for safe keeping, I noticed that ONE bolt was slightly longer than the others. I have confirmed via the fiche that there are 18 bolts of one length and ONE slightly longer, alas, the fiche does not indicate where the lone wolf goes. Does anyone have any idea where this goes? Should I just go at it with the regular bolts and when one doesn't catch that's the one? FYI I did not remove the breather.
 
Must have been tough getting the cover off with the breather in place. I don't remember right off hand as I always lay them out in order on the floor systematically. Maybe use a toothpick or something to measure the depth of each bolt hole then hopefully it will be apparent which needs a longer bolt.
 
I ran into this issue recently, I just drop them all into the holes and look for the one that sticks up, move the tall one around until they all look about the same.

I had 2 longer ones and IIRC it was at the front of the engine.

I do the same with the side covers when they get mixed up.
 

When I remove bolts from covers I make a cardboard template.
I roughly draw the cover - and it's position on the bike - (Forward - Left-Right -Rear)
Then shove the bolts through in the correct place on the template...
Then when I put them back - they go into the right place -
And - as a bonus - the cardboard is a terrific 'keeper' holding all the bolts in a safe place for me.

 
Burque73 said:
Must have been tough getting the cover off with the breather in place. I don't remember right off hand as I always lay them out in order on the floor systematically. Maybe use a toothpick or something to measure the depth of each bolt hole then hopefully it will be apparent which needs a longer bolt.
Click to expand...

Yes I had to push the throttle and shifter cable out of the way, and there was some finagling, but it came out.
 
Wingsconsin said:

When I remove bolts from covers I make a cardboard template.
I roughly draw the cover - and it's position on the bike - (Forward - Left-Right -Rear)
Then shove the bolts through in the correct place on the template...
Then when I put them back - they go into the right place -
And - as a bonus - the cardboard is a terrific 'keeper' holding all the bolts in a safe place for me.
Click to expand...

Like button......

I did draw an outline on a piece of plywood but just layed the bolts loosely on it. Luckily I didn't kick the plywood.
 
Just for future clarification. The 45mm long bolt goes into the center-left front hole.
 
Kiwi Canuck said:
I just drop them all into the holes and look for the one that sticks up, move the tall one around until they all look about the same.
Click to expand...

This is what I do. Same thing for all the engine covers and when splitting the engine cases. Fussing with a template just slows things down.
 
Nessism said:
This is what I do. Same thing for all the engine covers and when splitting the engine cases. Fussing with a template just slows things down.
Click to expand...

I'll start at a known position and remove the bolts in clockwise fashion. As I remove the bolts I stick them through a piece of cardboard. If removing more then one cover I mark the row of bolts with what cover they were off of and start another row for the next cover. All of this assumes that, after 35+ years nobody put the bolts back in the wrong place.;)
 
JTGS850GL said:
I'll start at a known position and remove the bolts in clockwise fashion. As I remove the bolts I stick them through a piece of cardboard. If removing more then one cover I mark the row of bolts with what cover they were off of and start another row for the next cover. All of this assumes that, after 35+ years nobody put the bolts back in the wrong place.;)
Click to expand...

Unless you're on the other side of the Equator, then it would be a counter-clockwise pattern :p
 
Nessism said:
This is what I do. Same thing for all the engine covers and when splitting the engine cases. Fussing with a template just slows things down.
Click to expand...

The template fussing DOES slow things down - for me that's a good thing - I tend to miss things when I get going too fast
And my meager mechanical experience is NOT a fall-back position -- so I prefer to slow down and take precautions such that I stand a pretty good chance to get it all back together...

;)
 
You guys would have had a heart attack if you saw me at work rebuilding a bike. I literally toss every bolt in a box and jumble everything together. Sometimes it's a game to find a "set" of fasteners all with the same head markings to attach a certain part. No big deal though. As a fallback I take lots of photos showing the head markings before busting down the bike. I never worry about having the proper length bolt though, that's a nobrainer. Just make sure you have a bolt that sticks out about 3/8" before screwing it in and you are fine.
 
Nessism said:
You guys would have had a heart attack if you saw me at work rebuilding a bike. I literally toss every bolt in a box and jumble everything together. Sometimes it's a game to find a "set" of fasteners all with the same head markings to attach a certain part. No big deal though. As a fallback I take lots of photos showing the head markings before busting down the bike. I never worry about having the proper length bolt though, that's a nobrainer. Just make sure you have a bolt that sticks out about 3/8" before screwing it in and you are fine.
Click to expand...

GASP...just had a stroke lol.
 
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