| Author | Message | ||
     Panshovevo |
I mentioned in an earlier thread that I was encountering some thread inserts in the plastic bodywork that were turning with the screws. Zac4mac suggested spinning them with a drill/driver until the plastic got hot enough to remove them, then separate them from the screw, heat them, and reinstall them. Good advice. I encountered two that still had a fair amount of resistance to rotation when replacing the left side fan yesterday, but not enough to break the screws loose. I was able to clamp vise-grips on the outside of the bosses that contained the inserts, and break the screws loose. I will try heating them in place to melt the plastic around them again (with a soldering iron per Zac's advice) in the hope it will flow back into the external knurling and tighten them up before re-installing the screws. I looked at the old title recently, and realized the previous owner lived on Tybee Island, GA when he registered the bike. Salt air environment and probably no garage...wish I could submerge the whole bike in Corrosion Block. | ||
| Panshovevo |
The inserts I heated while still installed didn't get hot enough to do the job. When I reassembled the shoulder bolts to them, they turned with very little torque applied. I'm going to leave them for now, and next time I take that assembly apart, will either pull the inserts completely out, or possibly will make a threaded tip for the soldering iron that will fit the inserts, and transfer a lot more heat to them. |
