While new to this site. The stupidest thing I've done

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Goldtop

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Joined
Dec 31, 2017
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Location
Dartford Kent
While new to this site I thought I'd share my dumbest thing I've done in my journay to the total restoration of my 1100.
Take it before I start that this was a total strip down with everything off the frame and engine heads off while out of frame. Drive shafts rebuilt and all panels removed stripped and resprayed including the tank sections removed off the frame.
Ok now you know what I did achieve now comes the dumb moment.
Installing the cams wit new seals and then putting the pullies back on with woodruff keys. I looked up the torque for the pulley bolts and they set about the first one. Torque in two stages as I usually do. Second stage and snap!. Bolt shears.
Now why I decided to torque this I've no idea.
I went with a sheepish look on my face to the local repair shop who I know do welding. He spared my blushes by only laughing for 5 minutes. He then saved my bacon by spot welding the woodruff and pulley back into place. I paid him and installed the repaired pulley.
He gave me a very good piece of advice. Only torque the head bolts. Anything else use your judgement.
That was the last time I torqued any other bolt again.
I came very close to a large paperweight of an engine.
Lesson learned.
 
I thinkbyour friend gave you some bad advise Goldtop, torque values have a purpose and that's why that bike has stayed together for thirty or forty years and stayed sealed in the proper places. I couldn't understand where the welding was done from your post other than the general area of the cam and key because you said you installed it after it was welded. What actually broke ? Oh and welcome to CGW!!!
 
Welcome to the forum. I think you been the victim of a previously abused bolt. If not overstressed before, or by you, it shouldn't have broken. I confess to having broken bolts too, but never with a torque wrench in my hand. If you did anything close to dumb, it was trusting a welder instead of getting multiple solutions here first.
Now, my dumb act was breaking the wires to the coil of a starter solenoid I was trying to rebuild for my gl1100. I felt pretty stupid after that one. Had to rob the starter solenoid from a cb750 parts bike in the attic, haven't had starter issues since!
Good luck on your rebuild.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=199641#p199641:3nrznjfn said:
Goldtop » Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:49 pm[/url]":3nrznjfn]
While new to this site I thought I'd share my dumbest thing I've done in my journay to the total restoration of my 1100.
Take it before I start that this was a total strip down with everything off the frame and engine heads off while out of frame. Drive shafts rebuilt and all panels removed stripped and resprayed including the tank sections removed off the frame.
Ok now you know what I did achieve now comes the dumb moment.
Installing the cams wit new seals and then putting the pullies back on with woodruff keys. I looked up the torque for the pulley bolts and they set about the first one. Torque in two stages as I usually do. Second stage and snap!. Bolt shears.
Now why I decided to torque this I've no idea.
I went with a sheepish look on my face to the local repair shop who I know do welding. He spared my blushes by only laughing for 5 minutes. He then saved my bacon by spot welding the woodruff and pulley back into place. I paid him and installed the repaired pulley.
He gave me a very good piece of advice. Only torque the head bolts. Anything else use your judgement.
That was the last time I torqued any other bolt again.
I came very close to a large paperweight of an engine.
Lesson learned.
Okay let me see if I'm reading this right. He spot welded a replaceable woodruff key to the cam? Left the broken bolt in the cam and spot welded the pulley to the cam? I guess if your only tool is a welder everything needs stuck together permanently.
 
Thanks for the replies. I need to put one thing straight but I do accept that there are many other solutions.
The bolt is the one that holds the pulley on the cam with a washer under it and the woodruff key is inserted before into its slot beforehand. The bolt sheared at the head of its length.
At the point I was at I had just finished the heads and this was final assembly before the new belts. The weld repair is a tack on the point where the woodruff key the pulley and cam all meet. To remove you simply grind off the weld. He did it in front of me to prove it was easy to remove.
Its a quick fix I guess but not unsafe. Just different. The old sheared bolt can be removed by spark erroding. That's a job I've had done before on the forks to remove bolts from the legs that hold the front fender on. They are small and very prone to breaking.
I am blessed with many local engineering shops from platers to engine shops and the dark art of metal finishing. The brake pistons are custom made stainless steel by a small shop that makes model engines for hobby aircraft.
 
The pulley being a part that relies on the bolt and washer to pull it on and hold it true, I’m not entirely sure I’d feel comfortable with it tack welded on as a permanent solution, concidering also that the absence of the bolt might allow “slop” movement to bang away at the woodruff key or also movement that could potentially break the weld loose.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for other ways of getting things done but this is a place that I think should be bolted like it was designed.
 
dan filipi":39nwrny6 said:
The pulley being a part that relies on the bolt and washer to pull it on and hold it true, I’m not entirely sure I’d feel comfortable with it tack welded on as a permanent solution, concidering also that the absence of the bolt might allow “slop” movement to bang away at the woodruff key or also movement that could potentially break the weld loose.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for other ways of getting things done but this is a place that I think should be bolted like it was designed.
Dan.
Yes you are right and certainly the issues you mentioned are possible. Its not a fix I would recommend to another as with many fixes sometimes it's your bike and your life. If this were a garage fixing my car or bike like this I would be the first to shout. The weight of responsibility is mine.
I checked it recently when I checked the tensioner pulleys. All is well. Its been like this for about 30 k now .
Dan I would never ignore advise given by you as you have helped me so much in the past on G W F.
Would I fix this again with a spark erode and new bolt when pulleys come out again. Very much yes.


Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=199727#p199727:1do011sc said:
Goldtop » Today, 1:47 pm[/url]":1do011sc]
Thanks for the replies. I need to put one thing straight but I do accept that there are many other solutions.
The bolt is the one that holds the pulley on the cam with a washer under it and the woodruff key is inserted before into its slot beforehand. The bolt sheared at the head of its length.
At the point I was at I had just finished the heads and this was final assembly before the new belts. The weld repair is a tack on the point where the woodruff key the pulley and cam all meet. To remove you simply grind off the weld. He did it in front of me to prove it was easy to remove.
Its a quick fix I guess but not unsafe. Just different. The old sheared bolt can be removed by spark erroding. That's a job I've had done before on the forks to remove bolts from the legs that hold the front fender on. They are small and very prone to breaking.
I am blessed with many local engineering shops from platers to engine shops and the dark art of metal finishing. The brake pistons are custom made stainless steel by a small shop that makes model engines for hobby aircraft.
I owned a machine shop for many years, the weld will not hold, it will break and cause many bad words. to get the bolt out is very easy, first, never....never use an EZ-out, go to the local bolt supply house and buy left hand drill bit and a center drill, (some people who dont know better call them combination drill/counter sinks ). First you center drill the end of the broken bolt, then use the left hand drill bit and start drilling into center drilled hole, the drill will 98.9% of the time spin the broken bolt out.
 
deanbw":ww2ctnq6 said:
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=199727#p199727:ww2ctnq6 said:
Goldtop » Today, 1:47 pm[/url]":ww2ctnq6]
Thanks for the replies. I need to put one thing straight but I do accept that there are many other solutions.
The bolt is the one that holds the pulley on the cam with a washer under it and the woodruff key is inserted before into its slot beforehand. The bolt sheared at the head of its length.
At the point I was at I had just finished the heads and this was final assembly before the new belts. The weld repair is a tack on the point where the woodruff key the pulley and cam all meet. To remove you simply grind off the weld. He did it in front of me to prove it was easy to remove.
Its a quick fix I guess but not unsafe. Just different. The old sheared bolt can be removed by spark erroding. That's a job I've had done before on the forks to remove bolts from the legs that hold the front fender on. They are small and very prone to breaking.
I am blessed with many local engineering shops from platers to engine shops and the dark art of metal finishing. The brake pistons are custom made stainless steel by a small shop that makes model engines for hobby aircraft.
I owned a machine shop for many years, the weld will not hold, it will break and cause many bad words. to get the bolt out is very easy, first, never....never use an EZ-out, go to the local bolt supply house and buy left hand drill bit and a center drill, (some people who dont know better call them combination drill/counter sinks ). First you center drill the end of the broken bolt, then use the left hand drill bit and start drilling into center drilled hole, the drill will 98.9% of the time spin the broken bolt out.
Thank you. I will try that. Cheers Andy

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
canuckxxxx":5h008lhj said:
Welcome to the site Andy. :wave: Do you have any pictures of your restored GL...we love pictures here.
I've put one onto the gallery.
I hope it's still there.


Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=199744#p199744:23ra7aoa said:
Goldtop » Thu Jan 25, 2018 6:42 am[/url]":23ra7aoa]
canuckxxxx":23ra7aoa said:
Welcome to the site Andy. :wave: Do you have any pictures of your restored GL...we love pictures here.
I've put one onto the gallery.
I hope it's still there.

That is a good looking bike...nice work. Those don't look like the original handlebars, what are they?
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=199744#p199744:1nl8utiw said:
Goldtop » Thu Jan 25, 2018 8:42 am[/url]":1nl8utiw]
canuckxxxx":1nl8utiw said:
Welcome to the site Andy. :wave: Do you have any pictures of your restored GL...we love pictures here.
I've put one onto the gallery.
I hope it's still there.


Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


image.php
 
backlander":1kblzsa3 said:
Nice Bike, I always wanted a Standard.
That's the reason I got it. When I started riding this was the bike to have.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
canuckxxxx":ryehmzjb said:
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=199744#p199744:ryehmzjb said:
Goldtop » Thu Jan 25, 2018 6:42 am[/url]":ryehmzjb]
canuckxxxx":ryehmzjb said:
Welcome to the site Andy. :wave: Do you have any pictures of your restored GL...we love pictures here.
I've put one onto the gallery.
I hope it's still there.

That is a good looking bike...nice work. Those don't look like the original handlebars, what are they?
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Canuck.
Yes very much so. They still have the Honda "Ensure you wear a helmet..." stickers on them. Only the handle bar clamps are aftermarket. I still have the originals.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
I'm a retired machinist and I second the advice of using a left hand drill and retaping the threads to remove burrs and clean out the hole. DO NOT ride that bike with only a small weld holding the pulley on. If it comes off you will have a paper weight.
 
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