why does it seem that every project that this stupid bike needs turns out to be a 4 month catastrophe?
I had a header stud break back in september. One bolt. Thats it. Of course it broke off flush so I have to drill it out. My father, with good intentions, somehow convinced me to try the pilot hole and EZout method despite my uneasiness because of all the posts from you guys saying "DONT USE AN EZOUT because it will break off". Well the ezout never got a chance to break off. The tiny cobalt drill bit broke off in the hole. After buying and trying several other bits, including left handed, to try to get the cobalt out I decide I will have to rotate the engine and send the head to a machine shop. Rotating the engine was a victory for me that I never thought I would actually do so thats good. Pulled the head off and took it to a friend who worked at a machine shop. This should have taken him about ten minutes to drill and re tap the hole. After two and a half weeks of calling and him dodging my phone calls I drove the two hours to the shop and picked up the head and a tungsten carbide drill bit. Got it back home and the carbide tip goes down to the cobalt and wont go any further. It SHOULD be cutting through it like butter!
So after 4 months of great fall weather that I could have been out riding in, the bike is still on jacks, the engine is still open, I still have no way to drill this dumb header stud out and I found out that after I bought a tape and die set that it doesnt seem to have the right size anyway.
So, since september I have spent probably about 40 hours, almost 200 bucks on tools, drill bits, George's stud removal tool and gaskets from two different harley dealerships and the internet. YEA! I know WHY i ride a buell while I am actually riding it but right now I am not so sure why I continue to deal with it.
This sort of thing has happened to me for the past 3 years. Always in the fall, having good weather that makes me itch to ride and cant!
So, what now?? I am seriously considering just putting the whole thing back together and just ignoring the fact that I am missing a header stud and hoping that one will do the job.
I had a header stud break back in september. One bolt. Thats it. Of course it broke off flush so I have to drill it out. My father, with good intentions, somehow convinced me to try the pilot hole and EZout method despite my uneasiness because of all the posts from you guys saying "DONT USE AN EZOUT because it will break off". Well the ezout never got a chance to break off. The tiny cobalt drill bit broke off in the hole. After buying and trying several other bits, including left handed, to try to get the cobalt out I decide I will have to rotate the engine and send the head to a machine shop. Rotating the engine was a victory for me that I never thought I would actually do so thats good. Pulled the head off and took it to a friend who worked at a machine shop. This should have taken him about ten minutes to drill and re tap the hole. After two and a half weeks of calling and him dodging my phone calls I drove the two hours to the shop and picked up the head and a tungsten carbide drill bit. Got it back home and the carbide tip goes down to the cobalt and wont go any further. It SHOULD be cutting through it like butter!
So after 4 months of great fall weather that I could have been out riding in, the bike is still on jacks, the engine is still open, I still have no way to drill this dumb header stud out and I found out that after I bought a tape and die set that it doesnt seem to have the right size anyway.
So, since september I have spent probably about 40 hours, almost 200 bucks on tools, drill bits, George's stud removal tool and gaskets from two different harley dealerships and the internet. YEA! I know WHY i ride a buell while I am actually riding it but right now I am not so sure why I continue to deal with it.
This sort of thing has happened to me for the past 3 years. Always in the fall, having good weather that makes me itch to ride and cant!
So, what now?? I am seriously considering just putting the whole thing back together and just ignoring the fact that I am missing a header stud and hoping that one will do the job.
