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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
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Message started by eau de sauvage on 06/17/17 at 20:23:15

Title: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by eau de sauvage on 06/17/17 at 20:23:15

I am barely believing this, just reassembling after tappet clearance adjust, and I have been trying to finagle the timing cover bolt on for about 3 hours all up. That's the bolt that you remove to turn the engine.

No matter how carefully and gently I try to screw it in while keeping it square it immediately wants to go on cross threaded. When that happens I don't force it, as soon as I feel some resistance I back off and try again. I've been able to hold it square and keep gently turning it but it behaves as if it is reverse threaded, that is then screwed on the right way it just won't bite, when it does bite I can see that it's in at an angle and cross threaded.

Spent about two hours yesterday and thought I'd try it fresh today, with no luck. The threads on the bolt look fine, the threads on the stator cover look fine, I've brushed both out with a toothbrush but I'm stumped.

Is there some trick, has anyone else encountered this? I've not had any problem the previous few times with this bolt. Not sure what to do here.

Oh and I also dropped the speedo seal down the starter black hole, but this is the least of my problems at the moment. Update, just discovered how easy it is to get the starter motor off, thanks to this forum, what a lifesaver, so that's fixed.

All I need to do is get this friggen timing bolt back in and I'm out of ideas.

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by gizzo on 06/17/17 at 20:52:56

Did you drop the screw or something? maybe the thread is burred on the end. It could be a tiny bit anyway if you've accidentally cross threaded it a bit the first time. Run a hacksaw blade around the entry of the screw's threads, see it it cleans them up and straightens them out. A thread file's better but not everyone has one. Once a thread has gone in crossed once, they like to do it each time after that. Especially the fine threads. That's all I got. Good luck.

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by eau de sauvage on 06/17/17 at 21:59:55

OK thanks, yeah the bolt is fine so if there's a problem it must be on the stator cover. But I don't understand how as I just screw it in by hand and you can't get much torque on it as you can only hold it by the edge. I ran a pointy tool around the female threads but it didn't help.

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by verslagen1 on 06/17/17 at 22:30:01

Maybe you can get someone to chuck it in a lathe to see if there is damage to the threads.

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/17/17 at 23:53:31

Rotate it CCW until the start thread drops into place. Then, gently start with the CW direction

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by eau de sauvage on 06/18/17 at 00:21:01

Hi Jog, yeah I did try that, it's dark again here now, will try again tomorrow if I don't have any luck I'll have to take it to the local bike shop and see if they have an idea that doesn't involve taking the whole stator cover off. In between trying to get this bolt on I've managed to install a new cam gear on my Bernina 730 Record! Sometimes I hate this Savage so much, it's the small things that they have managed to make so freaking annoying. I feel like if I stop paying attention to it, something like the cam chain tensioner or some other thing will destroy the engine. Really forces you to give it a lot of love.

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/18/17 at 06:41:06

You can eyeball the male threads on the plug. If it's dinged and distorted, a small triangle file should solve that.
Eyeball the female threads in the case. Surely you haven't dinged that, but, if you don't see a problem with the threads on the plug, where else can IT be?
The o-ring is seated flush?
The CCW till it falls in place start is something I use on some things. Just because it didn't work out doesn't mean it's not your best bet.

The start thread is a Make or Break thing. You're describing a problem that could easily be nothing but a slight deformation of the very last thread on the End of the plug.

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by IslandRoad on 06/18/17 at 13:26:12

Eau, most mobile phones have a macro setting for close up pictures ( even without that you can still enlarge an image pretty well).

If you can get a light down by the female thread you might be able to get a photo that you can inspect more closely. I've done this to read hallmarks on jewellery.

Might be a bit tedious, but might also give you chance to see what's going on.

I think JOG is right, if you've eliminated everything else then it has to be the first part of the thread - on the bolt or the housing.

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by eau de sauvage on 06/18/17 at 17:46:16

thanks everyone. The male plug threads are definitely perfect. I tried to get some macro close up shots with my iPod but I'd have to have the bike up on a ramp to be able to photograph the female threads all the way around!. Just sent the gf up to the bike shop with the hole covered with some cardboard and taped up. Maybe I'll just keep the cap and get a new bike to fit.

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by eau de sauvage on 06/18/17 at 18:24:15

OK fixed, one person at the bike shop was having the same problems as me, someone else had a go at at it and after a few tries it went on. Next time I'll jack the bike up and turn the engine with the wheel.

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by IslandRoad on 06/18/17 at 19:24:09

594B5F5C4B4D4F2A0 wrote:

... Maybe I'll just keep the cap and get a new bike to fit.

Good idea! I'll take the old one off your hands. I won't even charge you too pick it up ;D ;D ;D

Title: Re: Timing cover bolt won't go on. Really!
Post by IslandRoad on 06/18/17 at 19:24:32

Glad you got it sorted :)