I have searched here and on EBay and can't find info, which I know I've seen, about a complete bolt set to replace the sorry a$$ed cheap bolts on a Savage engine.  It seems that every time I tear it down, a bolt breaks or bolt threads strip or a bolt head strips.  This time it was two bolts on the cam assembly cover and one of the header-to-cylinder flange attachment bolts.  So now I'm not only pi$$ed about the bolts breaking, I'm also pi$$ed about the Search function here not working like it should    !!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I feel better now.  Can anyone help me find the bolt set so I can order one?  Thanks in advance.

This is clearly homework that needs to be done, and a possible money maker.  One of these days when I'm not up to my eyeballs in projects I'll start a thread on "What fasteners suck worst?" with subcategories like "apparently made of cheap Chinese pot-metal" and "PITA to remove and would be better if they were hex or allen head."

With that information one could make a list of the most-desired fasteners, place a bulk quantity order at McMaster-Carr, assemble kits, and sell them.  

So far I've only delved into the carb screws and decided allen heads would be better. What I know about the cylinder head bolts, valve hatch bolts and other sub-par fasteners is all hearsay.  But I bet I'll have a good sense of the good bad and ugly once I go in to torque the head bolts..

EDIT: but then if some dude on Ebay already did it...  

The stock engine case bolts have a section of them between the threads and the head which is a little thinner than the threads.
They also have wider bases, larger diameter bases than the allen bolts. Both of these combine to give you a better bolt than the straight on allens which definetly are smaller heads. The stock bolts are designed to break than strip the threads when you over torque them. They also are going to have lower seat pressure with the same torque than the smaller allens.
I would definetly replace the phillips ones with allens though - for sure.
Cool.
Srinath.

 The soft screws and bolts that come on jap motorcycles are soft so they don't vibrate lose.

On some applications on the bike, you shouldn't use stainless steel bolts, as there is a certain bolt strength required. You shouldn't replace bolts with for example 10.8 or worse 12.9 rating, as SS bolts don't even get close to that. Stainless steel is a somewhat tough but not hard material, and is not suitable for cylinder heads and such. I have worked with this stuff for years. You tighten one down and it seems to stretch like rubber. Therefore use it only where strength is secondary. I have lots of SS bolts on my bike, but nowhere safety related.

ralfyguy wrote on 07/06/09 at 14:09:53:




Absolutely right!  Do not use stainless for head bolts for anything requiring heavy torque.  They break easily.  I always use grade 8 for any serious applications.

well! my english is'nt so good, so I found nothing with the search function. Can somebody please help me with a complete list of all the bolts, washers etc. needed for a complete change to stainless? I have access to a company with a complete, metric. stainless collection for free The owner of the company ow's me a lot, and it's hard for me to use all that stainless steel

Stainless I thought was harder than grade 8. 12.9 I thought was the metric equivalent of the SAE 8.

I dunno, I stay with stock for all engine bolts, I think they have a necked design which is better IMHO.
All the body bits get SS ... in fact the side cover bolts and the air box screws etc, definite allen button head SS.
Cool.
Srinath.