SuzukiSavage.com - How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw?

Koldslaw

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How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw?
07/11/19 at 07:18:53

Good Morning,

Thank you all for your help with my previous post. This forum and its members have been amazing with info and help.

Upon riding my bike around town after fixing it, i am starting to notice that some of the screws don't look right. Yesterday, i was speaking with a savage owner with a bike one year newer than mine (05,06) and i asked him if the screws looked right. He confirmed my suspicions, the seat screw (back) is being held down by a battery terminal screw, the other screw (left side) is a black round headed screw and i think that one belongs there. There is no nut or washer with it either.

Then as i was inspecting my bike, i noticed something that could potentially be unsafe, or maybe causing air leakage and causing my backfiring issues at low idle.

https://imgur.com/a/1UXplvT

This is a photo of the guys bike, not mine. The circle is the bolt that i am missing. I added some other pics to show that the screws are wrong. I plan on ordering OEM screws this payday along with a raptor petcock.

There is a bolt missing on the bottom of the ring thing that is holding the exhaust pipe to the engine block. (if that's what it is, i'm still learning nomeclature)

My question is... Is it safe to be riding this bike missing that screw? Is it damaging the engine? Could that be an air leak causing backfiring?

What is the proper term for that part so i can order the bolt/screw?

I am taking my bike in this saturday to a mechanic to do a thorough inspection on everything since i have minimal knowledge on stuff. The bike is 14 years old and i have no idea if the brakes, belt, have ever been changed.

Any suggestions on what to do maintenance wise? I have already cleaned the carb, changed oil, will replace petcock, battery is new. Will replace sparkplug, air filter. Changed bulbs to new ones already.

Finally, I was riding around yesterday with a half a tank o gas and petcock on "fuel" i was losing power constantly and when i throttled, the bike sputtered and would jerk if i tried to give it gas.

I warmed the bike up and choke out before riding as suggested by another user. Eventually, i put the bike on Prime and the bike rode just fine. I'm convinced the vacuum in the petcock is causing this issue.

Thanks for reading this far and as always i appreciate your help!

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2005 LS650 - 12,999 Miles - new rider -

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verslagen1

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Re: How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw?
Reply #1 - 07/11/19 at 07:33:21

Koldslaw wrote on 07/11/19 at 07:18:53:

https://imgur.com/a/1UXplvT

This is a photo of the guys bike, not mine. The circle is the bolt that i am missing. I added some other pics to show that the screws are wrong. I plan on ordering OEM screws this payday along with a raptor petcock.

There is a bolt missing on the bottom of the ring thing that is holding the exhaust pipe to the engine block. (if that's what it is, i'm still learning nomeclature)

Header bolt.

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Koldslaw YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 25 Albany, NY Gender:	Re: How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw? Reply #2 - 07/11/19 at 08:04:49 Thanks Verslagen, Is it dangerous to run around without it? Is it doing damage to the engine? I have no idea how long it has been missing with previous owner? Thanks!
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stewmills

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Re: How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw?
Reply #3 - 07/11/19 at 09:11:18

Dangerous, no. Could it be causing loss of pressure and resulting in poor running, yes.

Make certain that you put a little anti-seize on that header bolt cap nut before putting the new one on. These can seize over time and it is better to dab a little in there while you have that nut off. And don't hammer these nuts on superman tight. You don't want to risk breaking off the stud in the engine. Just nice and snug.

If you have a local ACE hardware, there is a strong chance the have a matching cap nut.

The running symptoms you mentioned about only running on prime indicate in all likelihood the stock petcock is failing because the innards get brittle over time and stop functioning properly because they lost their flexibility.

The seat screw and batter terminal screw may be the same thread and pitch and it isn't a crisis if that is what is holding the seat on, but if it makes you feel better you can get a regular hex head bolt at ACE also. Stock, I do not think the bolts under the seat have lock washers but it wouldn't hurt to have them. On the rear screw on the top of the rear fender, stock is an allen screw but there is no harm in a phillips screw if that is what is in there and it is the right size.

GET a quote for any services and post it here before you agree to the service charges. Rarely they offer a fair deal and if the prices are ridiculous we can walk you through almost anything. The belt is pretty bulletproof unless someone did something stupid. Rear brakes likely need nothing, front brake pads may need to be changed and we can walk you through that very easily.

Also...the screws on the battery box look right to me from what I remember.

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Koldslaw YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 25 Albany, NY Gender:	Re: How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw? Reply #4 - 07/11/19 at 11:30:58 Thanks a lot! I appreciate the reply.I wasn't sure if the belt had to be replaced like ever 5 years or something? Its got good tension and i don't see any cracks or missing grooves in the belt. Thanks very much for the input. I will heed your advice.
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WunGun Junior Member Offline No cage Posts: 76 Modesto, Ca Gender:	Re: How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw? Reply #5 - 07/11/19 at 11:45:52 Seat mounting bolts have no lock washers. Make them snug and they will hold, at least mine always has. My header was loose and there was popping and slight performance loss.
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28682 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw? Reply #6 - 07/11/19 at 15:52:02 If it's causing too much of an air leak, you could burn an exhaust valve. I wouldn't leave it like that.
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batman Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3806 osceola new york Gender:	Re: How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw? Reply #7 - 07/11/19 at 18:47:44 I agree with Serowbot, it's dangerous in the sense that you could damage the exhaust valves, but there is also the chance that the other bolt will loosen because of no tension from the other side, You should replace it asap. You might want to inspect the gasket for damage as well.
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18105 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw? Reply #8 - 07/12/19 at 03:22:28 Belts go 24,000 miles or more........
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Koldslaw YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 25 Albany, NY Gender:	Re: How dangerous is this missing bolt/screw? Reply #9 - 07/12/19 at 07:54:49 Thank you all for your advice. I appreciate it all!
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