SuzukiSavage.com - Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute!

YaBB Newbies

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 3

Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute!
10/31/23 at 13:05:13

I'm wondering if this has happened to anyone else before? I noticed loud muffler noise on way home and found that the bolt had fallen out somewhere on the road. My bike is fairly new, just recently passed 10k miles on it.

Maybe the bolt wasn't torqued enough at the factory?

Well, I was wondering if I need to replace the gasket as well or just get a replacement bolt and bolt it down? I've already ordered the bolt (Suzuki 09104-08026) online.

Back to top

20231031_120235_1.jpg

IP Logged

verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28771 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute! Reply #1 - 10/31/23 at 17:31:17 Not much torque holding it in, everything needs to be checked every so often. Exhaust N-m \| ft-lb pipe clamp bolts 18.0 28.0 \| 13.3 20.6
Back to top	Versey's Place Tech Section Index IP Logged

ChadaNelson YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3	Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute! Reply #2 - 10/31/23 at 23:59:48 Makes sense I guess. What other bolts should you check periodically. Or is there a list somewhere? It'd be handy info to have.
Back to top	IP Logged

Gary_in_NJ Serious Thumper Offline LS650 Cafe Racer Posts: 2628 Amongst the Twisty Roads	Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute! Reply #3 - 11/01/23 at 05:02:51 Looks like you lost the nut and stud.
Back to top	A life-time student of motorcycling. LS650 Cafe, DRZ400SM, FZ6N, SV650S, CB900C, Ducati ST2, CB550F-SS My LS650=> http://suzukisavage.com/yabb2.2/Attachments/Left.JPG IP Logged

Dave

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 17825
Camp Springs, Kentucky
Gender: male

Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute!
Reply #4 - 11/01/23 at 05:24:45

Gary_in_NJ wrote on 11/01/23 at 05:02:51:

Looks like you lost the nut and stud.

The stock header attachment is a bolt (no stud). It is a fancy bolt with an acorn shaped top and it is chrome plated.

I have never lost one - when I install them I put on some never seize and just snug them down with one hand on a 1/4" drive ratchet....they should be snug - not tight! After a few rides I will check it for tightness by using the same 1/4" ratchet.....if it feels tight I leave it alone. (Checking tightness does not mean you need to turn the bolt and tighten it more - it means you apply about the same amount of pressure that you used the first time, and if it doesn't move leave it alone). I do believe that the never seize helps to prevent the bolt from coming loose once it sets up - but for certain it also helps to prevent the bolt from corroding or galling and helps prevent it from getting stuck permanently.

If you doubt how tight it should be - you can use a small torque wrench that is suitable for low torque values. Don't try to use a 150 lb torque wrench as they are just to big to accurately torque to small values. My Craftsman 150 ft/lb torque wrench won't give me a reliable clicks for anything under 40 ft/lbs.....maybe other brands are better.

Back to top

Someday I will be old......But not today!

IP Logged

Ruttly Serious Thumper Offline Thumpers Rule Posts: 4997 Manteca , CA Gender:	Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute! Reply #5 - 11/01/23 at 09:02:45 I use a stud , torque nut to spec and then add another nut as a locknut. No problems so far. Ain’t as purdy as stock chrome bolt , but it’s still there.
Back to top	The Topic Terminator IP Logged

ohiomoto Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2693 WTF is JOG?	Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute! Reply #6 - 11/01/23 at 17:33:51 https://www.partzilla.com/product/suzuki/09104-08026?ref=e95bd799c6b0e2206a7b...
Back to top	IP Logged

SoC

Senior Member

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 498
New Jersey
Gender: male

Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute!
Reply #7 - 11/01/23 at 20:27:29

Happened to me once on my '03' when I first got it. I went to hardware store and bought a stainless bolt to keep the bike rolling until I got back to shop. Got a OEM replacement from dealer, installed it and torqued it and haven't had a problem since. Never happened on the newer S40. That said when I installed the new OEM bolt I applied some anti-seize and torqued it and it has been good since. I did re-torque the S40 when I got it and haven't had a problem.

To be honest, I ride the S40 about 20 percent of miles and the '03' LS about 30 percent of time and my Honda Fury the other 50%. Combined my Savages get about a 1000 miles a year, so problems are slow to develop.

I think big thing is to use some anti-seize and assure torque is correct. In end it is a steel bolt into aluminum, and expansion coefficients are different so everything you do to assure good tight fit is important. Anti-seize helps with heat discrepancies.

Back to top

IP Logged

ChadaNelson YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3	Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute! Reply #8 - 11/01/23 at 21:56:39 Thanks for all the input everyone! I'm assuming never seize and ant-seize are the same thing, right?
Back to top	IP Logged

Ruttly Serious Thumper Offline Thumpers Rule Posts: 4997 Manteca , CA Gender:	Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute! Reply #9 - 11/01/23 at 22:19:06 Yup
Back to top	The Topic Terminator IP Logged

och

Serious Thumper

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 616

Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute!
Reply #10 - 11/03/23 at 20:57:05

I have a feeling a lot of bolts on these bikes are not of a high grade. Whenever I buy bolts, I get class 10.9 for metric or grade 8 for imperial when I intend to use them for automotive application. These decorative cheap chrome plated bolts on the S40 exhaust look really cheap. You might want to upgrade them with this kit, works much better.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063RHGFG

Back to top

IP Logged

Gary_in_NJ

Serious Thumper

Offline

LS650 Cafe Racer

Posts: 2628
Amongst the Twisty Roads

Re: Lost Head bolt/exhaust manifold bolt enroute!
Reply #11 - 11/06/23 at 05:57:54

I disagree with this statement. The hardware used on the S40 is appropriate for the application. Just swapping hardware for the highest grade doesn't make any sense at all. Have you done the Rockwell analysis and determined the necessary yield to achieve the proper torque? Obviously that question is over the top, but that's how hardware selection is done by the OEM. The "strongest" bolt isn't necessarily the best bolt, and sometimes it could be the absolute worst decision.

Regarding the pitting of the chrome, I've seen plenty of Mercedes, Porsche's and other high-end cars with pitted chrome. Chrome must be cared for BEFORE it begins to pit. If you start caring for it once it shows signs of environmental damage, your are behind the curve.

Back to top

« Last Edit: 11/06/23 at 12:25:55 by Gary_in_NJ »

A life-time student of motorcycling.
LS650 Cafe, DRZ400SM, FZ6N, SV650S, CB900C, Ducati ST2, CB550F-SS
My LS650=> http://suzukisavage.com/yabb2.2/Attachments/Left.JPG

IP Logged