Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet with the UCE engine => Topic started by: mattsz on October 08, 2012, 08:38:43 pm
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I started my bike today and heard a faint clattering sound - quickly chased it to the shield on the silencer. One of the three hex-head screws securing it was gone. I went to the hardware store with allen wrench in hand (pocket, actually), and removed a second screw to find a match. It came out with little difficulty, with threads slightly surface-rusty but otherwise intact. The shortest replacement I could find was just a hair longer than the original.
I put both back on the bike (they both went on fairly easily), and sure enough, the longer screw bottomed out just before the head clamped down on the shield. I thought I'd grab a washer to fill the gap, but... darned if I could get either screw back out again. After I got home, I waited for things to cool down a bit, then went after both screws with penetrating oil, all the while thinking I was going to strip the hex socket or break the tool (not likely to break the head off the 6mm screw). I eventually got them both out, with threads intact, but what the heck is going on here? I was going to lock-tite them, but now everything is saturated with penetrating oil. Anyway, I don't see how they would have come out on their own as tight as they were.
Ideas?
Will residual penetrating oil bother blue lock-tite? Will blue lock-tite work at all with the heat of the exhaust?
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Heat promotes oxidation. Thing that get hot rust faster, simple as that.
I threw those silly little allen head screws away the first time I got them out. I replaced them with standard hex head bolts in stainless steel. I had to cut them down a bit but that was easy enough with a Dremel. Now when I need to take them out past the accumulated rust I know I can get enough torque to do it.
The residual oil will block Loc-Tite. Just use some solvent and a Qtip to clean them out. At those temps no LocTite is going to hold BUT it will fill the gap with it's plasticky-ness and help prevent more rust.
Scott
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The Loctite will work, but a better plan is to get a different muffler. I had the same problem with my stock muffler the day I picked it up. I heard the rattling but kinda dismissed it, and a few weeks later, got an EFI muffler and when removing the bazooka, found the heat shield screws loose.
Bare
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My Boys!!! ;D
Thanks guys! I think I would like to replace the bazooka with an EFI, but I don't want the bike to be any louder. Anyway, that will probably be next season's "project".
Solvent: Alcohol? Acetone? Mineral Spirits? (That's all the solvents I have...)
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My Boys!!! ;D
Thanks guys! I think I would like to replace the bazooka with an EFI, but I don't want the bike to be any louder. Anyway, that will probably be next season's "project".
Solvent: Alcohol? Acetone? Mineral Spirits? (That's all the solvents I have...)
Mattsz, I would enjoy a drink while doing it... Alcohol works really well.. ;D
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Acetone would work fine. You just need something that will cut the oil.
Scott
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I doubt that Loc-Tite will last in that area of the muffler.
Based on the colors of the chrome plating I would guess it could get well over 700 degrees F.
A heavy split lock washer would probably do a better job of securing the screws.
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Yeah, but it can't hurt either.
Scott
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Heat promotes oxidation. Thing that get hot rust faster, simple as that.
+1
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A heavy split lock washer would probably do a better job of securing the screws.
... and, the washer might just be thick enough so I don't have to shorten the screws...