Helicoil for Dummies - R100GS Fork Clamp Screws

1-15-08

But NOOOOOOOO!!! Finally stripped the second M8 screw on my fork tubes!
The first one on the left side I fake-secured it with a new screw and it's not completely gone.
At any rate, I won't blame myself too much as the right side screw had already been Helicoiled, the threads came out with the screw. I have a bad habit of over tightening stuff. My bad.
Oh, I have two Helicoil kits already, an M6 and an M12...but do I have an M8? NOOOOO!!!
I'm pissed because I know how expensive they are.
But once you buy them, you have enough helicoils (for one size) to last you several decades...I guess they figure you have a shop and you'll need them the way you're going.
Bummer is, you can't just buy the coils...oh no, gotta buy the kit...I've paid as much as $42 for one.
So, off to NAPA Auto Parts to by a M8 Helicoil kit. I'm just glad the local store has them at all.
GADZOOKS! $59 for an M8 kit!
Steady....steady...nothin's too good for my old GS....no.

A nice sharp drill bit works best and a good eye (I have one) will carefully aligned the hole.
I'm drilling out with the exact size specified on the kit 21/64ths. I have a drill bit that size that I inherited.
It's a brand-new bit from Harbor Freight so it should be ready to toss after this...
withthe correct bit...wow, $59 and no drill bit...

A spot of cutting oil on the provided tap does wonders. Clarity in photography is a wonderful thing...

Ever-so-gently we line up the tap in the hole and easy in the tap with a nice 1 turn forward, 1/2 turn back, to cut and then break the thread shavings.
I clear it out by reversing the tap all the way out feeling for consistency and the tapping back down and cutting more.
Once you hit the bottom of the hole, or close to it, you want the full girth (I like that word "girth") of the tap tool. This indicates your threads are complete and will accept the screw fully...or is it screwfully?...

Oh, air, we need air. Clear out the shavings with some compressed air.
You should have done this after the drilling too, dummy.


I feel that it's my responsibility to state that one should always wear proper eye protection ...Mr. Draves in 9th grade metal shop would have been proud...
...

Insertion...easy there fellas... the Helicoil is then screwed onto the Helicoil insertion tool,
yeah, that's what I call it, and then you use the tool to screw the Helicoil into the hole you've tapped.

I used a box-end wrench to turn the assembly. You'll want to thread it in as far as it goes.
Patience is a virtue, yet somehow this feels so wrong...

Since the GS axle has a compression cut that acts like a clamp when the axle screws are tightened, you'll want the Helicoil to go past the cut and into the back section of the fork casting.
The forward facing side will have threads now also. No sweat, this won't hurt a thing.

A little Locktite Blue might be a good idea.
Try note to get too sloppy with the blue stuff...O.K.?

Finally, for dog-sake, read the torque specs in the manual and use a real-live torque wrench to tighten to spec.
I believe this one is 15NM...so pay attention.

...and next time don't be such a ham-fisted gorilla with the tools!