What next? Pics!

[Guest]

Well it seems I have gottin myself into a bit of a pickle.
One of the exhaust bolts had to be removed from the head via drilling.
Started small and worked my way towards the threads progessing to larger bits. So good so far.. Got right to the edge of the threads and simply used a pic to remove as much of the remaining as I could. So far so good. This was prolly a month or so ago and I felt pretty confident I could use a tap to clean up the rest. So I went ahead and focused my attention on other things.
The old skunk was getting close to having an engine and frame rejoining till yesterday when I decided to start tapping the threads
Started very slow and using plenty of lube(oil). Kinda sloppy to begin with but it started working very well. Im on my way.. Having measured the depth of the hole prior to beginning I knew how far to go. Im about halfway home and decide to remove the tap to clean it off and rebegin. Alls well, clean and feels good. I decide to go for one more little bit, and SNAP! I somehow managed to break the tap about halfway in the hole!@!*@. I freakin lost it. Even threw my cap across the garage. No damage except my pride.
I was still at least a few mm from hitting the G spot in that damed hole.
The only thing I can guess is that I measured a clean hole instead of that particular hole and there must have been some leftovers keeping the tap from going the full distance.

I was right to the point the engine was about ready to go back on the bike, then this.

What should I do now? Try to bust the tap with a punch and risk damaging the threads? Dang sure cant drill it!
Topend time?
Never done a topend on anything other than a two stroke dirtbike so that would be a experience I really dont care to learn, less I have to.

My wife is determind that I sell this bike when I get it done but Im not so sure about that one. She just dont know it:-\\\
If I have to go through a chapter of this bike that I really didnt intend to go through I know darned well Im not gonna wanna sell it.


Hey look maw, she rolls!!
Things were going so well!

 

[Steve]

Nice little boxes with a red X in each one. :-\\\

What's it supposed to show? :-k

.

 

[TheCafeKid]

Nice little boxes with a red X in each one. :-\\\

What's it supposed to show? :-k

.

I can see em..

Dunno Octain brother.. Thats a tough one. Those taps are obviously going to be pretty hard metal. I am no machinist, but it looks to me like it might be time to bite the bullet, pull the head and take it to a shop Sorry to see it man, but look at the bright side, if you pull the head, you'll just HAVE to put new rings, valve seals and gaskets in her...

 

[Guest]

Nice little boxes with a red X in each one. :-\\\

What's it supposed to show? :-k

.

Just some random pics of the hoe, err.. I mean hole.
I can see em fine.

So, any suggestions?

 

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. Octain,

I can see your pictures just fine. Being on the road Steve, is your motel service blocking certain content? Did you try clearing your browser cache and reloading the page?

Speaking personally for my own personal self, since I haven't the special tools or special skills for such a job, I'd take the head to a machine shop and let a good machinist fix it. But I'm sure there are many DIY'rs here that will have better advice.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Steve]

Nice little boxes with a red X in each one. :-\\\

What's it supposed to show? :-k

.

I can see em..

Just some random pics of the hoe, err.. I mean hole.
I can see em fine.

Many times the original poster can see the pictures because they came from his own computer, but that depends on how they were posted.

I just did a little digging and found that the Picturetrail host that you used is blocked by the net nannies here at work.

Can't see anything on youtube, either, but Photobucket seems to be OK.

.

 

[Guest]

but look at the bright side, if you pull the head, you'll just HAVE to put new rings, valve seals and gaskets in her...

I reckon
I was kinda concerned about doing a topend do to low compression in one of the cylinders anyway. I have never run the bike, only turned it over enough to put a guage on it.
I was at least gonna try to run it then go from there. Dont look like thats gonna happen.

Ya think it may be more cost effective to just purchase another head?
(sheesh, here we go, searching for more parts again..)

 

[Guest]

I just did a little digging and found that the Phototrail host that you used is blocked by the net nannies here at work.


.

You work?
WTF!

 

[Macguyver]

I have had limited success with grinding down a piece of drill stock to make a 3-"jaw" tool that slides down the sides of a broken tap between the threads and the tap, then using a vibrator from a shell cleaning table to vibrate the tap out while twisting in a counter-clockwise motion.

It was a lot of work making the tool, and it only worked once, and the hole was in stainless steel. I doubt it would work here, but just wanted you to hear a possible method for broken tap removal.

I suppose you could also, as a last-ditch effort, try drilling into the tap with a LEFT hand drill bit, then wedge an easy out into the tap. Might work, but not likely.

Personally, I would take it to a good machine shop.

Best of luck!

 

[Steve]

You work?

No, I just show up often enough, stay long enough and they pay me (not quite enough).

.

 

[Guest]

Thought about the tool method.. Also attepted to drill into the peice of tap thats not in the hole. Good bit in a vise.. Aint happnen!
So I guess I have to decide, another head or have this one repaired.

 

[Guest]

Get a left handed hardened drill bit (start small and get bigger) and drill it out. You know the drill. Pun intended.

 

[Guest]

Get a left handed hardened drill bit (start small and get bigger) and drill it out. You know the drill. Pun intended.

Drill a hardened tap??
Dude..

 

[Dave8338]

Drill a hardened tap??
Dude..

That's how a machine shop is going to get it out...

Though they are likely to mount the whole head in an end mill and have at it that way.

 

[Guest]

That's how a machine shop is going to get it out...

Though they are likely to mount the whole head in an end mill and have at it that way.

Looking for one with a electrical discharge machine.
Plus I dont have a press.

 

[Theo]

Ok this might be a long shot, but maybe you can get/make some kind of two prong tool to fit in the slits that run up and down the tap, and then unscrew it. Just throwing it out there.

 

[Guest]

Ok this might be a long shot, but maybe you can get/make some kind of two prong tool to fit in the slits that run up and down the tap, and then unscrew it. Just throwing it out there.

Not a long shot at all. Im open for anything. Something similar to snap ring pliers come to mind. But the problem is if ya stick something in there it may ruin the threads making the tap even more difficult to unscrew.

 

[Dave8338]

Not a long shot at all. Im open for anything. Something similar to snap ring pliers come to mind. But the problem is if ya stick something in there it may ruin the threads making the tap even more difficult to unscrew.

Rock and a hard place... HELP!!!!!

 

[apogeecustom]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but you said it broke half way in? How about just cutting the bolt down and using what threads you have? The other side of the pipe will give it some strength. Add some thread lock to what you have. Just a thought. I think it only torques to 11ft/lbs IIRC, so its not extreme as it is.

 

[Mekanix]

Clean the threads as best as you can with a pick. Modify some needle nose pliers to fit in the slots around the tap.
Heat up the head to expand it a bit, and work it in and out until it can come out.