Concensus on eliminating Phillips-head bolts?

[Guest]

These phillips head bolts (cap screws) are a major nuisance. I can manage to get most of them out with a combination of vice grips, ratchets, and pieces of wood, but these seem like a nightmare.
I realize that the carb floar bowls need them because of clearance issues, but I don't think that justifies the majority of the phillips heads I see on the bike.

Is there something most people have replaced them with? Is there a reason not to replace them? Even if it's with allen-head cap screws, that seems like a much better option because the allens will stay in without pressure put on them, unlike phillips which need more force pushing down than force required to rotate the bolt.

Just wondering how I can make my life easier...

Cheers

[chuck hahn]

Impact driver works wonders. Find a place that sells the stainless allen head engine kits.

[Road Rash]

I've been slowly swapping out to the allen heads, myself. Tired of cam'ing out on half-stripped screwheads. An allen set fits nicely in the pocket, too.

[WilliamGLX81]

Impact driver works wonders. Find a place that sells the stainless allen head engine kits.

Can you expand on what an allen head engine kit is? A kit with all the bolts that fit into the engine that have allen heads?

[Agemax]

Can you expand on what an allen head engine kit is? A kit with all the bolts that fit into the engine that have allen heads?

you got it, you can get full engine kits, or just side cover kits and carb kits.
stainless steel is the best to use but always dab a bit of copper grease on the threads to prevent reaction with the aluminium

[SVSooke]

Who would replace those wonderful Philips with SS allens?





Chuck's right a impact drive helps but I HATE Philips screws.

[Agemax]

or, if you so desire you can get coloured aluminium allen bolts..........

[jeff.saunders]

Depending on the bike, there are occasionally a few of the Phillips head screws you shouldn't replace. On a couple of bikes, the drive chain clearance stops replacing all the screws on transmission covers otherwise the chain takes the head off the Allen bolt...

Other than on restorations, I tend to use Allen bolts on all my bikes.

[WilliamGLX81]

OOOOOOOOOoooooooh, Fancy! I like those blue bolts... I'd probably be happy with stainless though. They blend in/match whatever. I've been thinking of repainting my gas tank with spitfire teeth on it. The paint's ugly.

Copper grease? Is that like antiseize but with copper? Is this a special issue with stainless suffering from bimetallic corrosion, or is it also happening with the existing phillips heads we have?

PS I replaced all the bolts for the intake boots with 10mm hex-head bolts. Haven't tried to replace any others yet.
I might look into an engine kit, but probably only if I go through and rebuild the engine. In the mean time, I'm replacing the ones that really suck to remove and/or are exposed to a lot of heat.

[Agemax]

antisieze usually contains copper. stainless has a bad reaction with aluminium which causes major problems. it is a good idea to use antisieze on any steel fasteners that connect with aluminium, it just saves problems dismantling later with seized bolts.

[WilliamGLX81]

Everybody's engines look so shiney, it makes me feel like I neglect my poor bike! Poor thing is all bedraggled looking.

[Nessism]

I replaced my stainless steel allen head engine cover screws with a Phillips head kit! OEM look is what I'm after!

[dorkburger]

While i've never tried them, ive heard that Japanese industrial standard (JIS)
phillips type screwdrivers are a proper fit for many phillips head screws on our cycles, as opposed to the typical phillips head screwdriver.

[Steve]

Everybody's engines look so shiney, it makes me feel like I neglect my poor bike! Poor thing is all bedraggled looking.

Sorry, but I have NO idea what you are talking about.

While i've never tried them, ive heard that Japanese industrial standard (JIS)
phillips type screwdrivers are a proper fit for many phillips head screws on our cycles, as opposed to the typical phillips head screwdriver.

That would probably be because none of the fasteners on the bike are Phillips.

They are all JIS.

.

[FLHGSRay]

I've been buying ss allens in bulk at Fastenal. Getting decent prices buying bags of 50. Been using them on the Honda project, but there are plenty left over for the GS.