Question on filling/re-doing poorly drilled out stud hole...

[Dave_A]

Ok, here's what I have:

I snapped off a stud on my oil filter cover.

I tried using a screw extractor, but this did not work. The extractor merely made an oval-shaped hole in the stud.

I then tried to drill out the stud completely with a hand-power-drill, but the bit followed the screw-extractor-hole and made an off-center and slightly angled hole.

My solution was to just crank the new stud into the drilled out hole, enlarge the holes in the filter cover a bit, and tighten everything on. It worked in a sense (no oil leaks, and the cover isn't loose), but I'm not to confident that it will hold that well, and I'd like to know if there's any way I can fix it more 'correctly', i.e. fill the hole and have someone re-drill straight, in the right spot, or similar (without removing the engine from the bike...??

Or is the only way to 'fix this right' a new crankcase???

[SqDancerLynn1]

Not sure what it is called but you can use an oversized helicoil It's like two helicoils installed together

[Anonymous]

question on filling

It is possible to weld aluminum. A skilled aluminum welder can do this for you with the gas tank and carbs off of the bike. The hole can then be redrilled and retapped.

[Dave_A]

Re: question on filling

It is possible to weld aluminum. A skilled aluminum welder can do this for you with the gas tank and carbs off of the bike. The hole can then be redrilled and retapped.

So basically, I get someone to weld a plug into the hole, then drill a new one in the correct spot...

[Anonymous]

That seems to be the suggestion. It would work fine. You could probably also fill with JB weld and then re-drill and tap. You could also just leave it, it seem slike you are leak free and there isn't that much pressure behind there.

Good Luck

[Anonymous]

question on filling

Yes, you can do that if that is the way you choose to go. I have not used helicoils so I can't say how well they work. Every time you drill a hole there is a good chance that you will drill it a little off centre or on a bit of an angle unless you use some sort of jig to line the drill up. If your stud comes loose after a few filter changes, try the helicoil. If that doesn't work either, try filling the hole and redrilling. If you are confident that you can drill a good hole and tap it out by all means do that first. Even if you screw it up again, you can just do it all over again. You don't have to throw the crank case half away!!!!!!!!

[earlfor]

Re: question on filling

MY solution for this would be to make a drilling jig. I would get a piece of 1/2" aluminum and using the cover for a pattern to locate the holes, drill the three holes in it so it would bolt onto the engine the same as the oil cover does. Then on the jig for the hole that is
crooked, I would add a 1" thick block of aluminum. (countersink from the backside and machine screw the block to the plate) Then take a drill press and drill the hole all the way through from the backside. You would now have a 1 1/4" deep drill guide for drilling the hole correctly. At this point, you could drill a hole diameter to enable going up one bolt size and then tap and just set an oversize bolt. OR, you could drill for the original size bolt and set it in JB Weld. J B Weld will hold fine as long as the temps do not go over about 350 F and the oil filter cover area does not even come close to reaching that temp. It should not be a problem. Additionally, oil filter cap nuts (if I remember correctly) are only torqued to about 4 to 5 lbs which isnt much strain on the stud mounting.

Earl

So basically, I get someone to weld a plug into the hole, then drill a new one in the correct spot...

[Anonymous]

question on filling

My experience with JB weld is that it becomes brittle and crumbles. If you can drill it and tap it without it doing that (having it crumble) JB weld will probably work just fine as there is very little stress on that stud.

[earlfor]

Re: question on filling

There isnt any need to drill and tap the JB Weld. Fill the drilled out hole, coat the end of the stud and twist it as it is pushed into the hole. Put a small piece of masking tape around the protruding end of the stud so J B doesnt fill the threads you need for the nut. Put the stud into the hole dry first to determine the depth and tape the nut end of the stud.

Earl

My experience with JB weld is that it becomes brittle and crumbles. If you can drill it and tap it without it doing that (having it crumble) JB weld will probably work just fine as there is very little stress on that stud.

[Dave_A]

I think I've got a solution

Hmm...

If I could get a thick enough metal ring welded over the 3 holes, with 3 of it's own threaded holes in the right spot, it would fix the problem... Easier than plugging, probably...

[Clone]

Did you remove the rest of the broken stud?
Then you have a hole larger and oval shaped than a replacement, correct?
When the oil studs on VW Beetles would snap off, the cure was to remove the stud and then thread a bolt back out through the hole. To do this we would drill and tap the hole to the next size of bolt, put some Loctite on it and thread it out from the inside of the engine. Drill a larger hole in the cover and the problem was fixed.

[Dave_A]

Did you remove the rest of the broken stud?
Then you have a hole larger and oval shaped than a replacement, correct?
When the oil studs on VW Beetles would snap off, the cure was to remove the stud and then thread a bolt back out through the hole. To do this we would drill and tap the hole to the next size of bolt, put some Loctite on it and thread it out from the inside of the engine. Drill a larger hole in the cover and the problem was fixed.

That's basically what I did, except instead of drill-and-tap, I twisted the stud into the hole that was once (sort of still is, as it's a tad off center) the snapped off stud...

[Anonymous]

at this point the best thing you can do is to oversize the hole. insert a tight fitting aluminum shaft into the hole just below flush fill the top in with weld grind flush then re drill and tap to the correct size .DO NOT put jb weld in the hole and hope that it will last beacause it wont and it is nearly impossible to weld any where in the area that jb weld has been applied.been there done that and got the t-shirt also Mark also next time it happens just go and get it welded out