GS850 Stripped cam holder threads

[RichB]

Just put the head back on the bike after replacing a leaking gasket. Over the years I've had to get virtually all the cam holder bolt holes helicoiled. This time, before installing the cam holders, I screwed the bolts in, until they were just seating on the bottom of the holes. Holding the cam holder against the bolt showed that quite a few bolts would hardly hold the cap in place. Is this what was stripping the threads? Torqueing them up on the bottom of the bolt-hole, not the holder? Anyone else found this a problem?

Rich

[Suzuki mad]

Nope!

Sounds like either swarf/old broken bolt bits from drilling out or the wrong bolts

Suzuki mad

[bwringer]

Might be the wrong bolts -- these are supposed to be special 39mm bolts. Were they ever replaced with standard 40mm bolts?

[Nessism]

In my 550 manual they show clamping down on the cam with vicegrips in order to seat it in the head bearings (overcomming valve spring resistance) before installing the caps. If the caps are used to compress the springs it will place quite a bit of stress on the threads. Not sure if this is pertinent information or not but thought like sharing.