What do you guys think about switching to allen head bolts?

[850 Combat]

Suzuki part numbers give you the diameter and length of fasteners, so not much guess work is required. I love using 3/8" drive allen wrenches for breaking bolts loose and final torque, and Tee handled allens for spinning them in and out.

[chuck hahn]

Allens are the way they shopuld have went from the factory..more break loose power when wrenching, easier to torque, dont strip out the cross like the dammmed phillips heads do!!

[sschering]

Suzuki part numbers give you the diameter and length of fasteners, so not much guess work is required. I love using 3/8" drive allen wrenches for breaking bolts loose and final torque, and Tee handled allens for spinning them in and out.

That is what I did..
Made a list from the part numbers and ran down to Tacoma Screw

http://www.tacomascrew.com

I got every cover bolt on the engine, all the carb bolts (caps, bowls, carb to frame, throttle bracket), carb holder bolts, and a few more here and there..

Another great stainless bolt source is bolt Depot

http://www.boltdepot.com

I may go back and replace some of the case bolts with stainless button heads.. I keep cutting my knuckles on the ones by the oil filler cap.

[ptomkrvr]

Most of us recommend it, many of us have done it.

Don't forget a bit of Anti-Sieze on the new bolts when you put them in.

.

How about the hardened flange bolts, like the ones on the head cover? My guess is there O. K. because the torque is low there, but I would want to find some small washers to represent the coverage, or compression area, or whatever you call it, of the flange bolt. I worry about the high torque swap situations, out of ignorance. I do know, however, that bosh makes a special jig saw blades for cutting SS, which are lifesavers when the time comes. thanks

[woodman]

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...t=screw+driver this is what you need if you want to keep the original type srews for a restoration. I bought then and they are great

[etpetnel]

I like the allen heads myself, but understand that some people want to remain original. Years of struggling with philips screws is the reason I prefer the allen type.
The only negative I can think of when using them is that you could overtighten them more easily than philips.

[Macmatic]

I got a kit for a GS450 from Z1 and I wasn't that happy with it. It wasn't BAD mind you but for a few bucks more I could have gotten a much more complete kit from the French guy on ebay.
The most notable thing was the lack of two recessed head screws for the clutch rod adjuster cover on the sprocket cover. The ebay kit shows them but the Z1 kit does not have them. The ebay guy also shows very explicitly what fasteners come in each kit.

Next time I'll try one of the ebay kits and see how that turns out.

/\/\ac

[motocycle shawn]

bolts

just did my hole motor love it!
i have the ebay kit.. now i love it but i feel i was shorted washer with this kit.
for the out side head bolts i'm working with a place here in town for build a better kit. one with hearer bolts and ones
for the shifter clutch arm and any thing else i can think of. i can polish them my self on my high speed polisher

love it build it ride it!

[tas850g]

That was one of the first changes i did when i got my bike. Now i'm putting SS allen head's just about everywhere i can. Even one the tank badges. As mentioned, make sure you put a little anti-seize on them.

[GabrielGoes]

That was one of the first changes i did when i got my bike. Now i'm putting SS allen head's just about everywhere i can. Even one the tank badges. As mentioned, make sure you put a little anti-seize on them.

wd40 count as anti-seize?

[Yogi 1]

No WD-40 is only a water dispersant and penitrant it will dry up after a short while you need to get some copper based anti-seize paste available at any auto parts store.Yogi

[sschering]

I put them every where I could on my Yamaha..
I even got some little 3mm SS button heads for the turn signal lenses.

[seano]

Who's the "French guy on Ebay"?

[Mike]

I've been replacing them as I go. Carb now has all allen bolts and the intake boots are next.

[850 Combat]

I like to replace the ones near the handlebars as well, switch pods, mirror mounts, etc. I changed out the triple clamp top and bottom triple clamp pinch bolts too. The only place I could find with the 10mm SS acorn nuts was dmp enterprises inc. http://dmpfasteners.com/ I still like to pick up the occasional replacement SS fastener at Ace, True Value, or my local Farmers Co-Op store, they are way expensive that way. The Ace in Tillamook now sells polished stainless.

For 20 bucks, I think the Z1 kit is great. The more complete kit is like 30 bucks as I recall, and some of the additional bolts I already had changed anyway (intake boot and exhaust).