Stripped screw in a bad place!

[JayPak]

I was headed out to the Texas Pro Challenge on Saturday - so after waking up, I figured I could measure my valve clearance real quick. The bike was getting hard to start Thursday night. I thought I could check it real quick, get the clearances - then pop off the cam assembly, see what shim size I had in there (since I can't find where I wrote it down) and figured I could stop and get some shims on the way out to Swan, fix the bike Sunday and be ready to ride this week.

Had a slight change of plans. While trying to get the cam sprocket screws off, I managed to strip one (it's a hex head - about a 6 mm). I tried a bolt extractor - which didn't do crap. I finally got a dremmel tool and notched a slot on each side so I could use a flat head to get it out. But I need a really big flathead and then I can't get enough leverage to get the thing out. I out them on last time with thread tight - the lightweight stuff - so is probably why it is hard to get loose.

I have spent the entire freakin' day messin' with this. I'm giving up and taking it to a shop tomorrow and see if they can get the dan thing off. BUT, does any have any ideas that I have not thought of?

I'm tired of this valve [@#$%&*!]. Granted it was my fault that it got strpped, but still - getting tired of jackin' with the valves. I was ready to get an 05, but now there is slight doubt on red. ?

Anyway, I'm done venting. It just gets frustrating and when ya get frustrated, ya tend to take it out on the bike and brand. In fact, I was ready to part this dang thing out on ebay!

[Kritter]

you can grab the head of that with a set of vise grips and it will come right off...the torque on that bolt is no more then 12ft-lbs...I think its actually 10 or 7 but you should be able to get it out no sweat. I dont know why you would resort to the dremel or anything when the head of it is so big.

even with loctite blue it should be more then a 20ft-lb breaking torque....go give it a try..I bet it comes right of with a set of vice grips...

[HondaDirtRider5]

that is one of the few bolts the manual tells you to use a locking agent on ebfore installing, the tourqe is not very high but not one of the 7lbs...i think it is more like 14lbs

anyway i like the vice grip idea on that particular bolt

[yzf450jack]

i just took the cam out of a 04 crf 450 tonight dang the gear bolts are tight but they came out! but im am a welder mechanic something like what happened here i would weld a nut right on the end of that bolt let it cool down and just un screw it ? put a wet rag around the head so sparks do not go in the motor ? i have to do this stuff all the time ?

[ReD_RiDeR_CRF450R]

if you have no luck with anything else, go to walmart or something and buy a can of PB Blaster. it is the best penetrating catalyst i've ever seen. i work in a machine shop and without that stuff i wouldn't be able to take a lot of things apart. it worth a try at least. good luck. ?

[weldoid]

just heat it up to the temperature noted on the threadlocker container. then back it out. don't be welding in there.

[JayPak]

Thanks for the info guys. The cam assembly is out now - I was able to get it out with the sprocket on there. But the freakin' nut is still on the sprocket. I might try a few things you guys mentioned - or just break down and be a weenie and take it to a shop and let them get it off for me.

[Throttlejockey]

You should be able to get it with vise-grips now that it's out.

[Kritter]

next time dont use the frame for leverage when trying to get the screws broke loose...the cam gear will still spin and you end up stripping them out everytime.

[Shawn_Mc]

Heat is the way to go when you get stuff stuck like that with a thread locker. And it takes a little more heat than youd think it would. Not red hot by anymeans, but pretty dang hot...Then the parts usually come apart pretty easy...

[zookeeper]

If you use red loc-tite, then heat is the only way to break it loose. I have to deal with that stuff all the time at work and here's a tip: heat it until you can smell the loc-tite. Shawn's right, it takes a bit more heat than you might think, but it's not that bad. You should see a little wisp of smoke, then you can easily smell the stuff burning out of the threads. Next time only use one drop of the red. A little bit goes a long way.

[Throttlejockey]

Green Loc-Tite is the way to go.

[rob1guns]

I have done what ---yzf 450 jack ----has done and it works fine . ? :cry: ?

[Thumper996]

Well this scare me, i just got threw top end job on mine and now i need to go back in and adjust the new ss valves after break in andd i hope the red lock-tite comes loose on mine. I will probably use heat and an small air wrench to carefully break them loose.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Kritter]

Red loctite is for things you NEVER want to dissasemble and if you do dissasemble it...you will be replacing the hardware.

Blue loctite(242) med strength NON PERMANENT should be used on all loc tited bolts on a dirtbike.

green loctite(290) is for fitting shafts to bearings...

[bd450]

I use a propane torch for 60 to 90 seconds on each of cam sprocket screws. That gets them hot enough to melt the locktite.

[jph21]

What kind of a moron would strip out a cam sprocket bolt? ? Maybe you should sell the bike and buy a tricycle. ? :cry:

Seriously, I just met jaypak last week for a few laps at the almost closed Mosier Valley track. Cool guy and throws a mean roost. ?