Tricks for repairing seized headpipe screws???

[Nefarious]

So the bottom & middle water adj screws on my FPP headpipe are seized (bottom is also stripped thanks to the PO)

Anyway, any tips or tricks to fixing this? Can they be drilled out?

 

[dbrutherford]

I always heard put them in an oven for awhile... Not sure what temp though.

Otherwise i would send it to someone aka a machine shope who can do that sort of thing...

 

[Mark44]

Mine came loose after a little baking in the oven.

Mark44

 

[Nefarious]

The bottom is going to need to be drilled as it's stripped and there's not enough sticking out to grab with anything. I tried baking it with no luck.

If I drill it or have it drilled how thick is the metal between the exterior and water jacket?

 

[feartheride]

The problem with drilling is that the set screws are stailess and tough to drill and stay on center when there that small.The drill will washout the side and start drilling into the cast headpipe.You almost need to use an endmill on a mill.
Pardaddy had kits for those

 

[Nefarious]

Yeah, I contacted Pardaddy already and he doesn't have any kits left. I have a mill at work but the pipe is going to be extremely difficult to chuck up and keep everything straight.

This blows...

 

[Crab]

Yeah, I contacted Pardaddy already and he doesn't have any kits left. I have a mill at work but the pipe is going to be extremely difficult to chuck up and keep everything straight.

This blows...

You can get them from Hot Products as well, if the bottom is closed leave it alone. Top 3-4 turns, middle 1 for bottom.

 

[JonnyB]

take it to a machine shop before you try drilling it yourself

 

[yigaljet]

hello
first you should use a heat gun and try to hold the tip of the bolt with a visegrip
if that didnt work ,use a blowtorch ,cerfuly heat around the bolt , and turn the bolt out slowly ,if it stuck heat again ,allways work

 

[Speedfreak]

If you use a propane torch the heat disperses too fast for a propane torch to melt it. But I would say leave it closed. I was told to run my bottom and middle screw closed and 1 turn out on the top one.

But the screws are pretty long. So you have a little bit of room before you get to the inside of the pipe.

 

[Nefarious]

You can get them from Hot Products as well, if the bottom is closed leave it alone. Top 3-4 turns, middle 1 for bottom.

Good to know.. I know the bottom is closed (also the one thats stripped), i think the middle is either closed or close to it and the top is free so I'm not worried about that one (other than the damn hull brace of the X2 getting in the way of adj). So I'll just concentrate on getting the middle free then a forget about the bottom.

 

[keefer]

Good to know.. I know the bottom is closed (also the one thats stripped), i think the middle is either closed or close to it and the top is free so I'm not worried about that one (other than the damn hull brace of the X2 getting in the way of adj). So I'll just concentrate on getting the middle free then a forget about the bottom.

The stainless screws will always cause the aluminum to corrode around them due to the galvanic reaction between the two metals. You should use plenty of PST compound when you get these replaced or removed and service them once a year for fresh water and more often for salt. I was able to successfully drill out my old ones with a drill press once we got it chucked up. It was a PIA and we could only get the top and bottom screws removed this way. The middle screw was already closed so no problems. You might consider SS time certs if you cannot get the oversized screws and have to drill to a bigger size to clean up.

 

[ANT]

it'll be a pain to try to drill out that tiny screw. If your gonna do it yourself make it easy, soak it in some penetrating oil for a day, get a left handed drill bit (you run the drill on reverse for them to drill in, basically the drill but will be drilling in the same direction you turn the bolt to loosen it) that will fit the screw, heat it up with mapp gas or a propane torch and start drill and with the left handed bit it will probably pop right out. Thats the easiest way I can think to do it.