MAJOR PROBLEM-HELP PLEASE *UPDATED*

[tampaFZR600]

Well head is off and I was correct, it is for sure crossthreaded. You can look up from the bottom of the spark plug hole and there is about 3/4 of the threads. So he tightened it up about 1/4 of the way down the threads and stopped, so off to the machine shop on Monday to hopefully get it fixed. Will keep you posted.

grrrrrr isn't it frustrating when PO's do stupid shit to your bike!!! ugh

[tkclow]

You're telling me, damn spark plug replacement is costing me like $185.00 plus a crap load of unneeded wasted time, LOL

[yamaha_george]

You're telling me, damn spark plug replacement is costing me like $185.00 plus a crap load of unneeded wasted time, LOL

Sheeze that is quite a wad for a minor screw up if you will pardon the pun, really sorry to hear it is that steep a charge Pal I feel for you.

[tkclow]

cost is all parts, labor on my own stuff is free,lol.
Plugs $16.00
Gaskets $110.00
Machine Shop $40.00-$60.00
Labor and Aggravation- Priceless
Would have been one thing if it was something I did but oh well, live and learn. She will hopefully be back on the road soon. I will get some pics up. Had the camera with me when I pulled the head to find out my daughter needed 2 of the 4 batteries that were in it for her camera.

[reelrazor]

If it gets a spark plug thread insert........stay away from the coil type (Heli-Coil) if at all possible.

Hopefully your machine shop agrees.....heli-coils are fine for stuff that gets assembled and prolly never disassembled....

Use Time-serts or another solid type thread insert to save future aggravation!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tkclow]

+1 on the time-serts. i have read nothing but good about them. No place around here seems to sell them though and I don't really want to spend as much as they want for a whole kit. Hopefully the machine shop knows what they are as the parts stores I asked seemed like I was talking a foreign language.

[yamaha_george]

+1 on the time-serts. i have read nothing but good about them. No place around here seems to sell them though and I don't really want to spend as much as they want for a whole kit. Hopefully the machine shop knows what they are as the parts stores I asked seemed like I was talking a foreign language.

McMaster Carr have spares kits if memory serves for replacements in their bigger kit.

[tkclow]

Thanks George, may have to check it out after I talk to the machine shop and see what they have to say tomorrow

[yamaha_george]

Try the US Ebay seller called TOOLSQWIK, that's where I got all mine.
> Landed in Aus for nearly 1/3 the price of the local distributor. Quick
> and cheap intl shipping if you're outside the US. Agree they're a much
> better end result than a helical wound insert.

Quote from a US biker today

[tkclow]

I will have to check that out if I end up needing them, head is at the machine shop now and he said should be no problem fixing it.

[yamaha_george]

Also this just in:-
> Also be aware there's a tool available for minor sparkplug hole  
> thread repair called a "Reverse Re-threader", comes in the 4  
> necessary sizes: 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, & 18mm.  Consists of a  
> collapsible tap.  Insert it into the plug hole, expand the cutting  
> edges by tightening the mandrel, catch the good inner thread start,  
> and back the whole schmear out of the hole.

They are available for $60-80 thru Snap-On, Mac, Craftsman, etc., but I
can get factory blems for much less, if anyone's interested. I've used
them 4 times, paid for them all 3 times over.(from a good mate in Canada )

[tkclow]

Update from machine shop, plug is out and he is fixing the threads . I had another question though. I was reading through the manual and it says torque spec for the head bolt nuts is 18ftlbs. Does that sound correct? Doesn't sound very tight to me but I am used to auto torque to like 70ftlbs. Just want to make sure it gets torqued correctly. thanks again

[Luke-a-Tron]

That is correct. Ideally you should be putting new crush washers on every time you take plugs out but I've never known any one to do that. It's that washer that is doing the sealing. The plugs do not need to be cranked down all that hard. Pretty much every engine I've ever touched has had the plugs way over torqued.

[yamaha_george]

That is correct. Ideally you should be putting new crush washers on every time you take plugs out but I've never known any one to do that. It's that washer that is doing the sealing. The plugs do not need to be cranked down all that hard. Pretty much every engine I've ever touched has had the plugs way over torqued.

+5 on that . Have you ever tried to BUY the crush washers for plugs I ended up with several thicknesses of plain copper washers ( I used those to index the spark plugs.)

[tkclow]

Are you talking about the spark plugs? I am talking about the nuts that torque the cyl head down.