GL1800Riders Forums banner

Seat Bolt Removal

4K views 25 replies 21 participants last post by  Digger 
#1 ·
I removed the seat on my 2010 GW for the first time on Saturday in order to install my sheep shin. The right side bolts went back in easy and tightened without a hitch. The left side bolts at first didn't want to start but finally started in. For some reason both bolts did not want to seat all the way in but the passenger grab handle was sturdy enough to lift the bike onto its centerstand. I decided to leave it until later.

Today I decided to install a Tailblazer. Well the right side came out easy as before, but the left side bolts seemed to get tighter as I tried to back them out. I don't want to risk stripping the threads.

I thought I would post to the forum and ask for help. Has this been a problem with the GW? Should I just keep trying to back the two bolts out? Its seems unusual that two bolts next to each other have develop the same problem.
 
#2 ·
The frame is aluminum the bolts are steel or soft steel. You someway cross threaded them.

All you can do now is keep going, get them out one way or the other, and try to chase the threads with a tap, clean them up.

Then taper the ends of the bolts a bit, or get some new ones and easy does it, they will go hand tight if properly positioned then just a snug secure, no torque.

Kit
 
#3 ·
Welcome to the notorious seat bolt issue.

It is critical to get the bolts lined up properly. There are a lot of methods out there, including the extended bolts that have a small extenstion so they go in a bit straighter. (Chrome World sells them) You probably need some new bolts anyway..at least the ones that are jammed a bit.

I use wood dowels for lining up. Got one long one at Home Depot and cut into four. They are just small enough to fit in the frame holes. I get all four in and then put one bolt in at a time.

Alos crucial is to turn the bolts backward with a bit of pressure until you feel the bolt drop into the threads. THEN you should be able to go ahead.

You may find it necessary to us a tapping tool to clean out the thrheads. Even better is a specific thread cleaning tap, that does not take quite as much aluminum out as you run it through. I'm embarrassed to admit that I had to clean out at least three of them until I settled on the dowels plus the Chrome World bolts.

ADD: And I totally agree on getting all four in and turning before cranking any single one down!

These are the Chrome World items...ironically not chrome.

 
#6 ·
Seat Bolts

I bought a set of the bolts from Chrome World, and they go in just fine.

Like others have said get all 4 started before you tighten down any of them.

I always spray the bolt threads with silicone spray before I insert them.

Never have problems, and remember to SNUG the bolts, never TORQUE on them, as you are finishing, or those soft threads cast into the frame will punish you for it!
 
#7 ·
You can probably straighten them out by taking off the seat and running the bolts through from the back to clean up the threads. You need to be extremely careful putting those things back in to avoid cross threading them. I always take a phillips screwdriver that will fit through the threaded hole and made sure that the holes are aligned before I try to put the bolts back in.

Jeff...
 
#8 ·
I finally backed them all the way out. I think it was those rubber bumpers that must have come loose and caused enough interference to get the bolts off center. The bolts appear to be in pretty good shape. I was afraid that when they came out they would be dragging Alum. The threads on the frame need some cleaning. Just eyeballing the frame threads they appear to be in good sahpe. I will try looking with a magnifying glass.

I tried running the bolts thru from the back side but they go easy for about a half inch and then meet some resistance.

I am not good to go yet.
 
#11 ·
Save yourself some future headaches, get a tap and clean up the threads on all four. The ones you had the problem with, run the tap through from the back side. Put some anti-sieze on all the bolts and you will be good to go. Been over eight years since I did mine and I still put mine in/out by hand and torqe to proper spec. after all are hand tight.
 
#14 ·
BTDT. The steel bolts are stronger than the aluminum and will eat right through aluminum threads. So, do as Red said, retap the threads in the aluminum frame and use dowels or phillips head screwdrivers as alignment tools to install the bolts.
 
#18 ·
If by chance the threads have been destroyed, not all is lost. You can repair them with a heli-coil and will restore the threads to original 8mm thread. So don't fret too badly!
The best solution.

You've crossthreaded the holes, and while running a tap through may seem to work, the threads are now weak. The tap is a bandaid, the helicoil is a cure. As a bonus the helicoil will be harder to crossthread again, especially if you start the bolts by hand.
 
#19 ·
I thought I would post to the forum and ask for help. Has this been a problem with the GW? Should I just keep trying to back the two bolts out? Its seems unusual that two bolts next to each other have develop the same problem.
You have been given lots of good suggestions that will surely help. One extra thing I did on my bike some time ago that helps was that I used a large drill - maybe something like 3/4" to cut a bevel into the thread on the frame - I think it helps the bolt to line up and start better - sort of funnels it in.

After I did this I ran a tap thru as well to ensure that the starting thread was not obstructed.


Brian.
 
#20 ·
I found it much easier to run the tap in the same way the screws go. Couple holes and surrounding "things "make holding the tap straight to start from the back side very difficult.
In this case he will want to run the tap from the back side. Chances are real good he won't be able to get the tap started straight because he has already buggered the outside threads up. :tools1:
 
#21 ·
My first seat removal resulted in loosing threads on one bolt. The threads literally came out with the bolt. Needless to say being new to a GW i didn't know what to do. I finally calmed down and put a heli coil into it and never have had a problem since.. I figured I would end up doing them all but 10 years later the aluminum threads are still there except one. Maybe it was a freak thing... who knows but i figure i will be doing the rest one day.
It seems to me Honda would have done this already at the factory because steel bolts and aluminum just doesn't play well together.. Another small corner cut by Honda..
 
#22 ·
I lot of good ideas.

This is what I did. After I unscrewed the original bolt I found that I was able to screw the bolt in from the back on one of the holes. It wouldn't go all the way in because the front was somewhat messed up. I couldn't get the bolt in from the back on the hole by the relay box so I went to Lowes and got a shorter bolt.

I lubed the short bolt with anti sieve and gradually screwed it in and out until I was able to go all the way through. Then I started on the front side until it threaded smooth and easy. This took about an hour for both holes. ;)

I made sure the rubber bumpers were back in the seat pan, connected the seat heater, put the seat in place, lined everything up with phillips screw drivers and long allen wrenches. Then I put the screws back in nice and easy. :coffee1:
 
#25 ·
If you wish to touch up the threads in the frame, these types of taps and dies are best for that job, IMO:

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tool...Tap+and+Die+Set+Components&store=snapon-store

They are for thread restoring, not thread cutting.

Also, someone mentioned chamfering the outboard sides of the female threaded holes using a large drill bit. If said drill bit is sharp, you run the risk of same "grabbing" and perhaps removing more aluminum than you intended. I used one of these for this job, with good success:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-six-flute-countersink-93342.html

IHTH someone!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top