Threadlock internals or no??

[hondaREX]

I am questioning what i should do to the internal bolts. Does everyone that has done there own motor work threadlock the bolts? Or torque them without threadlock?In the manual it only give a couple torques and a couple mentions of threadlock. There is not an answer to every bolt in the manual. Im second guessing my practices because of the high vibrations in these bikes. I never used threadlock on my 250rs except where indicated to in the manual. Will the case threads get damaged? And what strength of threadlock if so? Thanks guys.

[JOHNDOE83]

DO NOT TORQUE ANY BOLT ON THE MOTOR BACK TO FACTORY SPECS AFTER ITS BEEN REMOVED.

sorry caps.

anyway, you will strip or stretch damn near every bolt on the motor if you go back to factory specs.

Ive never bolted on a head, cylinder, crankcase or any other motor part back to factory spec.

I always go by feel and firm hand/arm pressure.

Ive never had a gasket leak or bolt come loose or a compression test read low because of this. Ive also never stripped a bolt on a motor, Ive broken frozen bolts by accident but never by tightening them down.

Actually, when I first bought my EX I was like ok no more redneck stuff, factory torque values and a owners manual are a must.

The first time I tightend a bolt to factory spec it stripped, second time, stripped again. Threw the book out, helicoiled the 2 bolts, went back to rednecking and never stripped another bolt.

Ive never used thread locker either on the "inside", snug everything nicely an you should be ok.

I would highly reccommend that you do use it for piece of mind, just a dab of locker on the tip of the thread will be plenty. Then snug the bolt down and forget about it. But its not needed.

If any of your bolts seem like the head is off center, its stretched.

You can partially fix a stretched bolt with a washer.

unfortunatly once its stretched its already weak.

[Scro]

What kind of torque wrench were you using JohnDoe? The torque specs on alot of the bolts are too low to accurately use a click-type torque wrench. A beam type is much more accurate, and reliable. You shouldn't have any issue torqueing to factory spec., and it really should be done.

[JOHNDOE83]

ya it was a clicker.

I dont wanna give the impression that they dont have to be tight.

Generally I tighten firmly, then I quater turn for the lockdown and all this is done in a star shape pattern until everything is seated nicely.

The worst are the 8mm bolts for the head and on the cases and covers.

I do reccommend that the cylinder and crankcase is tightend down to spec.

Sorry, I should have been more descriptive.

[Blodg]

The only place I use thread locker on the internal motor components is the cam sprocket bolts and I use Loctite red.

In the past I have used thread lock on the case bolts and head cover bolts of my modifed motors because they vibrate more than stock. I don't do that anymore, however, because with age the steel bolts are prone to stripping the aluminum threads and I think the thread lock might make it worse. On the 350X top end I just assembled I actually used anti-sieze on the head cover bolts in the hope it would be easier on the aluminum threads on the next tear down. I am not an expert but this is what I have come up with from my own experiences.

You asked about the motor itself but I also use Loctite on the motor mount bolts, nerf mounts, and front and rear sprocket bolts.