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[HEADPAN62]

anyone have a fix for a stripped out fork leg drain plug?? too small for a helicoil...just chromed the leg soo really dont want to replace it.....thanx in advance...headpan

[djkak]

anyone have a fix for a stripped out fork leg drain plug?? too small for a helicoil...just chromed the leg soo really dont want to replace it.....thanx in advance...headpan

Headpan,

I assume that you are working on one of the late model wideglide front ends listed in your signature. I believe that this is a 5 x 0.8mm fastener which is within range for a helicoil. I’m guessing at the fastener size; I recall the diameter was somewhere close to ¼”.

djkak
 

[djkak]

Headpan,

I assume that you are working on one of the late model wideglide front ends listed in your signature. I believe that this is a 5 x 0.8mm fastener which is within range for a helicoil. I’m guessing at the fastener size; I recall the diameter was somewhere close to ¼”.

djkak
 

I actually got out of my Lazy Boy and took a look at the fastener. The threads for the drain plug are 8 x 1.25 mm. This would be somewhat comparable to a 5/16 x 18. It’s hard to imagine that this project would still be on the bench, but maybe this will help you out next time.

djkak

[HEADPAN62]

thanks for the reply's....had a few threads left,,so used a longer bolt and some silicone sealant..so far so good...I figured a helicoil would go in,,but was afraid the brass washer would not seal properly with a helicoil in place...

[djkak]

....I figured a helicoil would go in, but was afraid the brass washer would not seal properly with a helicoil in place...

That is a valid concern. I believe that the metal washer is broad enough to cover the increased diameter of the drain hole cut by the helicoil tap. The challenge is to insure that the helicoil threads are cut perpendicular to the gasket surface. When doing this by hand, I use a steel rule to check the tap alignment each ½ turn of the tap. This application would be especially challenging because there isn’t a lot of surface area available to work with; additionally the plating process may have compromised the gasket surface of the fork slider.

The other thing to consider is that the drain hole is fairly shallow, so it is likely that the helicoil will need to be trimmed to length. Count the threads cut by the tap and trim the helicoil to one less in order to recess the insert below the gasket surface. Trim the insert from the top with diagonal cutters, one thread at a time until it is cut to the appropriate length.

In this application it is likely that there may be a slight alignment issue and the drain plug may not sit perfectly square on the metal washer. In this case the use of RTV sealant or substituting a fiber washer may help to insure a positive seal.

djkak