C2 antenna bolt repair help please

[Larry T.]

My antenna bolt hole on is stripped. Before I pulled it I thought I would just helicoil it. Looking at it I am not sure there is enough metal to do so. The walls seem like they must have been pretty thin to begin with and mine is damaged a bit. One of my objectives is to keep the correct bolt.

Is there a home remedy to this? Is a helicoil out of the question as it seems to me? Can/should the hole be filled and re-tapped? If so, how?

Thanks,

Larry

[Rich P.]

Re: C2 antenna bolt repair help please

Larry,

It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like 1 of 2 things.

1 the hole is stripped and the housing is cracked off partilly on the bottom.

2 a bolts already broke off and was drilled out 1/2 off center.

The best way to check is to run a longer than stock 1/4-28 bolt into the stripped hole. If it engauges and tightens up on the threads further into the hole you should be ok. If so then you can possibly use one of the bolts that mount the bracket to the splash shield. They are the same 1/4-28 thread recessed hex head with a captured washer. the longer bolts are found alot easier than the short bolt for the bottom.

If the bolt wont grab Then I'd have to see a litte better picture or 2 of the hole with a little of the coating removed.

Hope this helps to start you off.

Rich

I would start by running a tap carefully in the hole.

[Larry T.]

Re: C2 antenna bolt repair help please

Rich,

The longer bolt slips roughly halfway in (half the length of the bolt) before it hits threads that stop it. It will tighten down about two turns before I do not feel comfortable turning it by hand any further. As long as that bolt is not too long I think running the tap through and not getting too agressive when reinstalling it should work.

I have read warnings about not using bolts that are too long in that they could damage the gear inside. Should the bracket bolt work okay?

Thanks,

Larry

Larry,

It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like 1 of 2 things.

1 the hole is stripped and the housing is cracked off partilly on the bottom.

2 a bolts already broke off and was drilled out 1/2 off center.

The best way to check is to run a longer than stock 1/4-28 bolt into the stripped hole. If it engauges and tightens up on the threads further into the hole you should be ok. If so then you can possibly use one of the bolts that mount the bracket to the splash shield. They are the same 1/4-28 thread recessed hex head with a captured washer. the longer bolts are found alot easier than the short bolt for the bottom.

If the bolt wont grab Then I'd have to see a litte better picture or 2 of the hole with a little of the coating removed.

Hope this helps to start you off.

Rich

I would start by running a tap carefully in the hole.

[Jim S.]

Re: C2 antenna bolt repair help please

Larry ,

I agree with Rich .

Although it is hard to tell from the picture , It looks like it has already been drilled out. I am enclosing a pic of mine for you to compare. Mine doesn't seem to have that thin of a wall space .

Do you have a picture of the bolt that came off of it ? It may already be oversized.

Pehaps , a little JB weld . Let it set up a little and then insert and remove the bolt to establish the threads, then let it harden . I wouldn't use it on a heavy tork set up , but since you do have a few good turns that grab , the rest would just be insurance.

Jim

[Larry T.]

Re: C2 antenna bolt repair help please

I probably should have mentioned, the bolt that was in it was a course thread bolt, but I do not think any bigger than the original one. In fact, it is laying in the road somewhere because it fell out. Not my fix by the way.

My wall thickness may be okay, but it seems like it would be disasterous if the any of the four walls broke up. At least one is in bad shape as it is near the entrance to the hole.

Thanks for the help.

Larry

Larry ,

I agree with Rich .

Although it is hard to tell from the picture , It looks like it has already been drilled out. I am enclosing a pic of mine for you to compare. Mine doesn't seem to have that thin of a wall space .

Do you have a picture of the bolt that came off of it ? It may already be oversized.

Pehaps , a little JB weld . Let it set up a little and then insert and remove the bolt to establish the threads, then let it harden . I wouldn't use it on a heavy tork set up , but since you do have a few good turns that grab , the rest would just be insurance.

Jim

[Steven S.]

Re: C2 antenna bolt repair help please

Loctite makes a product that I recently picked up but have not had an opportunity to try...

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/GSDRVSM?PACACHE=000000113740131

It's a thread repair product that basically looks like a 2 part epoxy combined with a release agent to coat the bolt with. As I said, I have not tried it yet myself, but it sounds good in theory

Steve

[Greg T.]

Re: C2 antenna bolt repair help please

This is a typical problem. Most of the original bolts were 1/4-28 threads with a fixed lockwasher. The thread length was only 5/16 long. They often stripped out. Bubba just went to a 1/4-20 thread a half in long and cross threaded it. You can retap it using a 1/4-20 or -28 tap. The housings are not originally tapped thru so you shpuld have some material to work with. Do not tap it deeper than .75 inches or you may contact the plastic drive gear. Use a new 3/4 inch long bolt with a lockwasher and you should be good. Richard Fortier has 1/4-28 bolts with indented heads if your worried about judging. There are lots of vendors with indented head 1/4-20 threads. Good Luck.