Ducati Multistrada 1200 I have had a thread strip out in the middle of the thread from top two bolts on the clutch slave cylinder, M6 x 1.0 . So the bolts won't tighten. So my question is should I try and repair with a helicoil or some other process or bite the bullet and get a new side. The sides look awful and was taking it off to get ceramic coated. If helicoil are there good brands / kits people know of. i am googling but first hand experience is always better than flashy websites. Many thanks Chris.
Go for a helicoil, you have nothing to lose as new cover costs over £500. I have used Re-coil inserts to good effect. The screws, if I recall are something like 16mm long and I'm sure that there is enough depth and threads left to fit 20mm length screws. Worth a try?
Great idea on the longer screws , as a FYI i wonder if my issue partially stems from changing to oberon master cylinder which then came with stainless bolts . Didn't realise it would be £500 so thats ruled out ! will give longer a try then helicoil / recoil . thanks again this forum and your help is amazing for the non technically minded like myself. Thanks Chris
found two 20mm M6x1 and they worked perfectly and went to correct torque so massive thank you to Derick for that suggestion. The recoil kit will be here soon and then i can do a proper job but at least the bike is operational now.
I'm glad to hear that you've avoided the £500 repair! It's interesting that you mention "correct torque" and I wonder whether the thread stripped when you were tightening with a torque wrench and if so, whether it is a low-range, and accurate, one? I am not familiar with the Multistrada, but on other bikes I have worked with, the clutch slave cylinder is held on with allen-head bolts and it would not occur to me to use a torque-wrench when tightening them; I'd simply use a good quality allen key, or T-bar drive with 1/4" socket drive, and then do them up "just tight enough" using the torque wrench in my arm! It's not like a wheel or sprocket-retaining nut after all. I first stripped a thread like this when I was 17 and I have tried to be cautious ever since.
I have a set of three norbar torque wrenches these are set to 10nm ( 1nm-20nm is the one used ) . The reason i spent so much on torque wrenches was my arm/brain for these delicate italian flowers is set to a higher torque no matter how short the spanner, t-bar drive , ill over tighten and ruin the fastener. I am a worrier so , tighter is better right, through experience I've learnt use the torque wrench and correct locktite or moly grease and i have zero issues, these were stripped through stupidity and laziness to a degree , i know what I did , i tried to tighten the banjo with the bolts partially in which is why the thread only went in the middle. Live and learn ( i have kicked myself over and over) this is what happens when a man who sits on a computer all day tries to do a skilled job with his hands and fails still onwards and upwards.
I don't trust torque wrench that low after snapping a bleed nipple. Hex keys and spanners are different lengths to reflect the torque required on different sizes bolts. Since I clicked this and started using the "palm of hand" method I've had nothing strip or come undone. (Touch wood, I bet I screw something expensive now!)
Steve, working on aluminium hulled military vehicles like Scorpion/Scimitar many years ago we used thread inserts (helicoils) as a matter of course on the most heavily loaded screws because they were stronger (tested and in practice) than a plain thread. The reason being that the heavier/deeper thread profile of the insert where it screwed into the ally effectively gave you at least the strength of the next thread size up. Many of them were installed from new but we used a hard setting thread locker on the insert to lock it in place.
