Stainless bolt kits

Anyone thought about buying one of these?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Big-Stainless-Bolt-Kit-Suzuki-Bandit-GSF1250-/190316790145?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item2c4fc3c181

I emailed the seller and for a few other bits and pieces with this it was going to cost 50 pounds postage.

Gus... can you do cheaper mate?

I just go to a nut and bolt shop and buy 30 at a time (stainless Allen or button head )I tend to buy the longer ones so i can cut them down
when needed .I dont want to ask them 1 off this size ,2 off that ect. Button heads look great but not much good for high tension as the head is
small and grip is less .Allen heads probably better (and cheaper) Suzuki tend to use a lot the same size so you can get 20-30 at a time .
Be warned once you start you carnt stop .The ones on the clutch cover (hex) i have left that way ,but do take them out and polish the head
on a mop .They are just getting tarnished now .A good way to spend a rainy day ,a cut of tea and a bag of nice stainless allen heads .Of course
you will be one short everytime . 6 and 8 mm diam are most used .I just take the Suzuki one in and say "30 of these but in a stainless allen head please "Remember to polish them before installing ,if your going to the trouble may as well get the BEST look .I mean look at the tank filler cap
look good dont they .

Button heads can be $1 each so it adds up but you carnt really use an allen head on a screen . They just stand too high .

I remembered an Aussie site, don't know anything about it. Have a look for yourself.

http://www.probolt-australia.com/Products/Suzuki_GSF1250_BANDIT_07

The Aussie site is damn expensive!

Might just bite the bullet and buy the kit direct from Fleabay as I don't have a shop close by that sells stainless bolts for reasonable dollars

Boating shop (marine supplies , yachts love em ) should stock them or engineering shop .

I bought one on eBay for 80 bucks plus 60 postage, 900 piece for a super blackbird, got me heaps of SS bolts at a pretty reasonable price.

900 pieces... jesus!

I don't think the Bandit has that many fasteners to replace surely.

G'day Lads,
Just as a bit of a quick concern about the use of stainless fasteners. If you are using stainless bolts, fixed with a stainless nut, all should be sweet. However, different grades of metal will end up in time reacting together in a form of electrolysis, (anodes and cathodes? One is a sacrificial metal to protect your engine block for eg. Your alloy water pump housing will corrode instead of your block in the case of stray currents) ....Anyways....

What can happen if you use a stainless bolt into a steel threaded hole, is that the threads can 'grow' together a bit like a microscopic welding of the threads as an electrical reaction takes place between the dis-similar metals. Not always.. But given the right conditions, definately. Particularly anything that may be exposed to moisture in any way.

Again.. Anyways.. Long and short is, that when you go to remove afformentioned stainless bolt a few years down the track, being that it is the stronger metal, it is likely that it will shear the thread (weakest metal) from whatever you have it bolted into.

I used to work as a mechanic, and have seen it happen where people have replaced their bolts in 4wd's, as they think that it will be better in wet conditions in mud etc.

Hope this is useful to you.

Mitch

reddog wrote:900 pieces... jesus!

I don't think the Bandit has that many fasteners to replace surely.

That must be the Buell kit to replace the ones that fall out each ride
Still want an XB12SS one day

27 stainless allen heads needed 30mm x 6mm about $20


Changes this

To this



But wait there's more .And this

To this



And gives you 27 spare hex-heads to get rid of things like this


All for $20 . Phew .
Get 31 and do the 4 that hold the front guard in place .I got 30 Every time one short .


Makes me wonder how a "black engine" might look with stainless bolts .
Anyone willing to replace the 5 in the front RH cover to see how it looks and post a pic ?

Cheers Gus. I will drop into Coventry's next time I head to Bunbury and pick some of them up.

Hi guys. I see a mint condition 1200 in the hospital car park occasionally. The person who owns it put a pro bolt kit on in gold and it looks really effective so I was considering doing something the same. Lucky I read this forum as it reminded my of the electrolysis phenomenon. Did some research and it turns out you have to be really careful with this. Incorrect metallurgy can channel the regular build up of static electricity through the engine leading to accelerated fatigue of components. It reminded me of my dads old xe falcon. The head bolts had been replaced during a repair with non standard bolts. This caused a current to develop which effectively eroded the gasket leading to repeated leaks. I think at the moment it ain't broke so I wont fix it.

I had a Gs 1000 for 16 years with 230,000 on the clock with stainless bolts .The only problem i had was with the cam. follower bolts which all
stripped in the top of the head .Ended up hellie-coil the 16 of them .Thing is they were'nt stainless bolts . Most of the bike was, and it was
in mint condition when i sold it (mistake ) to an aircraft engineer .He owned about 6 Ducati 's 2 of which were green frame .
All lined up in the lounge room .
All the bolts i put in yesterday only have a low torque and i greased before hand .I wont have a problem.
This bandit wont last 16 years without having to remove then at least 4 times .I'm calling go for it if you like the look .
Look at the fastners on an older model Yamaha cruiser they look like My old boss bought a new one .I kept an eye on it ,within 6 mths
it was a white crazed rusty mess .So much steel with no coating .He sold it ,have you heard one trying to start ,crash,grind, clunk,crash Brooooom

mustang sally wrote: It reminded me of my dads old xe falcon. The head bolts had been replaced during a repair with non standard bolts. This caused a current to develop which effectively eroded the gasket leading to repeated leaks. I think at the moment it ain't broke so I wont fix it.

Mustang Sally.... That is just a Ford thing. The XD-XF's rusted from the inside out and the door handles were rubbish. They only fixed the head problems in the AU series upwards with longer head bolts.

I'd never buy a Falcon, we had a brand new BA at work with less than 3000kms on the clock and it was already rusting. My uncles BA GTP Falcon is also rusting and it's only a few years old. It's off topic, but as a manufacturer I can't understand how people would buy your vehicle.

Back on topic, Gus maybe you should send your pics to Suzuki Australia. Mine is rusting down from yours where the shitty welds are on the motor mounts.

I use copper based thread grease on virtually all (not the ones that should be loctited) bolts SS and galvanized, yet to have any issues. The electrolysis issue is also a problem with regular steel screws and bolts. I remember the fun days of my youth trying to get phillips head case screws out of early seventies Honda's and Yamaha's, what fun!

The bolts holding the headers on from Suzuki are stainless so i think we are pretty safe .Then again