On the road again!

[Catcha23]

Many Thanks to Thom aka ThAzKat for fixing my bike!!!! I had a spark plug blow on my Kat and the local bike shops were qouting me over a thousand bucks to complete repairs by removing the head and re-tapping etc. ThAzKat completed the repairs for $40 (helicoil the hole with engine in place. He took all the neccessary precautions)!! I had the bike in storage for two months thinking I wasn't going to be able to ride it again and even posted it 4 sale.

But after posting my problem on this site, you guys/gals gave me some great feedback on what to do and who to see. I was reffered to a local member who works on bikes and he hoked me up... THANKS ThAzKat!!! and thanks to mreedohio for sending me ThAzKat! He was only an hour away from me, but he did a great job completing the repairs in less than a couple of hours. I even had him to remove and clean my carbs because he did such a great job. If anyone in the Ohio area needs a good guy to work on their bike, send ThAzKat a message.... I highly recommend him for assistance.

Gotta go clean the bike up, gotta go....

[ThAzKat]

It was my pleasure taking care of a fellow KRer! Now my head won't fit in my helmet
Maybe now you will go to one of the Ohio Meet and Greets!

[Blackdog]

Very cool,

[mreedohio]

[IndyGunner]

Now my head won't fit in my helmet

grrrrrreat.... like thom needs anymore to add to his ego.

[Enjay386]

Glad it's fixed

[The CyberPoet]

Hope the helicoil works for you over the long-run. Thaz, you might want to invest in a KeenSert setter and some KeenSerts and take all the stripped spark-plug hole related work on KR?!?

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[ThAzKat]

Yeah the keensert is a good one!

[The CyberPoet]

If you had the KeenSert capability when I still had a Kat, I would have sent you heads & oil pans to tap with keenserts -- before they ever got screwed up -- just a preventative measure

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[ThAzKat]

Keen sert or time serts! I can do the ZX14 cyber!

[The CyberPoet]

I don't have spare parts in that sense for the ZX14 (the oil pan already has a Fumoto valve in now ), and the engine is a bear to work on compared to the Kat (in large part because of the single-over-engine frame beam), so it's dubious...

But I'll keep it in mind... spare parts for the ZX engine are cheap right now because so many people total theirs (and new bikes rarely need them), there's a constant supply of cheap spares -- maybe I'll invest in a head & send it to ya

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[Catcha23]

Hope the helicoil works for you over the long-run. Thaz, you might want to invest in a KeenSert setter and some KeenSerts and take all the stripped spark-plug hole related work on KR?!?

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

Cyber - what do you mean you HOPE it holds up? Are there cases where they fail?

[The CyberPoet]

Cyber - what do you mean you HOPE it holds up? Are there cases where they fail?

My experiences specifically with spark plugs being helicoiled into aluminum heads on motorcycles is that they tend to fail. SpecialK, one of the original founders of this forum, echo'd that same sentiment in his experiences. You may be the one who proves us wrong, esp. if Thaz used helicoils intended specifically for spark-plug well use. Whatever you do, always slather all future plugs well with anti-seize paste before installing and don't over-torque!

As for the failures, the combination of pressures involved, the fact that the plugs are a regular-replacement item (being taken out/installed regularly), and the bite of typical helicoils is such that they tend to fail over time. By comparison, there are other solutions (TimeSerts, KeenSerts) that are more convoluted to install and more expensive to purchase, but rather than simply augmenting/replacing the threads' high-points of the receiver side of the equation, they actually replace the entire sleeve area (all the threads and back into the metal about 1mm), and get "keyed" into place in one or more locations. These will not ever work their way back out, and you can't normally over-torque a plug into them unless you're using true gorilla strength (or impact drivers), because it's now steel-on-steel contact all the way through-and-through.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[ThAzKat]

I have done this before and trust all will be good and I back my work cyber. If catcha23 has any issues with this, I will cover it and do him right. As I do all my customers.
Have you been riding Catcha? how is it doing?

[Catcha23]

I've put 120 miles on her already Thaz! I told you I'm a rider, I love the long distance trips. After I got her back from you on Friday evening, I changed the oil and filter and scrubbed the chain real good at 800 am Saturday.... then it was time to ride. I took her through some mild riding through the city and took her on the highway for about 100 miles @ about 70 mph. She sounds and runs better than ever. I'm thinking about taking her on the rode to Cleveland Sunday afternoon for a quick spin there and back to see family.

Yes, I remember you saying you back your work and if I have any issues to let you know, I appreciate it. When I read Cyber's post, it had me concerned a bit. I didn't want to take a long distance ride and then have it blow out on me. I don't ride crazy or do excessive speeds. I'm a mild rider who does mostly freeway riding. I'll let you know if I have any issues, but I'm sure it'll hold. You did a great job on it, thx again!!