Hitchcocks Forum

Has anyone had any success with these modified studs from our host. Part number 93125. I tried them a while back only to find that on trying to remove the head I could undo them all with a 1/4 inch T handle ok but as the top was an inch or so below the head I could not grab them to pull them out. If I tried to screw a head nut on a few threads it would only screw the stud back into the crankcase. Also they are 5mm longer than the originals making it impossible to lift the head if the motor is still in the bike. But I was just thinking I may be doing it wrong and I should just undo the five in the crankcase until I'm sure they are out of the thread, remove the solitary nut above the tappet cover that holds the barrel down and lift the barrel and head off together. But of course that would only work if the complete motor was out of the frame. I'm about to re-assemble the motor and am unsure whether to try them again or just use the originals. I also have the head nuts with the Allen key heads, part number 93128. How do you blokes get the head off without the blood, sweat and tears?

They ought to lift up and out with minimum effort. So even by sliding a bit of fuel hose over the end and lifting. If they aren't lifting out easily, what's preventing this? I can only think of three things, one is corrosion round the stud, second is squeze out of gasket goo into the stud holes, the other is deformation of the cylinder head washers.



This leads to the question, have you fitted hardened cylinder head washers? Because deformed head washers are probably the number 1 cause of blood, sweat, tears, skinned knuckles, inappropriate hammering and broken cooling vanes.

SW, Your theory is correct and working on the bench I can pull them out with a piece of rubber hose. I have fitted those washers and they still flatten out. Three are stuck in the head now and there's no way I can get them out so in the past I have had to run an 8.5mm drill through them so the bolt goes through nice and easy but when I pull it apart a few 1000 km later they have flattened again and I have to force the head off using b,s and t and drill out the washers again before re-fitting the head. I have ordered a new set of six just in case I get those three out but if not, they will stay in, still giving me clearance under the head of the bolt when I tighten it up. If the clearance is not enough I will put a second washer over those squashed ones. Re gasket goo round the studs. This could be my problem so I will watch it this time. Is your method to remove the studs completely with the rubber hose with the motor still in the frame?

Hi Creaky. I too had the same issue, even with our hosts hardened washers – three of which seem to have ‘bitten’ their way into the head so despite drilling out to 8.5-9mm, I still have issues. And those three cannot be removed. One of the studs always jams as the threaded hole appears not quite straight (typical for my 1996 500). So I bash under the downpipe outlet, where the alloy is thickest, with an ally bar until I can insert a large 2mm plywood shim into the head gap. Then do the same on the other side and add more wooden shims gradually lifting the head. I hate this job! But it is not the fault of the hardened washers but the cr**py aluminium the head is made of.
Cheers, ChrisD

Latest news: Creaky45 was last sighted heading for the pub.

Last time I did the job I seem to recall being able to get most of the studs out that way but I do remember drifting the washers out of the head (in much the same way as you would remove a wheel bearing from a Japanese bike) and drilling the holes a little larger on a previous occasion. I ceretainly got enough "slack" this time to rotate the head on the barrel a little to "break the seal" and lift it up off the barrel comparatively easily. I remember thinking "Thank goodness for that!".



If memory serves, at least one of the studs did stick somewhat (and pulled the stud up with the head) but once I had a gap between head and barrel, I just screwed the nut on a couple of turns and tapped it back down again with the head held up on two bits of wood.



I should add, on a previous occasion, my head got so stuck that even extreme measures wouldn't shift it. On trying the "Indian rope trick", the whole bottom section sheared off the iron barrel and remained bolted to the engine. I then landed up undoing the studs with a pair of mole grips through the resulting gap and hammering them down out of the head a little at a time.



Thinking about it, in future, if it's really stuck and having the removable studs, the thing to do would be to lift the head and barrel up off the engine as far as possible, stick a couple of spacers between the barrel and crankcase then tap the studs down through the head to get them moving.

It's so good to hear SW and Chris know where I am coming from and these hardened washers are not always the answer. There just seems to be no easy way but we always get it in the end. And Leon, when I got to the pub they said, "Where's Leon"?