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people generally make puller plates for them. My issue is that for the plate to work, you need to screw it down into the holes the head studs go into so secure it. Since mine all have broken bolts in them, I cant use the puller until I get them out.
Don't give up, I ride my buffalo every week and it'll be worth it. You need to find someone to weld something onto the end of those studs after the heat trick mentioned above.
I got to thinking, if you have to make the puller plate anyhow just make it now and you can use it as a fixture to guide your drill straight into the broken bolts.
You would have to either start off with the two holes available or maybe you can leave off the nuts from the puller plate for now and attach it to the cylinder studs for the drilling operation.
You will need a heavy bushing at least an inch thick and at least an inch OD with a hole the same size as your drill. A machinist can make you this easily but it needs to be very straight and square. Set it dead center over a broken bolt and carefully tack it to the plate without it moving, drill the bolt out, cut the welds and move to the next.
Hey, great looking project, have always been intrigued by these bikes. Definitely seems like you have some work ahead of you, look forward to seeing it all come together.
My current plan with this is to make the puller plate and have it stick over the edges. Take C clamps and use the intake and exhaust to clamp the plate down (along with the two available bolt holes). Hopefully this will work, once I have the head off then drilling out the bolts wont be so hard, I can just use my drill press.
I have tried welding a nut onto the bolt and using it to get it out.. Just doesn't have the grip, the weld just twists off. That method would work if they broke because they were bound, but since these are corroded I really dont think they are going to come out.
I'm also trying to source a new motor, I don't have high hopes that these bolts are going to come out. I really don't want to have 6 Heli-coils in it. Just playing by ear for now until I get the material for this puller plate
Things have not been going so well with the GT. First attempt I broke 3 C clamps, they just couldn't hold the pressure. The second time with stronger clamps I started shattering threads. Impact can't even drive them down any further and my 3/8 steal has bent. I'm not sure these cylinders are meant to come off. I might be giving up.
Wow, that thing is really on there! If there is room I would slide some pieces of inner tube over the clamps where they go into your intake and exhaust ports. Maybe bigger clamps if they will fit.
If you didn't already you will need to put grease on the threads of your all thread for something like this. Then you won't be fighting that friction. If you have to replace any nuts I would use grade 8 if you didn't the first time.
If it's putting up this much of a fight, I would look at it as a longer term thing. Put some pressure on it, heat it up, let it cool. Always leave the pressure on it. Wait a few hours do it again. Do this every day. As far as heating it I would use heat guns and set them up so they just set there and blow on the cylinder. That cylinder is wide so you may need four of them but I think they are like ten bucks at horrible freight. They will get the whole cylinder block hot enough to sizzle spit in less than ten minutes. Then turn them off.
If this doesn't work then get a tub and soak the whole motor in diesel fuel or something like that and keep the pressure on it, eventually it will pop.
If it was an easier to find motor it probably wouldn't be worth the trouble but these aren't that easy to find and another one may give you the same trouble.
i would imagine it was the wimpy bolts you have and nothing to do with engine threads. can you bolt plate to cylinder instead of clamps(not best idea)..i had a 750 honda and made a plate up that i had to move back and forth but i used a huge bolt(3/4") with a thick washer to spread the load on the piston. i used kroil and heated with propane torch. i remember a few people used fuel in the cylinder and then lit it and the heat fuel loosened it. i think it was diesel fuel..see below. good luck,joe
I had one set of barrels that had to be drilled/cut/heated/smashed with a big hammer, but they usually come off with heat and oil/diesel/Kroil/etc. Repeat often.
What works best for me is to get a suitable tap and thread all 11 large holes and get 11 matching bolts and progressively tighten them all - evenly. After it starts to move, take the bolts out and re-tap and then bank the block back down to loosen it up. Make sure it is square. If one side comes up, it jams on the studs.
It takes time and patience and lots of heat.
If you are up this way, sling the motor in your car and bring it over and we'll see if we can do anything for it.
Ive only got one heat gun, i'll have to go to HF this week and grab 3 more. I wish I had some of the more sturdy C-Clamps as well, that one is holding really well the rest cant keep as much pressure.
I had the same problem on my h1 and i used atf with acetone and heat, then i used an air chisel with a round tip and hammered down the pistons, worked like a charm. They never moved until i used the air hammer, and even then it took a while. Obviously your pistons will not be used again.
I had the same problem on my h1 and i used atf with acetone and heat, then i used an air chisel with a round tip and hammered down the pistons, worked like a charm. They never moved until i used the air hammer, and even then it took a while. Obviously your pistons will not be used again.
Picked up two more motors. The bolts look clean on one but the motor looks a like rough. The second has rusty bolts but the motor looks like it was just rebuilt. Hopefully I'll be able to make a good motor out of the three. Both of these are covered in the ace/atf currently.
On the first motor, had it setting with the new mix on the studs. Just got a new set of grade 8 hardware. I haven't given up on it either.
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