Whenever the subject of installing head bolts comes up, somebody usually mentions cleaning out the holes with a bottoming tap. But I don't recall ever seeing any mention of doing the same thing here.
I found that without cleaning the holes, the studs wouldn't turn in all the way. In fact one had about half the thread out of the hole when it wouldn't turn anymore.
With holes cleaned out it's no longer a problem.
The low camera angle makes it look like the wire misses the slots, but no, it doesn't.
Brilliant, I hadn't thought of that. I'm gonna do that too. Thanks again Steve.
I seem to recall you shared an easy way to "customize" a bottoming tap out of a common type too. Yet another great idea.
The last bottoming tap I bought was a special order because they didn't have one (shocker). It came in sealed on the cardboard labeled "bottoming tap." But it wasn't. It was tapered just like any regular tap. So I went to a friend's place and used his cut off saw and cut the taper off the end. It worked just fine cleaning out head bolt holes in the block.
I worry that incidents such as this serve as caged canaries warning us of the health of our industrial base.
Only the 3-dip crankcases have the blind hole - on 4-dips, the hole goes through.
I've always used thread chasers and/or taps & dies on all my old bolts, nut and bolt holes. Parts thread together properly and easily and than can be correctly tightened. Good catch Steve; could lead to a real problem if the studs aren't fully installed.
Is it still a bottoming tap if yer working it upwards?? Inquiring minds want to know ...
Garnet
I'm no great mechanic but those springs look coil bound to me. Is that just the low angle of the pic?
Vintage Paul
Garnet, I believe it's called a "topping tap".
Paul, I thought the same thing, springs coilbound. There seems to be thread enough to back the nuts off and still be able to get the safety wire in place.
Often they are just wound up till they bottom to compensate for worn ball and cap. Steve looks to have a new cap, so that is good.
Allan from down under.
It's not a new cap, but it's a pretty good one. The springs aren't all the way in, but I think Allan's right. I could probably back the nuts out a little.
One more place is the two blind holes where the ball cap bolts on.When i put the rebuild back in the 14 to my grief i found one striped!! Not good but with forum advise i borrowed a metric tap slightly larger,a new metric bolt and home free!!I'll tell the next owner [my Grandson] but mabey i'll be gone? Bud.
Taps for years were available as sets with 1 each taper, plug and bottom tap,
or at least the dealer would stock them as individual items to give you a choice.
Now you may have to go to an industrial supplier to find someone that has
even heard of those terms. I find that most taps sold without one of the above
descriptions are generally plug taps, the same as a ‘one of each size’ T & D set
will also contain .
Regards
Art
Or .... make your own (This actually works amazingly well!)
The price of new taps, and especially tap sets today is sinful . Out here in PA, due to the industrial failure in this country , you can pick up a dozen or so taps for the cost of a new one at most flea markets--not car part markets. Don't forget the tap handles. in most cases, on a one shot job, a a taper or a plug is all you need, and if you need to bottom out a hole, grind off the end, keeping the tap cool with water. You can pick up another for a buck or less.