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2007 R1200R - fixing stripped plastic anchors

fletchdude

New member
I had a loose left turn lever in the switch assembly. Before spending the money to get a replacement assembly I thought I would see if I could disassemble and fix it. I was able to re-seat the lever in the internal housing but when re-attaching the switch assembly back to the handle bars the lower housing screw would not tighten. Since the screw anchor is the housing I'd have to replace the whole thing which I just fixed. Isn't there someway to fix this?

The assembly seems tight but I can wiggle it a little. The right switch assembly is tight as nails to the bars. I'm going to stop by the local dealer to see if the other R12R bikes left switch assembly is as secure as mine is now. Maybe its normal and I should just forget about it. I just hate to have something that isn't quite right and could loosen some day when I'm 1000 miles from home.
 
Sounds like the threads are stripped.

1) if there is room, could you drill for an oversize screw? Likely you would have to drill both sides.

2) Drill a through hole for a bolt and nut. A bit crude but you might be able to trim the bolt flush with the nut.

3) Fill the bottom / back hole with epoxy ( maybe someone knows a better material ) and drill for the original screw ( self-tapping assumed).

That's all I can think of. Hope you can fix it.
 
I've just had these switch pods on my bike on and off several times (I'm fitting custom handlebars), and the left pod is not loose. With the pod off, does the plastic flange to which it attaches wiggle? Are the two self-tapping screws which mount the left grip to the handlebar in place and tight?

The T10 screws you're talking about thread into plastic, which is easily deformed and cracked. I'd remove the switch pod so you can work on the bench.

If the piece into which the screw threads is intact, and the internal threading is stripped, I would mostly fill the screw receptacle with a small piece of toothpick; the wood doesn't have to be glued in place. When the pod is remounted and the screw reintroduced, the screw threads will cut into the wood, will expand the wood slightly, and things should hold. This is a useful technique for screws into wood, and I have used it for screws into plastic as well. The pod-mounting screws are very small, and I wouldn't drill a pilot hole; just let the screw cut new threads in the wood/plastic combo.

If the plastic piece is not intact, or the ring through which the screw fits is broken, it should be repaired. A small crack may be repaired with JB Weld, and can be reinforced (within the epoxy) with a small piece of fine fabric, nylon stocking, or nylon thread. If the plastic piece is badly damaged and there's a lot of JB weld and reinforcing, thus increasing the hardness and density of the repaired area, I might drill a pilot hole.

Let us know how this turns out.
 
Thanks guys. I'd say the piece is intact but I will go back in and take a look as well as the other screws mentioned. I like the idea of using a toothpick etc to reinforce the threads. I'm going to cut and paste these tips into my "mech tips" folder.

Maybe "wiggle" is the wrong term as it has friction and does not budge much. Just not rock solid. I did go by the dealer and checked the play on three other identical bikes. Its about the same. However, with the screw not tightening I'm going to try the fixes you suggested. I may put some electrical tape around the bar where it mates to the Pod to see if that helps some.

Thanks!!!

Jim
 
Can go both ways

You may wish to make sure the mount screw isn't bottoming out as opposed to being stripped. Sometimes the screw will be a tad long for whatever reason and it will feel tight but not really be causing the assembly to be clamped snug. In this case a washer would be called for.
 
Were it mine (glad it's not) I'd fill the hole the screw goes into with JB Weld and before it fully sets up I'd run the screw into it "almost" all the way and when the stuff cured I'd tighten it up the rest of the way. Coat the screw with some Johnson's Paste Wax as a release agent.
 
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