Need help sourcing side case hardware piece for 2007 R1200 GS

[blueridgespeed]

I rung off one of the torx-head capscrews on the side case mount. These stainless capscrews thread into a sturdy anodized aluminum block.

First it broke off leaving a protruding remnant. I gave it another week of soaking with Kroil (this penetrant has worked for me when others did not)

I made a "coupler" with a nut and threaded the two pieces back together and reworded them. I was glad to have the whole unit easy to work with!

The bolt rung off again, this time flush.

Argh. Plan B - centerpunch and start drilling Pretty easy securing the unit in a drill press vise versus by hand as if often the only option.

After committing to through-drilling the whole thing and either re-tapping or going to a "heli-coil" type thread repair insert - I was on step 3 of slightly larger bits when I broke the bit! Perfectly flush and I can't get it out.

I don't think I'll have any success flailing on this further.

I'm prepared to make a bracket (out of steel) but would like to find one for sale new or used if possible.

I've circled the part in yellow on a pic below - which lists the whole left case rack assembly for sale but does mention BMW sells the bits separately.

My local dealer is closed due to the pandemic and I'm not able to find the part number, much less any for sale.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

And...if I do find one, I have promised myself that I will respect stainless threaded into aluminum and will apply anti-seize compound!

 

[Anyname]

Try looking for a machine shop in your area that does EDM machining. That's probably the best way to get rid of it.

There are screw removers which are basically a small hole saw that removes a broken screw along with a plug of the material. The ones I have seen are intended for wood, but a lot of woodworking tools can cut aluminum if you are desperate:

This is one example of this type of drill:

https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/set3hollowscrewextractors.aspx

 

[blueridgespeed]

EDM or Holesaw

excellent ideas *Anyname - thank you

 

[Anyname]

A couple more thoughts on your stuck drill bit. The part the drill is stuck in doesn't look like it would be ruined if it had a through hole. You could drill trough from the opposite side and then drive the drill bit out with a punch. It you do take this approach, I strongly recommend getting a center drill like these to start the hole. They make it much easier to keep the hole where you want it:

https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=4859&category=

Heating the part might also loosen the stuck drill and/or screw. An oven would be safer than a torch.

 

[gsaddict]

Item # 4
46 54 7 698 984 CLAMP 0.09 2 $48.32

 

[blueridgespeed]

pics to come

Thank you both.

*Anytime- I neglected to mention that I had ALREADY tried and failed to through-drill from the other side. It's probably about an inch of stainless and I had hoped to do exactly what you described.

Good tip on those center drills.

And also, a "transfer punch set" is great and a cheap set serves most of us. In the case of a bolt broken off below the surface, a transfer punch yields a perfectly centered start point for drilling.

Keep in mind this is coming from a person who has failed in this case - hahaha- but usually a well-centered start point and perfectly plumb (straight) drilling as was in this case possible with a drill press and the part clamped squarely in a press vise - is the key to success.



In this case, I'm making a temporary clamp from steel.

I happend to have a hole-saw with a diameter matching the clamp.

Pics to follow.

Hopefully next week when I have a chance to get to the salvage yard I'll see if I can find a chunk of aluminum roughly the correct width to remake the part.

Thanks all for the part numbers and extra ideas!

 

[Anyname]

I have used both Amazon and these guys for small orders of metal stock:

https://www.onlinemetals.com/?affiliate_id=285

BTW, I read of an old time gunsmithing technique for getting stuck taps out of blind holes. This goes back to the days long before EDM existed. The author of the gun smithing book recommended dripping a small quantity of acid onto the stuck tap. The acid would erode enough of the tap loosening enough so that it could be unscrewed. If you have already written the part off, you could try a drop or two of battery acid to se if that frees the drill bit up. The author also used cyanide for hardening steel parts, so you can guess that OSHA regs weren't part of his life. If you do try acid, use eye protection and be careful.