header coming free
- Thread starter jdkart3
- Start date
rebsfan4
Member
15 years of dropping the breach and main guns on the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (25MM Bushmaster) and M1 Abrams (120MM Main Gun), There wasn't a time that we failed to use safety wire upon reinstall. While it's true the safety wire's purpose isn't to retain the torque applied to the bolt, it definitely is there to prevent total failure due to a bolt coming out. Properly placed safety wire will not allow ANY bolt that looses it's torque value to rotate itself enough to back out to a point where damage can be done.
Jimbo
You can fool some of the people some of the time
Some people here are saying that safety wire won't keep the bolts from coming loose. I agree.
Some are also saying that it will prevent a complete failure. From experience (seeing it happen) I disagree.
I have seen many karts come off the track with no header bolts. Often the pipe brace keeps the pipe on the engine.
The safety wire gives people a sense of false security. I believe they think that since it's safety wired it can't come loose.
Nothing can be farther from the truth.
When the safety wire is in place you can't check the bolt tightness with out cutting the safety wire off.
Most people aren't going to do that.
When the bolts get loose it burns the header gasket out and the pipe gets even looser. I don't care what kind of gasket you use.
When the pipe is loose on the head it will vibrate around and damage the gasket surface and also destroy whats left of the threads.
There is no right answer to this situation on an Animal but i sure wish i could check the header bolts after each heat race with out having to cut the safety wire off.
My billet heads will have 3 header bolts though.
Some are also saying that it will prevent a complete failure. From experience (seeing it happen) I disagree.
I have seen many karts come off the track with no header bolts. Often the pipe brace keeps the pipe on the engine.
The safety wire gives people a sense of false security. I believe they think that since it's safety wired it can't come loose.
Nothing can be farther from the truth.
When the safety wire is in place you can't check the bolt tightness with out cutting the safety wire off.
Most people aren't going to do that.
When the bolts get loose it burns the header gasket out and the pipe gets even looser. I don't care what kind of gasket you use.
When the pipe is loose on the head it will vibrate around and damage the gasket surface and also destroy whats left of the threads.
There is no right answer to this situation on an Animal but i sure wish i could check the header bolts after each heat race with out having to cut the safety wire off.
My billet heads will have 3 header bolts though.
rainman
Member
In Europe where most racing is 2 cycles most parts of the karts require self locking nuts instead of wire for most parts. Of course they wouldn´t be useful on 4 cycle headers because of heat but they were very effective for brakes and steering (I never had any problem). I guess there is no single answer for everything and each thing has an application like each person has a solution for the same issue and they are all valid as long as they work for you. JMO
Actually, if we used studs we could use distorted collar locknuts on headers; they're designed for high temperature applications where Nylok nuts won't hack it, but they can also be a pain in the tail. Everything is a compromise, and i haven't decided which would be more annoying - the distorted collar locknuts can generate a lot of running torque, so thay will often back the stud out, plus there is nothing to prevent the set stud from coming loose while the locknut stays put - unless you lockwire it, of course.... 
Hear, hear Jimbo. I agree all the way. I have found that one of the two socket head cap screws on the blueplate Animal I have for my young friend has the head drilled all the way through, low enough down that you can get a hex wrench in and check for tightness if you don't try to really muscle it. When we get the engine back from the builder, we're going to spot anneal and drill the other one all the way through (it is only drilled on one side at the moment, so the lockwire comes up out of the socket, preventing anything but dirt from getting in). Not an ideal solution, but better than cutting the wire off every time and redoing it.
Hear, hear Jimbo. I agree all the way. I have found that one of the two socket head cap screws on the blueplate Animal I have for my young friend has the head drilled all the way through, low enough down that you can get a hex wrench in and check for tightness if you don't try to really muscle it. When we get the engine back from the builder, we're going to spot anneal and drill the other one all the way through (it is only drilled on one side at the moment, so the lockwire comes up out of the socket, preventing anything but dirt from getting in). Not an ideal solution, but better than cutting the wire off every time and redoing it.