Honda-SOHC

SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB350/400 => Topic started by: Laverda Dave on December 28, 2017, 12:53:16 PM

Title: Spark erosion
Post by: Laverda Dave on December 28, 2017, 12:53:16 PM
I've made a real schoolboy error  :-[ with the CB250RS engine and now I need a pin spark eroded out. Does anyone know of anyone who can offer this service? All the company's that advertise are only interested in mass production work and not one-off's. Happy to send the part (it's the rocker cover) anywhere as it's only small.
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: Trigger on December 28, 2017, 01:02:19 PM
Show a pic of what needs to come out
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: Tomb on December 28, 2017, 01:28:48 PM
Will a slide hammer not weld to it?
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: Laverda Dave on December 28, 2017, 01:39:24 PM
Here's the offending pin, it's 5mm diameter x 28mm length (although shorter by 8mm now as a bit broke off trying to remove it using heat, dremmel, pliers etc.
I can't believe I put the pin back but forgot to check the spindle at the other end was in alignment with the bolt hole.....it wasn't and I only realised when I went to refit the rocker cover! I shouldn't have been working in a cold garage when I wasn't feeling well myself!!!
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: Laverda Dave on December 28, 2017, 01:40:52 PM
Its the pin on the right, the one on the left is fine!
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: AshimotoK0 on December 28, 2017, 03:41:20 PM
Will a slide hammer not weld to it?

+1 that's what I was thinking ..you will get loads of localised heat too. When I did my 750K0 stud removal someone told me to smear soap on the alloy and if it goes brown then you are overdoing the heat.
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: Trigger on December 28, 2017, 04:07:06 PM
You don't need a spark eroder on that, just weld a 8.8 bolt to it and draw it out. Or drill a hole dead centre and smack a torx bit and turn it out.
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: Rob62 on December 28, 2017, 06:32:26 PM
I think he tried all that on a previous thread.... the pin is pot-hard. Looks like a strip down and off to a specialist toolmaker / precision engineer or the like, or failing that a replacement part.  :-\
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: AshimotoK0 on December 28, 2017, 06:59:12 PM
I think he tried all that on a previous thread.... the pin is pot-hard. Looks like a strip down and off to a specialist toolmaker / precision engineer or the like, or failing that a replacement part.  :-\

I agree on trying to drill but I would have thought you could TIG weld to the pin...not tried it myself though so could be wrong
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: K2-K6 on December 28, 2017, 07:08:20 PM
StudLever Dent Pulling Tool: http://youtu.be/RfsonLnIJLM

What about a car body repair shop that may have kit similar to the above to get a stud welded to it?
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: Rob62 on December 28, 2017, 07:15:14 PM
I think he tried all that on a previous thread.... the pin is pot-hard. Looks like a strip down and off to a specialist toolmaker / precision engineer or the like, or failing that a replacement part.  :-\

I agree on trying to drill but I would have thought you could TIG weld to the pin...not tried it myself though so could be wrong
Worth a try i guess
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: 70sHonda on December 28, 2017, 07:32:14 PM
I don't know if he'd work on a Honda, but Pete Lovell of Pete Lovell Developments does smaller jobs using spark erosion. He's a long standing Norton man but it might be worth a try if you get really stuck. 
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: Laverda Dave on December 28, 2017, 10:35:26 PM
Thanks for all the help and replies everyone. I had this problem before and tried everything mentioned then (and so did Huw who's a newbie on here, he welded a stud on and it broke. I tried the drill but the pin is so hard it didn't touch it. Thanks for the tip about Pete Lovell, I'll give him a try. The only way to get this out will be by spark erosion.
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: AshimotoK0 on December 29, 2017, 10:55:45 AM
I had two of the short cylinder head studs snap off slightly below the surface on my 750K0 ...I tried various attempts at welding a nut onto it (I even removed all traces of BZP with acid and then bead blasting the nut) but the nut kept breaking off. Then I watched a TV car resto programme where the guy welded a blob onto the top of a broken stud  and kept building it up to a quite large unsightly blob ...then, whilst still really hot, he removed the stud with Mole grips...I have since tried this method on  cylinder studs and snapped off brake fittings and it worked every time. The only thing I am unsure of as a novice welder is how weld will 'take' to a hardened pin.
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: royhall on December 29, 2017, 10:58:34 AM
A hardened pin will be fairly high carbon. Will weld okay but may become brittle and snap off.
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: K2-K6 on December 29, 2017, 11:35:31 AM
As you say royhall,  it's going to be high carbon to make it heat treatable. In that though you've got the method to change material hardness.

To harden steel you heat to red then fast quench in water or slightly more controlled with oil.

To go the other way,  you heat to red and cool as slowly as possible to anneal.

So if for example you used something like that spot welder I've posted above it will heat the whole pin probably to cherry Red without much heat being put into the surrounding component. Then leave to cool naturally before trying to get a slide hammer effect to withdraw it. You'd have been able to insulate that post weld process inuthis past with asbestos blanket, but we're not allowed such dangerous materials now!
You get a more competent tension/impact resistant joint by using the rod material as the conductor,  that's why they do it like that in body shops.
If the joint comes apart,  then it'll most likely be soft enough just to drill it as it'll have been annealed during the process.
Title: Re: Spark erosion
Post by: Laverda Dave on December 29, 2017, 02:04:53 PM
Thanks to 70'sHonda I had a chat with Pete Lovell this morning and he agreed to spark erode the dowl out for me in a couple of weeks time when he comes back from holiday. I'd almost given up finding anyone who could do this work, its all mass production, big money items these days.
Thank you to everybody for all the advice. As always, this is a great forum to belong to  :)
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