Just a quick question before I go to far. I tapped a header bolt to clean out all the thread locker, and ran a dye over the bolt to clean it up (its those locking bolts) and now the bolt goes in so easy. But it is just a little loose (can just barely wiggle it when the bolt is pretty far in)which scares me a little. Should I keep going and do the rest. I am using the right tap and dye. Its 8mm by 1.25. I plan on using thread locker again along with the locks so they cant back out. But that very small wiggle, which is very little, worries me about stripping them when I go to tighten them. I am sure I am WAY over acting. Its just before, when I didn't clean them out, they went in very tight from the beginning. Course that worried me to. This damn aluminum scares the pixx out of me.

 

Hmmm, sounds like your tap is taking out too much material to me . . . I'd stop using and just spray each hole with carb cleaner, then blow them out with an air compressor. Wear safety glasses of course. They make special thread chasers that are designed for just cleaning threads. Unless the threads are stripped, I wouldn't run a tap through them. Also, they make taps of the same size in more than one fit.

 

Thanks cal. I'm glad I posted. Will stop the work.

Do you know where to get chasers. That sounds like the way to go.

 

Check some industrial supply places . . . can't remember where I saw one last . . . might have been here => www.mscdirect.com

 

If your using a m8x1.25 tap its not taking too much out of the hole its probably the dye your using. If the bolts are a locking bolt or the dye is adjustable its taking to much material off the bolts. run the tap in the hole and use a bolt you havent messed with and it should work fine . They do have different thread fitments but I think that is determined by the size of the hole before it is tapped . smaller drill size tighter the treads, bigger the drill looser the threads.

 

I think I will just tap the holes and leave the bolts alone

 

Buy a set of Stage 8 and be done with it.

 

A tap is NOT the same thing as a thread chaser, which is MEANT to clean threads. Taps and die's cut too deep to clean. My advice is to purchase a thread chaser kit, its proved to be much more usefull than I ever thought it would!