Tank bolt PITA

[ThreeDawg]

Have a few extra wires now running near where the nut is for the tank mounting on my 1100GS so quite difficult to hold the stupid nut in position before tightening up the bolt. Need something like an 8mm clevis and an R pin, but would that be good enough for a massively heavy tank?

 

[DrFarkoff]

Personally I would not!

I think that could end up in a world of hurt If the R clip snags a cable causes a short, clip falls out and Pin falls out then you have 35 kg of tank free moving etc etc

It should be a flanged nut on the inside of the mount

Put the nut into the top of the ring of a ring spanner with the angle of the spanner out from the frame (Back to front if you prefer) You are pulling the nut against the mount using the ring end

And slip it behind the tank mount bracket before you start pushing the bolt through

I've been doing it that way for 20 years

Works fine every time

Make sure your two metal spacer are in the rubber mount

The number I have had in over the years with the short inner usually missing!

 

[theoneandonly]

reroute the wires .

 

[ThreeDawg]

Yeah, pin idea is mince, I'll agree. But so is the nut behind the bracket.

Wires are a bit of an issue - have direct feed to the headlight, the aux lights and a USB outlet, but what tipped it over the edge was a new (to me) Zumo 590 which has a whole bunch of wired jacks connected for mic, USB, headset etc. It's all tucked away, but there ain't much room now.

Serves me right for fiddling...

 

[Udders]

I do the same as the Dr. Put the nut in a ring spanner. Easy.

 

[oblertone]

Unless you're using all the extra functionality of the 590, then simply cut off all the unwanted wires, leaving you power only

 

[Paul Young]

reroute the wires .

This was why I routed most of mine down the left side. I added some black flexi tube to feed them through above the air intake to the fairing stays and feed the spotlights and usb sockets at the front of the bike.

 

[ThreeDawg]

Reluctant to cut off the extras just yet as I only just got the unit, but clearly it's a problem for others too as there are videos showing how to open up the cradle and remove everything and presumably get rid of the big 'junction box' where all the wires come from. Might score another cradle before I get busy with the soldering iron, y'know, just in case...

I will admit I lost the flanged nut (in a warehouse far far away) and replaced it with an ordinary one making my life just that little bit more difficult in the process. Stupidity compounded I'd say.

 

[DrFarkoff]

I will admit I lost the flanged nut (in a warehouse far far away) and replaced it with an ordinary one making my life just that little bit more difficult in the process. Stupidity compounded I'd say.

Simple fix go to a scrapyard and lift the bonnet on nearly any European brand car and you will find a flanged 13mm headed M8 x 1.25 mm thread pitch

Front Suspension top mounts are "Usually" that sort of size and tend to have the flanged nut

 

[Greg Masters]

I do the same as the Dr. Put the nut in a ring spanner. Easy.

Use a little grease to hold it in the ring

 

[MikeO]

Reluctant to cut off the extras just yet as I only just got the unit, but clearly it's a problem for others too as there are videos showing how to open up the cradle and remove everything and presumably get rid of the big 'junction box' where all the wires come from. Might score another cradle before I get busy with the soldering iron, y'know, just in case...

I will admit I lost the flanged nut (in a warehouse far far away) and replaced it with an ordinary one making my life just that little bit more difficult in the process. Stupidity compounded I'd say.

You've made the job a lot more difficult using a non-flanged nut. I just hold the nut roughly in place with my fingers, then - by hand - push the bolt through and start turning it. You don't need a spanner with a flanged nut - just keep your finger on the nut, and it'll grip on the inside of the bracket.

Of course, like Dr F, I have been doing this for 20yrs or so...

 

[DrFarkoff]

I just hold the nut roughly in place with my fingers, then - by hand - push the bolt through and start turning it. You don't need a spanner with a flanged nut - just keep your finger on the nut, and it'll grip on the inside of the bracket.

I think the problem is that he has ran a load of wiring down that side of the frame area behind the tank mount bracket, Mike

hence my thoughts of a Slim spanner to hold it in and get it Started

 

[ThreeDawg]

Yes yes, I know, losing the flanged nut didn't help that's for sure, but after much scrabbling around in my tin of old nuts and bolts I've replaced it now, using a ring spanner helps and the bike is back together.

What is actually in the way at the moment is the Garmin's flat triangular junction box where all the wires for the various plugs sprout. I can push it up out of the way, but it isn't ideal. Dunno why Garmin went with such retro kit, Bluetooth (which it has) was the standard even when the unit was new.

Replacing the cable with just a power feed is fairly straightforward, there's a video on Youtube. Might give that a go when it's a bit warmer in the garage.