So i went to pull my gas tank off to check my valves today and lucky me the top bolt on the left side of the tank that attaches the fender side on just spins and spins . The threads are not stripped out, instead the piece witht the threads is spinning in the plastic. Has this happened to anybody before and if so could ya fix it?
Its not a big deal, but i just don't want to have to remove my entire left fender every time i want to get the tank off.
Plus I hate knowing something isn't how it should be on my bike, the crap drives me nuts!!

easy fix.
1- dont tighten down the bolt so much next time.
2- get the fender off and pry the piece out of the tank put it in a vice and get the bolt out.
3- mix up some j/b weld or 2 part epoxy put that in the tank and put the fender slug back
in the tank let it setup and your done.
On a side not you might want to get a spare bolt to stick in the slug so it doesnt fill up with
epoxy when you reinstall the slug.

Erik

I'll definately flow step 1 thats for sure! I didn't think i had tightened that down that much but apparently i did. I'll see if i can get that fender off there without breakin anything and give 'er hell!

Always use never-seize compound on every bolt you take loose. Especially on dissimilar
metals like the zinc plated bolts on the gas tank & the tank brass inserts.

well that was a massive failure. does anybody know if the brass insert in the tank has a flange that is molded into the plastic of the tank. There's no way to remove the bolt, so i tried pulling it and the insert with no luck. Just wondering if i'm better off cutting the bolt off and buying a new tank.

You really have to pry it up.. there is a larger base to the insert..

Heat the bolt and the brass nut up with a heat gun, get a pair of vice grps and pull it out, put the insert in a vice and remove the 8mm bolt from the insert. Take some two part epoxy and lightly glaze it around the brass insert. Heat the plastic up on the tank with the heat gun where the whole for the insert is just so it gets soft enough to re insert it. Let is coll for about anhour and you wont have the problem again unless you overtighten the bolt again.

this same thing happened to me on my 07 and it happened before i ever rode it so it has to be a common thing with these tanks. I tryed just pulling the piece out but i dont wanna damage my tank so somebody please help this situation

Put the socket in a drill and spin the bolt and insert as you pry up.
Once you've spun the insert out, put it in a vice and take the bolt out.
Use appoxy or I used Gorrilla glue to hold the insert into the take.

Then definatly use the anti-sieze when reinstalling.

I ahve the same problem. some guy ran into me and now that bolt won't come out, I guess it's bent. It is stuck in the brass insert and the insert spins in the plastic of the tank when I turn the bolt. It all turns as one.

So you guys are saying pull the entire brass insert out? Then get the bolt out and I will be able to epoxy the brass insert back in?

Thanks