Fabricate plug protectors, bolt to valve cover?

I think this is the proper sub-forum to post this in..

So , ...I am still having a problem with my spark plugs being snapped off by hoodlums in the nieghborhood. I don't care why they do this, I just want it to stop.

I am thinking of having a steel plate bent and drilled for each side of the bike. I would then attache these pieces to each side of the bike by pulling a few of the bolts on the vavle cover, sliding the plate on, and then putting the bolts back in.

I think this will work with out casuing any problems. I am not sure if I will need to find longer bolts for the vavle cover. I think as long as the steel isn't to thick it should be fine.

In the diagram the yellow would represent the steel plate, and the green the bolts I want to atatch it to. These bolts should be far enough under the gas tank to deter anyone from trying and removing them to get to the spark plugs.

Thoughts? ...is this a bad idea? I am going for simplicity to keep the price down.

have you tried moving the bike...


and everything else you own.....

to a place where this kind of stuff does not happen....

easier than fabbing a steel plate too......

After almost 33 years of having so many bikes, I have never broken a plug. Therefore I do not understand the object of this exercise. :huh: If it is vandalism, I would let them snap all the plugs they want, If you prevent them from doing it they will find something else to smash. Possibly much more expensive and much harder to replace.

Buy a pitbull and chain him to your bike. That should take care of the problem.

This has happened about 7 or 8 time over the last 2 years. I have moved the bike around in a 4 block radius, parking at the top of the hill, the bottom of the hill, etc..

This actually happens to all of the vintage bikes in my neighborhood that park on the street. And if I see an older bike that hasn't had its plugs broke, I assume that they will be within the next couple of days.

I posted a long time ago about..
kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...w&catid=13&id=247754

I haven't rode the bike in 5 months because of this crap. I have 2 easy options as far as I see it. Rent a garage to keep the bike in, which is a minimum of $70 a month, more if I want a private garage in which I can work on it. The second is to fabricate the plates. I am guessing the second will be cheaper, and it will allow me to keep the bike close to my front door which means easy access when I need it.

Option 3 - Lethal boobytrap....

Edit: Wow...guess I'm late to the party - just read the previous post.

This must be mucho frustrating for you.

You have probably already gathered from the responses so far that this subject does not appear to have come up before.

Just some arm chair design ideals here... you could build a plug guard as you have drawn. Mounting on only 2 bolts and both bolts on the same side would probably not be enough... it could act like a handle and just bend the guard. Seems you would need at least two more attachment bolts from the cover to make it strong. Next you would need to add a bend at the bottom going between a pair of cooling fins all the way to the block.

Maybe something like this:



Then the bolts WILL be too short because they only bite into aluminum remember... then it has to be painted... then its steel on aluminum (staining)... etc. No easy answers here.

I guess if someone really wants to they could poke something between this plug guard and the fins and still break off the plugs.

Best of success,
Bill

Unless ur going to remove the covers before u ride,may have some heating issues to deal with.U could take the plugs out at night and screw some bolts in the plug holes,but as Otakar said,the hoodlums might find something else to break.How about getting an old pair of spark plug wires,slit the plug caps,and glue some razor blades in the slits.??That would mean changing a couple wires before u rode ( and miscellaneous finger parts) but someone would get a nasty surprise.A 12 gauge loaded with rock salt always seemed to deter vandals when growing up,but not sure it would be appropriate where u live.Good luck.bj

bill_wilcox100 wrote:

This must be mucho frustrating for you.

You have probably already gathered from the responses so far that this subject does not appear to have come up before.

Just some arm chair design ideals here... you could build a plug guard as you have drawn. Mounting on only 2 bolts and both bolts on the same side would probably not be enough... it could act like a handle and just bend the guard. Seems you would need at least two more attachment bolts from the cover to make it strong. Next you would need to add a bend at the bottom going between a pair of cooling fins all the way to the block.

Good call. I was simply trying to keep the fabrication to a min for simplicity sake, and lower cost, less of a chance of something being misaligned since my measurements are rough field measurements with a tape.

I was looking at only attaching it to the back valve cover because if I recall correctly the front one sits slightly higher, which add a bit more complexity to the piece.

So you think simply bending the piece to run back into the block between the fins will be sufficient? I might be able to add a third piece which u’s around the front of the block, and connects both of the arms together. I would need to look, but this might mean I can attach to the frame, though would this be bad? Does the engine move slightly independent of the frame?

I was thinking of using 1/8” steel.

bill_wilcox100 wrote:

Then the bolts WILL be too short because they only bite into aluminum remember... then it has to be painted... then its steel on aluminum (staining)... etc. No easy answers here.

I didn’t know that about steal on aluminum. Would spray can clear coat be enough or would you go to the effort of painting and baking?

Hmmm.. Would I be able to replace these with standard bolts, or are they specialized?

bill_wilcox100 wrote:

I guess if someone really wants to they could poke something between this plug guard and the fins and still break off the plugs.

Best of success,
Bill

I kind of hoped the visual of not being able to see the plugs would be a deterrent. The newer bikes in the neighborhood all have their plugs buried deeper into the engine, or just simply not visible at all. They are not messed with in the least.

Thanks for allof the info. I haven’t done a lot of engine work on the bike, so I don’t know the specifics of bolt lengths, and how the engine is attached to the bike. I am hoping I don’t have to deal with the engine until I do have a dedicated garage within which to work.

Again, many thanks.

hocbj23 wrote:

Unless ur going to remove the covers before u ride,may have some heating issues to deal with.U could take the plugs out at night and screw some bolts in the plug holes,but as Otakar said,the hoodlums might find something else to break.

When I do ride it I put new plugs in, ride, and then put broken ones back in when I am done. It is just enough to make it a pain in the arse, so riding becomes less frequent.

I would be willing to risk the heating issue to give this a shot.

The razors are interesting but I don't necessarily want to have some one targeting me. The type of person who would go around and break plugs is probably willing to hang out on the stoop to see who came out to tend to the bike. I am not in bad shape, but I certainly don';t need fist fights.

How about those PITA spark plug shields Dodges have?

crazy homeless guy wrote:

hocbj23 wrote:

Unless ur going to remove the covers before u ride,may have some heating issues to deal with.U could take the plugs out at night and screw some bolts in the plug holes,but as Otakar said,the hoodlums might find something else to break.

When I do ride it I put new plugs in, ride, and then put broken ones back in when I am done. It is just enough to make it a pain in the arse, so riding becomes less frequent.

I would be willing to risk the heating issue to give this a shot.

The razors are interesting but I don't necessarily want to have some one targeting me. The type of person who would go around and break plugs is probably willing to hang out on the stoop to see who came out to tend to the bike. I am not in bad shape, but I certainly don';t need fist fights.

"God made man,Sam Colt made all men equal."bj