Plug all the holes?
09-30-13, 03:41 PM
#1
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Plug all the holes?
I got a new Surly frame and the only accessory mounts that had bolts in them were the bottle cages. Which leaves around 18 mounts without bolts, most of which are on the fork. Is it a good idea to put bolts in all of these to keep water out? There are 3 pairs of 18mm wide rack mounts that are clear straight through (ie: don't terminate inside the frame), that I'm not sure need bolts, but it looks like there isn't any paint near the very center of them. The fender mounting holes I figure I'd leave empty.
09-30-13, 03:46 PM
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Not sure if it's necessary but I plug any unused holes with stainless button heads on my "good" bikes, if nothing else it adds some nice detail to your bike, especially if you polish the heads. Then again, I'm a bit of a "gearhead" so there usually aren't too many unused holes. 
09-30-13, 03:54 PM
#3
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if you dont want a bolt with a head on it, get 5mm set-screws.
they go in flush with a smaller allen wrench .. a drop of touch up paint will cover the steel .
they go in flush with a smaller allen wrench .. a drop of touch up paint will cover the steel .
09-30-13, 04:45 PM
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09-30-13, 06:12 PM
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Wouldn't a thin layer of grease on the inside of the threads work better? If I had bolts with no load on them, I would be concerned about them rattling loose, and water (by capillary action) getting into the space between then threads. A Q-tip with a dab of white lithium grease, or bearing grease every once in a while would be enough.
09-30-13, 06:19 PM
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I grease mine and then put an O ring on them, and lightly install to slightly compress the O ring. No water will get in and I know I will be able to remove them later.
09-30-13, 06:20 PM
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Don't you know that the extra bolt bosses are where you store your spare bolts? Andy.
09-30-13, 07:16 PM
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Fill unused threaded holes w/ nylon bolts from hardware store.
10-01-13, 07:35 PM
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10-01-13, 08:35 PM
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If all the holes are filled, then how will the frame breathe? 
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Last edited by JanMM; 10-02-13 at 11:33 AM.
10-02-13, 11:28 AM
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??? A lot of manufactures made bikes without holes and they breathed just fine. Rust only starts if water gets into the frame and settles in the BB area, and that only applies to steel BB's, the other materials don't have any need to prevent rust. This is why more expensive steel bikes had design cutouts on the bottom of the BB shell to allow water to drain freely.
10-02-13, 11:33 AM
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??? A lot of manufactures made bikes without holes and they breathed just fine. Rust only starts if water gets into the frame and settles in the BB area, and that only applies to steel BB's, the other materials don't have any need to prevent rust. This is why more expensive steel bikes had design cutouts on the bottom of the BB shell to allow water to drain freely.
.
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10-02-13, 08:33 PM
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