Repair of the centre stand:

A common problem with older BMW's seems to be the centrestand. The holes where the bolts belong have become to wide and the thread is worn out.

The most common solution seems to make a new, oversized, thread (M12) and make use of M12 bolts but when the threads are in bad shape this solution will not last. In a BMW Mailing list there was a discussion about this problem last year and, in my opinion, the best solution was to tap a M14 x FINE thread which I did. (I don't know who came with this solution otherwise I would have mentioned it)

neccessary parts:

Drill 12.5 mm

Drill with the size of the head of the bolt (or a reamer)

Tap M14 x FINE

2 short, hardened bolts with inside hex (allen ?) M14 x FINE

Remove the complete exhaust system to gain better access to the stand.

Drill the holes in the frame up to 12,5 mm and tap the M14 x FINE thread. While cutting the thread I was afraid of breaking the tap but a friend assured me it was allright, with a 12,5 mm hole the tap should not break.

Shorten the bolt to the desired length which is the depth of the tapped thread. There is room enough between the frame and the engine but there must be some room left for the springs from the stand.

Widen the holes in the stand itself, either with a drill or a reamer, to the size of the head of the bolts. In my case these holes where not realy round anymore. The stand will now turn over the heads of the bolts.

The last thing to be done is to mount the stand back in place by screwing the bolts in the new threads. When both bolts are screwed in the stand is locked up in place and won't come of. The hardened heads of the bolts must assure quite a few years of troublefree use of the centrestand.

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(c) W.P.Barendsen 2000