Yesterday: set forth to replace kickstarter (worn teeth) and add a little liquid gasket to the outer edge of the hole in the gearbox for the shaft. The gearbox is leaking despite new seal, and there is a little damage to that hole. Andover sells the lever without the foot pedal much cheaper than the whole assembly. I removed the pedal from the old kickstart, assembled it to the new kickstart without issues and carefully wiped liquid gasket around the seal. Next, I tried to screw the bolt into the kickstart assembly. It refused to work. Off to an old fashioned hardware store near me. [Public service announcement- Cherish these places! Yes stuff is a little more expensive than the big box or the Internet, but the knowledge and customer service is INVALUABLE]
Clerk took a look at old bolt, confirmed that bottom threads were messed up, and tried screwing it in to a 10 mm nut on the wall. It fit perfectly. Clerk found me a bolt that would work, and let me test it on kickstart, which I had brought with me. This 99 cent bolt worked perfectly, and I went home and assembled kickstarter. Shaft does not rattle on lever (yay!) and does not rattle in gearbox (yay yay!)
Today: Went for 20 mile ride. Bike ran fine. It is now up on centerstand. I will check for leaks tomorrow.
Mystery: Why did a bolt that is supposedly an Andover Norton bolt and had very little wear refuse to cooperate?
