John,
I feel your pain and frustration. Frequently, I have to forcefully remind myself that I do enjoy messing with these older motorcycles. A frosty adult beverage will ease the pain... for a little while [smiley=beer.gif]
I'm going to offer a WFO ghetto fix that I have not attempted on an engine crankcase -and would also not encourage you to try- until a few other R65 dot orgers have flamed in. Here tis:
It might be possible to replace the Metric 6x20 oil filter cover bolt with an SAE 0.250 bolt of a similar length. (6mm=0.2367 inch) My off-center thinking is that a 0.250 grade-8 hardened bolt could be modified to act as a self-tapping bolt. By filing three or four small "notches" equidistant around the business end of the threads, a DIY tap might cut the aluminum block if pressure was applied to the bolt during the turning operation.
Back out the bolt frequently to clear the swarf and finally fit a non-modified 0.250 bolt to finish off the job. I have not tried this technique in an engine case but the procedure has been successfully done on a stripped cylinder head center stud for the rocker cover.
Your mileage may vary, amigo. I do hope a few peeps smarter than me will post up with better ideas. Of course, moving the engine may be a wise man's best course of action. In the meantime, go watch the SBK race from Portugal...
Monte
