Well, I took the butterflies out of the TB when I had it polished. I put it back together (mostly, see this thread and let me know if you have any input!) But I had to drill out the screws that held the butterflies to the shafts, so I couldn't reuse those. I ended up using some small bolts in place of the screws (easier than those damn Phillips-head screws to install and remove), but they look like they really obstruct the airflow when the butterflies are open. I saw this thread and really liked how BLUETII's TB looks. The screw heads are recessed and there is really quite a bit more flow area. But this got me to thinking, instead of going through all the work of recessing the screws, wouldn't it just be easier to use hex-head set screws? These would fit into the shaft perfectly and would not protrude at all. My only concern is that because there is nothing for them to tighten against (ie, a screw head), so they might work themselves loose over time and fall out. Of course I would apply some Loc-Tite, but this was still a concern of mine. Has anybody done this before? What do you guys think?

 

The set screws may also leave the plates a little loose, which might give inconsistent results (might be an idle nightmare). If they flop around, it seems that they would end up flopping around even worse or even break something. It seems like that could be really bad. Using a fastener with a head allows you to pinch the plate between the shaft halves for a sturdy connection. I wouldn't use set screws. Threadlock and/or deform the end of the screw to keep it from coming loose.

-Max

 

I use counter sink allen head screws that sit flush after I counter sink the shaft . Then I stake the shank so they can not back out . My son does the polishing and I do the assembley , machine work .

 

"stake the shank"? What does that mean?

 

It usually means to use a punch or countersink punch to smash the threads on the backside of the screw so it won't just unscrew with vibration.