HELP!

[N1K]

I was changing the oil on the bike. Bought a new crush washer but it was too small. So I put the plug back in w/o a washer. I tightened it down, refilled oil, and started the bike.

TINY bit of oil would leak thru. So I tried to tighten the bolt a little turn tighter. It started leaking more. (FUCK)

I went to the store and bought a new washer. One that fit. Pulled the plug, stuck my finger in it to keep the new oil from coming out. Put the washer on the bolt and tightened it back in.

As I now tighten the bolt tight, it still leaked a tiny bit of oil.

So I tightened it tighter, and I felt it give some. Was REALLY worried I stripped the threads. Gave it another turn just to check and see if I just hit a snag, and wasn't yet buried... it won't go tight now.. When I pulled the bolt out, the threads on the bolt look perfectly fine...

Did I fuck up the threads on the oil pan??? And if so, now WTF do I do???

It has to be the threads on the oil pan because the bolt looks fine, and the friggen thing won't tighten down at all.

Fuck.. weather is nice.. now I'm stuck...

help

[BDAZ XX]

Nik drain the oil into a clean pan, to install again. Look at the threads on the pan. If the threads are good on the bolt and striped on the pan you will need to try to tap the thread to cut a clean thread in the pan, if it does not take then you will need to put a helicoil into the pan. These are quick fixes but not permanent.

If neither one of those work......................................

Drill and tap to the next larger size, then fit a crush washer on the next round.

Good luck!

Other than that you can always put sawdust in the oil, It will seal the leak. (jk) :wink: .............................Old car sales trick, so I'm told!

[SD Marc]

it won't go tight now..  When I pulled the bolt out, the threads on the bolt look perfectly fine...help

That does sound like you stripped the threads in the oil pan. If you did you have two choices that I know of. 1) replace oil pan 2) helicoil

Sorry to hear that, good luck.

[JasonW]

Not sure what to tell you, man.

Why didn't you just reuse the old washer? I don't think I've ever put a new one on mine and never had a leak.

Anyway.......

Most drain plugs are made of a softer material than the pan itself (it's easier to replace the plug than the pan), so you might be okay. Also, in my experience, if you stripped the threads in the pan they will usually show on the bolt. If your bolt is fine, the threads should be okay......hopefully.

If you have your old washer, try putting that back on and tightening it...........gently! For you, that may mean finger tight.

Oops, I missed the part about not being able to tighten it again. Ugh.

Try some teflon tape on the bolt (with the old washer) and it may get you through to another oil change. Put synthetic in and don't ride more than 6-8000 miles this summer and deal with it this winter. :wink:

[N1K]

I don't have a tap and die set. And I've never used one before. Am I just setting myself up for more disaster by attempting it?

What's a helicoil?

Why didn't you just reuse the old washer?

There wasn't one on there. When Jerry and I went to change the oil last year, there wasn't one on... Knowing the dealer that did the 600 mile service, there might not have been one on for a while.

[SD Marc]

http://www.contractorstools.com/helicoil1.html

[Hobicus]

Northman's gonna whack you over the head good with his torque wrench, you know that, right???

Sounds like YES, you stripped the threads in the pan, not the drain bolt.

Fortunately.. it's probably not the end of the world.

Off the top of my head, you have 2 choices: Tap out to the next larger size, and find similar bolt that will fit, or replace the pan.

If it were me, I'd start with a trip to the local hardware store. Pick the mom and pop type, like an Ace or a True Value. Bring the drain bolt with you.

Find the size and thread type of the bolt by going to their nuts and bolts section, and finding a metric nut that will fit the bolt. Make a note of the size and thread. Most likely, it's a fine thread.

Get the tap that's the NEXT size up. My True Value keeps their taps in a separate location from the bolts, FYI. You might also want to get a tap handle while you're at it.

Get a bolt that will fit the new tap, that's about the same length as the original. Get a crush washer while you're at it.

Don't hesitate to ask for help, the guys at these mom and pop places know their stuff. At least mine do.

Tapping it out is pretty easy. Just run the tap up inside the old hole until it starts to get tight. Then run it forward about a half turn, back a quarter, then forward a half, until you don't feel any resistance. Back the tap all the way out, install the new bolt and you're good to go.

[TFT]

I just had a similar experience with a fairing bolt. I went to the local hardware store and bought a tap just for that size and the wrench, cost me about $10. I ran the tap through to clean up the threads and I was back in business. I did not have to use a helicoil. You can buy a helicoil set, which includes the tap and the helicoil to replace the threads that were damaged. I think the sets were about $25

[tvking]

This is where I'd start. Cruise to your local Autozone/Pepboys ect. w/ drain plug in hand. Alot of those type places carry "overesized" drain plugs. I think the XX plg is a 14mm. They should have one that is 14.5mm. It won't say that though, it will be labled 14mm 1st oversize. They may have a 14mm 2nd oversize too, which will be slightly bigger that the 1st oversize. They have a special thread that "cuts" new threads int the pan as you install it. BECAREFUL tightening it bucause the cut threads won't have the strenght on the originals.

[Involute]

If you do have to perform any tapping make sure you put plenty of thick grease on the Tap. Make numerous little cuts and pull the Tap out and clean it each time. Apply new grease each time you put the tap back in. It will pull most if not all of the metal being cut out as it will stick to the grease.

[RichardCranium]

This is where I'd start. Cruise to your local Autozone/Pepboys ect. w/ drain plug in hand. Alot of those type places carry "overesized" drain plugs. I think the XX plg is a 14mm. They should have one that is 14.5mm. It won't say that though, it will be labled 14mm 1st oversize. They may have a 14mm 2nd oversize too, which will be slightly bigger that the 1st oversize. They have a special thread that "cuts" new threads int the pan as you install it. BECAREFUL tightening it bucause the cut threads won't have the strenght on the originals.

DING DING DING. We have a winner. Get the oversize plug and move on with your life. If you dont have a torque wrench this would be a good excuse to buy a good one...ya big ape.

[The Krypt Keeper]

Do like that girl in the commercial withthe hole in the bottom of the boat.

Just shove one of your tampons in there and keep getting it :twisted:

[N1K]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I'm going to do the oversize drain plug, if that doesn't work, I'll tap it and put in a larger plug.

if that doesn't work I'll cry... and then I'll pull out my .50 and put a slug in my head.

[FloridaSilverBird]

Just run the tap up inside the old hole until it starts to get tight. Then run it forward about a half turn, back a quarter, then forward a half, until you don't feel any resistance. Back the tap all the way out...

whoa...i feel....moist..

sorry to hear about that nik, hope you get her runnin again in no time!

[Pete in PA]

Nik, Nik, Nik, You've got to be more delicate. Bolt is steel, oil pan is aluminum. After bolt touches, it's about a 1/2 turn till tight with a washer.

You could probably remove your rear axle nut with a 1/4 in. drive ratchet. (or your bare hands). :shock:

[N1K]

What screwed me up was that when I tried to remove the plug to drain the oil... I literally was almost lifting the bike off the ground to get it to come loose. So I figured when I put it back on, I would put it just as tight??? :?

I guess it was stuck tight because of the heat cycles probably...

I'm just praying to the XX gods in heaven that the oversize bolt thing works for me tomorrow. If it doesn't I'm gonna shit myself. (and cry)

[Northman]

Northman's gonna whack you over the head good with his torque wrench, you know that, right???

Nah, that would throw off the calibration of my torque wrench :wink:

I'll just use a Johnson bar, instead.

If it were my bike, I wouldn't fuck with oversized plugs. Remove the pan (or have somebody remove it for you) and have a machine shop install a heli-coil. Either that, or replace the pan.

I don't want any of those filings in my motor trying to butcher the oil pan to fix it.

Removing the pan is easy enough, but you might want some assistance when re-assembling. If you have some help, you'll be back on the road tomorrow afternoon.

[Iceman_40]

Take the bolt, add some duct tape to the threads and put it back in.

Think that's how all the Harley guys do it.... :twisted: :twisted:

Oh wait a second, they are use to leaking oil anyway....lol

[KA]

Helicoil.

Back when VW's were air-cooled, spark plugs were constantly stripping. You kids overtighten everything. It was hard to find an engine that didn't have one helicoiled spark plug hole.

Once it's helicoiled, you'll have hardened steel threads to screw into. We use aluminum for fixtures on our VMCs and helicoil all the holes that get screwed into on a regular basis.

[JB4XX]

Since no one else has suggested it yet.... :-s

SELL IT!!

:mrgreen:

[Dion]

Northman's gonna whack you over the head good with his torque wrench, you know that, right???

Nah, that would throw off the calibration of my torque wrench :wink:

I'll just use a Johnson bar, instead.

If it were my bike, I wouldn't fuck with oversized plugs. Remove the pan (or have somebody remove it for you) and have a machine shop install a heli-coil. Either that, or replace the pan.

I don't want any of those filings in my motor trying to butcher the oil pan to fix it.

Removing the pan is easy enough, but you might want some assistance when re-assembling. If you have some help, you'll be back on the road tomorrow afternoon.

+1 on this Nik. An oversize bolt would just be a temporary fix if it works at all. Most likely it'll just finish of what ever threads are left.

There use to be rubber replacement plugs for cars, don't know if they still make them. They looked like a bottle nipple. You press them in with a rod and when you pull the rod out the rubber springs back to seal the hole.

Even if you can find one of these you should still pull the pan for a proper repair.

[N1K]

SELL IT!!

Don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind.

[Dion]

SELL IT!!

Don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind.

Same deal as the Helmet Nik? :poke:

[tvking]

I don't want any of those filings in my motor trying to butcher the oil pan to fix it.

I wouldn't be too concerned aboot the filings.

1. There aluminum, much less likely to do damage that steel.

2. Unlikely that they will be small enough to pass through the screen on the pick up.

3. You should be able to remove 95% of them w/ some brake clean and flushing some oil through it w/ the plug out.

4. It's a Honda, it would run on sand.

I think Nik was looking for "quick and easy" to get him back on the road for the weekends nice weather.

I also recommend replacing the pan the neXXt time the plug comes out. The recut threads won't last very many cycles.

[MaXX]

I would probably just use some rethreading compound, put it on the bolt, screw it in, let it set up, unscrew it, then repeat. I had a 1984 Audit 4000S that ran for a total of 225,000 miles with this done to a fuel line (hell, I used black, hightemp silicone to seal up the radiator for an additional 125,000 miles too. Car, when I Sold it for what I bought it for had 315,000 miles. Quick fix, will hold, then next year you could sell it.

MaXX