stripped drain plug

[bully1027]

fudge, i stripped my drain plug threads, not the ones onthe bolt, that would be easy to fix. im talking about the threads on the case! should i just helicoil it or anyone have any othewr ideas, im thinking about putting a low profile spigit on the drain when i fix it. any one dont this before, it will make oil changes way simpler and i wont ahve to mess with the drain plug bolt any more.

feedback???

 

[rickyd]

I wouldn't put a spigot on my drain plug.. WHat if you were out riding and it accidently got hit open??Hmmmmm
Just m$.02's worth....
Rick

 

[rc331]

If you check out an auto parts store there is a rubber plug just for this. You simply insert it in the hole and tighten the phillips head screw inside it which makes it expand. I used one of these in my 83 CR 480 for about 5 years with no problems. ;)

 

[WoWman]

Sweet idea rc331!!!

Other than that, I would just helicoil it. I call it a tap, don't know about you guys...:)

 

[bluerider125]

have you thought of tapping it out bigger and finding a bolt to match? or even a spigot with matching threads. just a thought.

 

[kdxquebec]

hello. this happen to me last year.I bought a 7/16-20 tap and a 25/64 drill. This works well for kdx 200 1989 to 1994. beware of rip do not enter into the case. This is verry easy to do .I am not a machinist .After buy a 7/16-20 bolt. good luck phil..

 

[Matt90GT]

You might also want to consider one of the Fram suredrain type of products. They have a cap over the unit, but will not drain until the hose is screw into the suredrain. Kind of a neat idea, but I am sure there are other ways to do it also.

 

[bully1027]

Originally posted by rc331
If you check out an auto parts store there is a rubber plug just for this. You simply insert it in the hole and tighten the phillips head screw inside it which makes it expand. I used one of these in my 83 CR 480 for about 5 years with no problems. ;)

i realy like this idea. it is very easy and wont require any drilling into my case. thanks bro! im going to try this in the next few days.

 

[Kwackers]

If anyone goes down the helicoil route you should be aware that your clutch case will not drain properly when changing oil as it drains into the side of the main drain through a small hole that will be blocked off by the helicoil insert. Take a look inside the hole you will see what I mean. If you drill larger and tap make sure that the drill / tap goes in perpendicular to the sealing face otherwise the bolt head will not seal properly even with a fibre washer.

 

[bully1027]

Originally posted by Kwackers
even with a fibre washer.

whats a fibre washer?

 

[rvguy]

I think a rubber plug would work, but only if you have a skid plate. Personally, I'd take it to a machinist and have a larger plug tapped and installed. Then it would be just like new.
There are two ways of doing things.....
Doing it right, or doing it right now.
-JMO

 

[someday]

What Kwackers says is true. It can be dealt with, though. Pull the clutch out then you can Dremel through the helicoil (with a carbide burr) to regain drainage. I've done this and feel it's the best solution. You get threads that will NOT strip and the oil drains. Drilling oversize and using a larger plug scares me. What do you do next time? I heard the guy with 5 years of OK experience, but those rubber plug thangies scare me too.

 

[bully1027]

i just bought one of those plugs but it scares me looking at it! i think im going to get a skid plate, i realy dont want to spend all day teraing it apart and drillling, helicoil, etc.......

 

[rc331]

Yep scared me too when I put it in the old bike and looked at it...never did have trouble with it tho. The skid plate idea is really good....definitely no worries about the plug geting ripped out.

 

[bully1027]

thanks for the advice, it sounds like it will be a helpful idea.

karma to you

 

[CMcCarthy]

Go to AutoZone and dig around in the "Help!" section. You will find that they sell "oversized" drain plugs specifically for this. They are a slightly tighter fit in the threads, and the first few threads have a notch that sort-of acts like a rethreading tool. The previous owner of my bike put one in years ago and it works like a champ.
-Charles

 

[bully1027]

Originally posted by CMcCarthy
Go to AutoZone and dig around in the "Help!" section. You will find that they sell "oversized" drain plugs specifically for this. They are a slightly tighter fit in the threads, and the first few threads have a notch that sort-of acts like a rethreading tool. The previous owner of my bike put one in years ago and it works like a champ.
-Charles

thats an inovative idea. i thing i figured it out......a little teflon tape and its all over, darn i knew they paid me the big bucks for a reason, i just forgot why:)

 

[canyncarvr]

re: fibre from kwackers.

Is it any wonder 1776 happened??!! I mean...the guys can't even spell!!

JUST KIDDING!!

..in case you missed it, he's from UK, United Kingdom. 'Fibre' being another word for 'fiber', it's a fabric-type washer (as opposed to metal).

Although...I guess a 'fibre washer' could indeed come from whirlpool and have a spin cycle? ;)

Whether oversized, self-tapping bolt, or helicoil used to 'fix it', you might consider drilling a hole through the head of the bolt and safety wiring it. Maybe that would keep down the tendancy to overtighten it in the first place cuz you wouldn't be worried about losing it!

 

[bully1027]

its odd becuse i was not applying much force on it, it just kept turning. i am one to over tighten things a lot but i dont think i overdid it this time, i think it had weak threads from the previous owner wrenching down on it and he knew how much to tighten it and i did not.

but for all you that may fun int this prob in the future and want a quick fix with minimal effort the teflon tape worked well, i went out on my bike for a few hours and my brother used it for a few hours yesterday and it did nto even budge, and not a drop of oil leaked either!!!! happy me.