Help! Stripped Threads?

[dgrimmy]

Had a little accident changing my oil w/ a big wrench, turned it one time too many and stripped the threads slightly. It will still hold the proper torque but now have a minor oil leak from the case. The dealer said that replacing the frame is the cure and it's expensive. Anyone have any advice on a cheaper solution?

[mdek]

put some plunbers tape(teflon tape) on the threads

Mark

[sirhk]

I once stripped out a hole on the front hub of my Jeep. It was stripped bad though. I cleaned it out thouroughly with carb cleaner and packed it full of JB Weld. Let it cure for 3-4 days, basically till I had time to finish it. When I filled it I did my damndest to make sure the exposed part was perfectly flat. Once cured, I drilled the center out with the appropriat bit and tapped it with the original thread holes again. That was 3-4 years ago and it still holds fine and is torqued to about 80 'lbs. I'm not sure if this will work with a bolt like the one you're talking about though cause it is loosened and tightened often and the JB weld might break loose but it worked great in my application. Is there enough wall thickness to drill it out and tap it to the next size up fine metric threads? Just a thought!!

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Khris

"What's that?"

"It's a Yellow 99' YZ400!!"

[Jason_Williams]

Did you have a pipe on the end of the wrench for more leverage???? LoL ?

Jason

[dgrimmy]

Originally posted by Jason Williams:

Did you have a pipe on the end of the wrench for more leverage???? LoL ?

Jason

Oh sure, laugh at someone's misfortune , actually just had the biggest wrench in the box (couldn't find the smaller one) and didn't feel like I gave it that much juice.

[Guest Guest]

Of course the dealer is gonna say that. Go to an automotive parts store and look for a heli-coil. Just tell what size it originally was and they may have one for ya.

[buffaman]

how about a rubber expansion plug...it might work..i have used them when a oil drain plug strips out...just a though.

[Hootie]

Originally posted by dgrimmy:

Had a little accident changing my oil w/ a big wrench, turned it one time too many and stripped the threads slightly. It will still hold the proper torque but now have a minor oil leak from the case. The dealer said that replacing the frame is the cure and it's expensive. Anyone have any advice on a cheaper solution?

The best fix is a time-cert it is better than a heil-coil because it is stronger and last as long as you will own the bike. Hootie.

[DOC]

Helicoils are usally stronger than the original thread it has replaced. They come in a kit so its very easy to use. The dealer said to replace the frame? You must be kidding! He is a fool to even suggest such a move.

I wouldn't mess around with cheap fix ideas like teflon tape. If the plug falls out while you are riding, your'e in big trouble.

There is no need to tighten the drain bolt that much. See your manual and it states the torque wrench setting for the plug. 25Nm from memory. I like to put a bit of loctite on the bolt, just for my own peace of mind. Don't feel too bad. It could have been the crankcase bolt. Tapping a new thread in there will almost certainly dump metal shavings into the crankcase. A vacume cleaner can help remove the shavings, but....

[Flamed1]

I had the same problem a few months back. The helicoil is available although the kit was about $50 which included several inserts, a drill and tap, and an insert tool. I layed the bike over on her left side and then drilled the hole. I dipped the end of the drill in a tub of Bel Ray Waterproof grease to catch the shavings and it worked well. The tap part was also very easy and I dipped it in grease as well. The insert is steel which will avoid this problem in the future. It happens to the best of us. Just take your time and be careful! Hope this helps.

Brian

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Life is nothing but a game.... he who has the most fun wins!

[Scott_F]

I assume you are talking about the frame drain screw. Either way, Hootie is right, TimeCerts are way better than Helicoils.

[dgrimmy]

Where do I find time certs? I've done a search on the web and called a local dealer who carries Heli Coil but can't find any info.

Thanks.

[dgrimmy]

Actually it is the crank case, not the frame bolt and I was told that doing a heli coil or similar solution was too hard given the size of the bolt.

So the question is which is the best way to proceed?

[Scott_F]

You could use a smaller drain bolt, like the one from the YZ250F. The cleanest deal would be to buy a Timecert with the same external thread as the original bolt, and an internal thread same as the new bolt. That way, you don't have to drill or tap, just clean up the threads enough to get the Timecert in, and locktite that sucker in there. Good luck.