oil drain bolt stripped!!!!!!

[AWDBooSTiN90]

my oil drain bolt on my xl600 stripped and i was wondering what i can do to it so it will work! i need help fast!! i need any possible suggestions you have.

[Outrider]

Maybe a heli coil???

[AWDBooSTiN90]

what would be the best way to heli-coil it do you know?

[Outrider]

First of all, I'm not sure how you can do it without getting metal shavings in the engine because you have to drill the hole larger and tap it. Second, you need to find out if installing a heli coil insert in a location where you have to remove and inltall a bolt often would be ok. If you install one, you might need to break off the small tab from the coil first because when you run the oil drain plug in there, it will snap off and stay inside the engine. Unless you have done a few of these, I suggest you go to someone with experience installing these things. I do them pretty often in M6, M8 and M10 at work.

[AWDBooSTiN90]

what about running the next size drain plug in and then tap it instead of a heli-coil?

[rkuckkahn]

Heli coils are not something I'd do for the first time on something like this. It's not for amatures, it's a tough location. Have someone who knows the ropes do it.

Second option is tapping the hole one size larger, as you pointed out. Problem there is the engineering of the engine. There's a reason the drain bolt is a specific size. There is a reason for the reinforced location of the hole. When you start messing with the engine like that there is a higher potential for failure ie. cracking, leaking, bolt torque questions that there are no answers for................because there is no engineering for that size component.

Honestly, I doubt there would be any serious problems because these engines a over-built but you never know and spending a few extra bucks on a mechanic installed heli to me makes more sense. A tap is going to cost some money, they aren't cheap, then you will need to make sure no filings are in there (but you could flush it with oil??). You put in the new bolt and torque it to ????ftlb. It's in a tough location to do a good tap. Have you done any aluminum taps. Have we talked you out of it yet?

Next time coax the thing in with your fingers, make sure it sets, then crank it in with the torque wrench..........gosh why can't you just do that.

[wickedsprint]

then crank it in with the torque wrench..........gosh why can't you just do that.

This is BAD advice, TQ specs are given for DRY bolts, if you use a TQ Wrench you run a serious risk of it never clicking and you will ratchet right through the threads, I guarantee if you are using a TQ wrench you are over tihgtening it with these small TQ values required.

[JohnBG]

Is the bolt stripped or the hole in the cases? Hard to tel, but I'm willing to bet it's the case.

If it's the bolt, head off to Ace Hardware and buy another one.

If it's the case, you mught need to tap another one. You might want to try somethinglike this spark plug insert kit that I did on my Ural, comes with the tap. Link: http://www.russianiron.com/ural_spark_plug_compression_leak.htm

[Outrider]

Tapping aluminum is the same as tapping steel, just easier. The next size up sounds like a good idea, though I've never done it. Does the hole not have a steel sleeve? And isn't a drain plug just a flanged bolt with a copper washer anyway? Pretty easy to find.

[wr450fyamaha]

yeah, simply tap it one size larger. Coat your tap in WAX!!! Most of the shavings stick to the wax. Then get a very powerful magnet that will fit in the hole, that should take care of all the shavings. They sell those little guys for reaching stuff behind your workbench, that should fit right in the hole.

[Outrider]

A magnet will only work if the shavings are steel Not aluminum. The idea with the wax is good though. Grease will also work well and you should have some at home.

[exaresix]

Aluminum is not magnetic.

[TMX]

There's only one correct way to handle this repair, and that's with a heli-coil and stock replacement Honda drain plug and crush washer. If you're competent enough to run a tap through your crankcase, you should be able to handle a heli-coil - it's not difficult, but it does require care and patience. Some of the key points are:

1- Use lots of sticky grease (not wax) on your drill bit and tap to catch the shavings.

2 - SLOW drill speed

3 - a good flexible magnet to get the heli-coil tang once it's been broken off. Some heavy grease on the end of the tool used to break the tang can also work if you're careful.

4 - When done, run at least a quart of the thinnest oil you can get your hands on through the crankase before reinstalling the drain plug to flush out any remaining metal shavings. A thin solvent will work even better but must be followed by motor oil to flush it out.

If you're not comfortable doing this repair yourself, take it somewhere and pay to have it done. Unless your bike is complete trash, this is a repair well worth paying for.

-Bob

[wr450fyamaha]

A magnet will only work if the shavings are steel Not aluminum. The idea with the wax is good though. Grease will also work well and you should have some at home.

duh, brain fart there....ummmm and wax isnt the stickiest thing in the world.....you would want to use a very sticky oil.... but same concept....I would personally just tap it, ive got a nice tap set that would do the job.....take a minute or two.

[ewbish]

my oil drain bolt on my xl600 stripped and i was wondering what i can do to it so it will work! i need help fast!! i need any possible suggestions you have.

Helicoil, easy as shit. Take your drain bolt to the auto parts store and find the metric easy out's. If you aren't familiar with the process, by the kit-it'll have a bit, coils, tap, and a thandle, and a tool for running in the coil. Also, buy a small magnet that will fit the drain hole, or even buy a magnetic drain bolt. Most parts stores will let you open the pack and run the bolt into the coil to make sure it fits.

When you do it, use the provided bit. Drain your oil. Make sure you have the drill dead straight, and run it in. DO NOT "clean it out" with the drill. One quick neat hole. Then run the tap through. It may take some elbow grease, but it'll go. Run the tap in and out a couple of times to clean the new threads. Now, there's a little tab on the helicoil, you use the tool to grab that and thread it in. If you can thread the coil in by finger, then use dikes and cut the tab out. If not, you'll have to run it in and run the bolt in and let it break it off. Don't run the coil in so deep that it creates a lip inside the case, the coil should be lower than the case, if you have extra coil, trim it before putting the bolt in. Once you run the bolt in once and everything looks good, buy a big jug of that cheap as 5wt from walmart. Pour it in, and let it drain a couple of times. Do not start your bike. You should be able to flush most of the crap out this way. After a couple of flushings fill it to the right level, start your bike, and let it run at idle, fast idle for a couple of minutes-5 or 10. Drain it, put in a fresh filter, and put in your regular oil. If you were able to score a magnet, stick that in the hole during the flushing process, it'll help grab the coil tang.

[ewbish]

A magnet will only work if the shavings are steel Not aluminum. The idea with the wax is good though. Grease will also work well and you should have some at home.

Nope, but the tang on a helicoil sure is.

[rkuckkahn]

Sorry if my torquing idea sounded bad but there are some different ideas about it. Dry thread torquing IS what many say is right but after looking at some of what I thought was good advice dry thread torquing may not be the only way. I always torque to the lower limits of the range and use either light oil or Molybdenum Disulfide grease, anti seize for the spark plug.

Couple of sources: http://www.dansmc.com/bolts2.htm

http://www.appliedbolting.com/pdf/Curven.pdf

Anyway my point here is not to get into a big discussion about torquing but suggest that you follow manufacture specs. Sometimes you DO oil, or grease or anti seize. Torque is not how tight the bolt is, rather it is the stretch applied to the bolt.

I'd just hate to see you tap in a larger size bolt, not know how to torque it, loose the bolt and have your oil run on the ground, with engine meltdown, in the middle of nowhere. This is obviously an important little bolt.

There is a manufactures torque value for the oil drain plug and it assumes oil on the thread.

[AWDBooSTiN90]

i tapped it the next size up with an amercina thread and got a bolt to fit it with a washer from my local machine shop and it works great. very easy to do also!! good solution for anyone else that needs this done!!!

[JohnBG]

i tapped it the next size up with an amercina thread and got a bolt to fit it with a washer from my local machine shop and it works great. very easy to do also!! good solution for anyone else that needs this done!!!

Glad you got it fixed! Se that wasn't so hard was it?

Now get out there and ride that "some beach"....

[martinfan30]

great advise, if they made aluminum magnets!