Oil change - how tight do you tighten the bolt at the bottom?

[FJRBluesman]

Hard to explain here but...

After many years of wrenching on cars and bikes I only use a torque wrench for IMO critical fasteners, like all engine bolts that hold things together, (not covers), brake items, axles, forks, etc. I just use my calibrated wrist. You just have a feel for what tight is and if you've compressed the crush washer. I've never, ever, used a torque wrench on fluid bolts or spark plugs, etc.

 

[TCMike]

Some have stripped their oil pans with the "recommended torque", so just tight enough to crush the crush washer.
After all, it is just a drain plug...just tight enough to crush the washer.

Do not use a torque wrench, I'm a member of the above mentioned "some". Not cheap to replace the pan, and was told the heli-coil wouldn't work cuz the hole was too messed up. The stealer probably just wanted to bend me over for the extra $$$$ though.

 

[RaYzerman19]

I do use a torque wrench on critical fasteners, and the oil pan plug is one. I normally have a calibrated wrist, but it only takes a second to get the torque wrench out. I use the Honda/Suzuki spec. of 22 ft. lbs and don't use a new "crush" washer which isn't really a crush washer. It's just a flat aluminum washer. Replace only as necessary.

Oil filter, lube gasket, then 1/2 turn after gasket touches base.

 

[wfooshee]

Engine mounts are critical. Cylinder head bolts are critical. Bearings are critical. Axles are critical.

Drain plug is not even remotely critical.

 

[Zorlac]

Till it unthreads itself.

20ftlbs works an any drain plug I've dealt with, although my wee wants 15ftlbs.

30ftlbs on a drain plug is insane.

 

[gypsy]

I torque the drain plug but only to 25lbs. (There were a number of instances where folks were stripping the threads when trying to get to 32.) Hand tighten the filter. Replace the crush washer if I remember before refilling with oil. Otherwise I tell myself I will do it the next time.
Have never had a leak since the last time I let a dealership change my oil. Then this happened.

gypsy

That photo looks scary!!! I'm confused... you mean you let the dealer do it, just before that happened? Or was the fault at your own hand? Is it because the bolt fell out? or from stripping the oil pan because of too much torque?

Dealer must have only hand tightened the bolt. Vibrated loose and feel out after about 100 km. No problem with the threads. When I bought a new one it just tightened right in. And has done so every oil change for the 3 or 4 years since this happened.

The dealer that did this is now out of business. Not surprising since I called, emailed and wrote about this incident and the owner never got back to me. I even told him that the only cost to me was the oil and the new plug. Told him I didn't even want to be reimbursed. I just wanted to talk to him about his staff. I didn't even get a call.

gypsy

 

[rushes]

Obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD

They've got medication available.

Talk to your doctor....

 

[marcusorelius]

I use duke's tail as my torque wrech, when he yelps I know it's tight!

 

[wfooshee]

Till it unthreads itself.

That doesn't make it a "critical" torque value. Anybody installing it knows it's tight when it's tight. It doesn't have to be measured. That's my point.

This obsession with torque values is something I've never seen anywhere else in the entire world. Yet this board gets questions about torque values for everything from taillight bulbs to fairing bolts. OK, I made up taillight bulbs, but I have seen a query about fairing bolt torque. WTF??!!!?!

You torque down something that holds pressure, squeezes a soft gasket, or squeezes a bearing. Add motor mounts to that, and you're just about done with anything that needs a measured application of bolt tension. For anything else, tight is tight, you know what it feels like.

 

[rushes]

Till it unthreads itself.

That doesn't make it a "critical" torque value. Anybody installing it knows it's tight when it's tight. It doesn't have to be measured. That's my point.

This obsession with torque values is something I've never seen anywhere else in the entire world. Yet this board gets questions about torque values for everything from taillight bulbs to fairing bolts. OK, I made up taillight bulbs, but I have seen a query about fairing bolt torque. WTF??!!!?!

You torque down something that holds pressure, squeezes a soft gasket, or squeezes a bearing. Add motor mounts to that, and you're just about done with anything that needs a measured application of bolt tension. For anything else, tight is tight, you know what it feels like.

Deleted....

 

[blueman]

I always have a new crush washer on hand when I do a oil change. I buy then 10 or 20 at a time. What I do is tighten the drain plug ever so gently with a quarter inch socket wrench just until I feel the crush washer crush, thats it!!. While I am their I change the rear end oil. Its almost to easy on the FJR. And their the same washers as the drain plug. And the oil filter just hand tight good and slug, know more. I then fire it up check for any leaks ect. Ride it a little. Then park it on the center stand let it cool look in the little window for proper oil level. Then I load up the bike and go riding for a month, I wish!

 

[Zorlac]

"This obsession with torque values is something I've never seen anywhere else in the entire world."

I dunno, the aerospace & mil spec programs I work on seem to like torque wrenches just fine, calibrated ones too.

 

[wfooshee]

"This obsession with torque values is something I've never seen anywhere else in the entire world."
I dunno, the aerospace & mil spec programs I work on seem to like torque wrenches just fine, calibrated ones too.

Point taken, but that's a different level of equipment.

You won't find questions on a Chevy forum like, "What's the torque spec for the bolt that holds the brake hose clip onto the front upright?" You screw the dang thing down till it's tight! Done!

Another factor, I guess, is there seems to be an awful lot of people becoming do-it-your-selfers on their bikes because we tell them how easy they are to work on. Problem is, some of these guys don't know a box wrench from a Philips screwdriver, and maybe some of the questions are just trying to "fit in." You know they don't have a service manual, or they'd already know the torque specs they're asking about.

 

[Patriot]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

tighten till it strips and then back off a half turn :yahoo:

 

[Patriot]

don't use a new "crush" washer which isn't really a crush washer. It's just a flat aluminum washer. Replace only as necessary.

nope, definitely is a crush washer which crushes when tightened upon

https://www.fjrtech.com/getdbitem.cfm?item=33

 

[Calabash]

I stripped my oil pan by tightening too tight. I went by the torque values in the book. Never again...

Someone talked about getting a copper washer to replace the crush washer.

Got the copper washer and now I just "snug" up the bolt when I change the oil and it does fine.

 

[RenoJohn]

I'm about to go change my oil, ...can someone please summarize this thread for me --Ya know, a concise and articulate step-by-step.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Dealer must have only hand tightened the bolt. Vibrated loose and feel out after about 100 km. No problem with the threads. When I bought a new one it just tightened right in. And has done so every oil change for the 3 or 4 years since this happened.
The dealer that did this is now out of business. Not surprising since I called, emailed and wrote about this incident and the owner never got back to me. I even told him that the only cost to me was the oil and the new plug. Told him I didn't even want to be reimbursed. I just wanted to talk to him about his staff. I didn't even get a call.

gypsy

Looks like Darwin business economics worked that one out for ya. If you don't wanna work hard enough to survive...you definitely won't...or you are "too big too fail".

 

[RenoJohn]

I'm about to go change my oil, ...can someone please summarize this thread for me --Ya know, a concise and articulate step-by-step.

YMMV ...but here is what happend. My first time doing the oil on this bike.

Started it up ...went to back of bike and while the CO2 was hammering on me I removed the rear pumpkin plug

+ shorty 17mm box wrench and two firm taps with a rubber mallet loosened it ...then I removed with fingers

and released the whale sperm.

typically I'd do a little ride first, but I knew the existing pumpkin oil should be in good shape and I was short of time.

After grabbing filter, fresh oil and such .....bike temp was now up to 3bars.

I looked at the pumpkin drain plug, it had the OEM washer on it ...rather than dicking with it and grabbing a fresh one I left it and re-used.

+ box wrench until half firm and then 3firm taps to the wrench with rubber mallet*

+ removed fill plug (same procedure as drain plug) and threw in some mobile 1 synthetic gear oil. when it came up to the top, I spun the wheel and added a bit more. Put bolt back in and same procedure as above to tighten.

Engine off and removed drain plug ....

+ 17mm box shorty box wrench and two taps with a rubber mallet loosened it and then removed with fingers.

+ Grabbed my 18" bright red pipe wrench and loosened filter -then removed by hand.

When Oil started to drip

+ took bike off of centerstand and on put on sidestand to get those couple last ounces (not necessary -remember a shitload of oil is left in the engine so what's an oz or two)

+ bike back on centerstand

+ filter applied to a Nevada two finger tightness. that is a firm hand-tight in other states.

+ drain plug still had OEM washer -re-used it. put back in with fingers, semi-firm with 17mm shorty box wrench ...and then 3semi-firm taps with the rubber mallet*

+ oil cap removed and 4.42quarts of my special blend put in. (3quarts mobile one synthetic 10w30 and 1.42quarts mobile one synthetic 5w40)

why you ask? That's what I had handy.

started engine -ran aprox π (Pi) X 33 seconds (= 103.66 seconds)

+ stopeed engine waited π (Pi) x 22 seconds (= 69.33 seconds)

Viewed sight-glass ...oil line exactly on the top dot ...damn I'm good.

Took used oil and dumped it down the street drain** ...threw empty filter and used oil jugs in the garbage.

* = Nevada torgue wrench

** = not really -save it to keep down summer dust.

 

[twodogs]

I'm about to go change my oil, ...can someone please summarize this thread for me --Ya know, a concise and articulate step-by-step.

Load bike on trailer,

Trailer to the dealer.

Wait an hour.

Buy a do-rag with skulls on it.

Pay with credit card..

Trailer home.

Put bike in garage.