Stripped Oil Bolt

[wheatonFJR]

Try putting a standard bolt in there that is bigger then the metric bolt.

Is that bad?

 

[bluesurf]

Thanks everyone for the input. I haven't had the opportunity to work on this yet, and am headed south of the border tomorrow, so it will be another couple of weeks.

The advice about laying the bike on its side and repeatedly greasing/removing/regreasing the cutting tool seems spot on.

Regarding how I stripped the bolt then it was just a bit of overtightening with the wrist torque meter. I'm the original owner, so can't blame it on anyone else....sh*t happens, and that's why time sert does a brisk business.

 

[Klubis]

Try putting a standard bolt in there that is bigger then the metric bolt.

Surely, you jest. That would not be a good idea, IMHO.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Doing a hei-coil or time sert repair, you should have enough aluminum there.

After drilling, re-threading and inserting the STEEL thread insert, That drain plug will be considerably stronger than stock ( and

use the stock bolt).

I would pull the pan just so the bolt / threads are dead nuts straight or the crush washer won't seal.

We had to pull the pan on my friends 07 FJR and it wasn't bad at all for a thread repair...

 

[Klubis]

I'm not seeing how pulling the pan will help keep everything straight. What am I missing? Be kind.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

If you've ever tapped, especially soft aluminum, its very easy to start/ run your tap crooked.

Even easier when you don't have a flat surface, to check from multiple angles that the tap is indeed straight..

IE, for my ES left side helmet lock brackets, I have one 6 mm threaded hole that secures the Yamaha lock to the aluminum

bracket.

I have a jig made up that fits snugly to the tap that gets clamped to the bracket so I get a dead nuts straight

set of threads every time..

Working on an oil pan where the bikes partially tilted over at an odd angle makes getting a 90 degree hole much more difficult..

 

[Klubis]

Makes perfect sense! thanks for explaining.

 

[bluesurf]

I *finally* got to this work...have been living with a small oil leak, yellow PTFE, and riding other bikes/projects. Today I laid the bike on it's right side on padded truck carpet kit inserts and had at it. Very straightforward and simple with plenty of space to ensure straight application of the bits. I took my time and used a liberal amount of cutting fluid on each step. The first step, drilling out the existing threads, was a bit problematic so I used the air drill on it's lowest setting. The most difficult part of the whole operation was finding a way to attach to the bits as the non-business ends are odd sizes and I didn't want to drive 20 miles to Grainger. I ended up using 12-point sockets and they worked a treat. Total time spent was about 2 hours.

 

[OldernYZer]

The benefit of a Time Sert over a Heli-Coil is two-fold.

First, the TimeSert tooling spot faces the threaded hole so that the sealing surface remains square with the threads. This assures a more likely complete seal by clamping the washer evenly around its circumference.

Also, the TimeSert insert being one solid piece instead of a coiled "wire", it is not prone to being "picked out" of its threads at the leading end and is therefore much better suited to applications like drain plugs, where the bolt is repeatedly re-inserted.

Regarding torque wrenches and specs and such, unless the manual specifically states otherwise, torque specs are, as an industry standard, quoted for "clean, dry" threads. What was the last time you installed any drain plug "clean and dry"? Thought so. Lubing the threads can cause the same amount of torque on a bolt to increase the actual clamping force by 20% or more versus dry threads. Torque wrenches have their proper place, but experienced "feel" will serve you better with things like drain plugs in general.

 

[koolham]

I recently was putting up with a slow oil leak after stripping the oil drain bolt on my 2013 FJR (wish i had known about the incorrect torque rating in the manual before my first oil change). After some google searching I came across the eco-plug solution which I installed last week (only $15). I have to say it was pretty easy to install and has been holding up wonderful so far! The coolest part is, once it's installed (it re-taps / re-threads the original stripped pan) whenever you need to do an oil change, you just pull out the magnetized plug, let the oil drain, then replace the plug, no un-screwing of a bolt or worrying about stripping threads again! There's even a version of the eco-plug for pans that haven't been stripped / don't need to be re-tapped if you just want an easier oil change.

Anyways, check it out here: https://ecoplugsystem.com/

Cheers!

 

[mikerider]

That's interesting! I use Fumoto valves on all my cars and previous bikes (on undamaged threads.) How strong is the magnet? Is there a chance that road bumps can shake it out?

 

[Canadian FJR]

Very neat idea.

Any folks out there that feel this is not a good idea?

Canadian FJR

 

[08FJR4ME]

I assume you used the tapered plug. I would be a little leary but if its working why not.

Dave