stripped oil drain plug in engine block?? acts like Harley!

[snowbeard]

so I can't reach the drain plug on my GS650G with the torque wrench and I think I have stripped it. it leaks oil quickly and I'm afraid to tighten it even a quarter turn further for fear the whole d@mn thing will drop out!!

how can I fix this?? the 650G has a secondary drain plug where it lubes the driveshaft, instead of hypoid oil, it just shares the engine oil. it is high left side of the engine, just above the shifter lever under the cover.

I could perhaps try to helicoil it? I could try to use a rubber drain plug? could I try to "weld" something in there to rethread it?

crap, this thing is starting to look like a hardley parked there!! :evil:

 

[IanFrancisco]

One trick I read about on www.umgweb.com would be to drill and tap a hole in the existing drain plug that a smaller bolt would fit in, then use some kind of oil-resistant epoxy to glue the plug with its new hole and bolt into place. In the UK they use something called Araldite to perform all sorts of "bodges" including gluing spark plugs into stripped heads and the above mentioned stripped oil drain plug. Or, probably the preferred methods would be to 1) as you said, helicoil the stripped threads, or 2) drill the hole larger and put in a threaded insert (probably more durable than a helicoil), or 3) drill and tap the hole to take a larger drain plug. Helicoils are more for something that doesn't get removed and replaced frequently, not really recommended for spark plugs and drain plugs. All of these except maybe the last option would take some experience and/or skill and I don't know if it can be done with the motor in the bike. Best wishes getting that fixed. I think I would try the smaller bolt installed in the old drain plug idea first. That way you can at least work with the plug on a bench where there's hopefully a drill press and some light and no oil dripping on you while you're flat on your back under the bike...

 

[JayH]

2ndary oil drain screw should be torqued ~15 -20lb. That drain plug isn't real easy to get at especially if you need to work on it.

 

[triffecpa]

a good TEMPORARY fix is to use teflon plumbers tape on the drain plug. It is only a temporary fix though until you can do it correctly.

 

[snowbeard]

so no one knows much about a rubber plug then, eh? I thought I had heard someone speak of such...

the drilled plug might work, but I'm afraid the threads are about to pull right out.

how hot do you suppose one could get an engine block with a propane torch around the hole? I have seen some aluminum "solder" that melts between 500 and 700 degrees and bonds aluminum, but not steel. if I could heat the plug and the case with some of that, it will release the steel and form new threads!

otherwise, an expandable rubber plug sounds like my next best bet
:wink:

 

[drewshotrodding]

I just fixed a police kz1000 escort bike with the same problem just fix it right the first time go down to the suzuki dealer get all the oring seal and gaskets, take off the oil pan take the bolt to your hardware store or call around and find some one with helicoil kits make sure you get the right drill bit for the kit step one clean it , drill it , tap it ,clean it, install the coil after you look at how long the threads are and cut it down to fit take off 2 to 4 coils make it fit just right make sure you break off the tab at the end ask the sales person on how that is done clean it up again go to autozone and ask for a washer that is in the brake fiting area made out of aulmanun cant spell this early in the morning you know beercan metal if you dont want to go thru all that take the pan to a mech shop they will be happy to take you money call around to the small motorcycle shops and they might have the kit and put it in for you

 

[snowbeard]

sorry, I wish it was the pan

it's part of the engine block, up above the shifter...

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

The rubber plug should woke, If their is enough material left use a self tapping oversized plug Motormite #65217 from any auto parts store. JUST GO SLOW turning back & forth to cut the new threads. Use some brake cleaner or carb spray to wash the cuttings off. pour a qt or two of cheap oil or solvent directly thru the engine into the drain pan

 

[duaneage]

PM BigRed and ask him how he fixed his 650 pan

 

[Guest]

Hey snowbeard, Is there enough metal left in the boss to allow tapping a slightly larger plug? Another idea might be a straight thread bolt with a gaskoseal. They can be found in auto parts stores in drain plug area. Oh, they may not know them by that name, they are a steel washer with a vulcanized rubber seal on both faces. Ray

 

[snowbeard]

tapping it would be the best way to go, but it would require pulling the engine. this isn't the oil pan, it's the secondary drain up under the shifter cover. on most larger bikes I've found this plug is a hypoid gear oil drain, for the driveshaft, but on mine it's just a secondary engine oil.

it's tucked up in there something awful, like I said, I couldn't get the torque wrench under it so I always used a crescent...

 

[snowbeard]

so I finally think I've solved this one [CROSSES FINGERS] and wanted to document for any other d@amn fool who strips this drain!

so the enine didn't have to be loosened at all, but the whole exhaust had to drop. once that was down, the 5/8" tap actually fit just right up beside the frame. I used a thick grease on the tap, down in the grooves to catch any shavings that might want to fall into the engine. it tapped out easily and smoothly, and the oversized bolt I found fit great.

I turned the engine over just long enough to see the oil drain out with no plug, just to flush any extra shavings out. the half teflon gasket had to be cut down on one side to fit the moldings on the engine block.

so be light on the wrench when you change your oil!!!

 

[West]

so no one knows much about a rubber plug then, eh? I thought I had heard someone speak of such...

the drilled plug might work, but I'm afraid the threads are about to pull right out.

how hot do you suppose one could get an engine block with a propane torch around the hole? I have seen some aluminum "solder" that melts between 500 and 700 degrees and bonds aluminum, but not steel. if I could heat the plug and the case with some of that, it will release the steel and form new threads!

otherwise, an expandable rubber plug sounds like my next best bet
:wink:

I am using an expandable rubber plug in mine. works fine, although cosmetically it is ugly. But then, who looks under there?

My case was cracked right at the plug hole, seems the PO attempted to go over a rock that was just a tad too big. After grinding out & rewelding the case, I was afraid to try & tap the hole, pretty sure it would have cracked again from the stress, so I went with the rubber.

It leaked a little until I ground down the threads a bit with a small grinding wheel.

 

[snowbeard]

are you speaking of the secondary drain plug? if so that's a mighty big rock to get to it, it's above the frame and guarded by the exhaust and the clutch cover...

but if you're talking about your oil pan on the total bottom of the engine, that's an easy fix and not so hard to find part!? you should just get a new one and replace it!

my rubber plug actually split twice, and the last one just plain leaked without even splitting!:? course that was from checkers...

good luck with yours then! I'm just happy as a clam to be back on the road without checking my boot tip constantly for oil!![-o<

 

[nichols750]

so no one knows much about a rubber plug then, eh? I thought I had heard someone speak of such...

otherwise, an expandable rubber plug sounds like my next best bet
:wink:

you can get them at autozone in all kinds of sizes. they say they work well, but i have never used one.