Trany oil drain plug. My story.

As some of you know, there is a little oil drain plug on the XJ 750 engine that is tucked away in an almost inaccessible location up under the center stand, and just beyond the reach of any modern tool known to man.
Well.....tonight was oil change night so I though I would try my hand at getting to this magical little bolt while I was doing the rest of the job.

I drained the old oil, cleaned the magnet on the drain plug, re installed it, and torqued it back up to the manual specifications
I changed the oil filter, and replaced the "O" rings. (Fram is very nice to give you new "O" rings for both the housing and the center bolt with the new filter)

Better judgment should have said that this was enough, but Nooooo, I had to do it all.
So....Bike is on the center stand. (Rather be safe than sorry)
I know the little drain plug is a 10mm so in to the sockets I go.
A simple socket and an extension is not going to do it. Exhaust crossover and collector is in the way. Ok.....I have some offset attachments, lets try those. Nope!
How about a universal joint in there.....Ahhhh....thats better, now I have the socket actually on the drain plug, BUT....it is at so much of an angle, I can't turn it.
Back to the drawing board. Ahh Haa....maybe a wrench from the side in the little opening behind the side stand switch......Never mind....no room there.
Back to the socket idea.
After much experimenting with different fittings, and removing just about every extension and wobble fitting I have, I finally I get something that will actually turn the bolt.
Picture this.....Short 10mm 1/4" drive socket followed by a 1/4" to 3/8" adapter, then a 3/8" universal (I'm around the exhaust now) then a 3" extension bar, another 3/8" universal, a 6" extension bar, and finally the socket ratchet. (Overcooked spaghetti is stiffer than this arrangement.)

I'm thinking, if this thing falls off the bolt now it's going to take me an hour to get it all back together. What happens at that very instant......ting! clunk! it all falls off the bloody drain plug bolt. F$&@($* !!!!!! Why did I open my big mouth?
I can't see anything under there now because of all the socket fittings so I decide to get my face right in there for a better look......OUCH! I scrape the end of my nose on the exhaust/muffler pinch fitting.
You know that warm feeling when you can just tell a cut is bleeding? Well I got it, sure enough.....a little trickle of blood runs down my nose.

I'm trapped under the bike, all I have is an oily rag from wiping the main oil drain plug, my nose hurts like hell, I'm bleeding, and I have ever socket and ratchet fitting Craftsman has ever made only 1/2 an inch from my face and held by both hands. Off the bolt it comes again.

Now what? All I can think about is the pain on the end of my nose, and the skin graft that I am surely going to need to get it looking normal again. And whats more, I have nothing to stop the bleeding except my oil soaked hand rag. Oh well.....dirty or not this rag is all I have and the bolt can frigging wait.
I crawl out from under the bike, tend to my wounds, (a nose bleeds for quite a while I discovered) and get my thoughts back in order.
Damn this little bolt. It's not getting the better of me!
Back to work.....after about 5 min. of getting everything all lined back up, the socket is on the bolt.
A bit of pressure on the ratchet and "Squeak" out it comes. Whew! got it.
I pull the socket off and turn the rest of the threads out by hand. Placing my oil and blood soaked rag under the bolt to catch any oil that runs out before I get my oil pan under it.
I turn it free.
About 10 drops of oil drip out!
THATS IT?
I spent 3/4 of an hour, got a funny looking hole in the end of my nose, and cursed every Japanese engine designer who ever worked for Yamaha for 10 frigging drops of oil.
I figure there has to be more. I must have not done it right.
I take the bike off the center stand, tip it one way, then the other. Nothing!
Nada! Zero! Zilch! No more oil comes out.

Now that I know how the plug comes out, its fairly easy to put it back in.
I clean it first, check the copper gasket, and thread it back in its little hole.
Torque it to what the book says and thats it.
Re-fill the engine with oil, one last check, and start her up to check for any leaks.

I simply can not understand what little genius thought of putting that drain plug there. I am sure it would be easier to re-build the entire engine blindfolded, and using nothing except my feet than to ever attempt removing it again.

For those of you that are thinking of going after that drain plug....One simple piece of advice......DON'T DO IT. It simply is not worth the time.

I have to go find some extra skin somewhere and get my nose cleaned up now. ;-)

Peter

 

Rick, you have another disciple. Aw heck, I'll sing the in chorus to...

It just ain't worth the bother for all the misery and strife to get less than 1/4 cup of oil out.

 

Amen!!! I'm with you.
My middle gear drain plug came apart. Long PITA fix, but now it will NEVER happen again. Sealed up the hole for good with JB Weld.

 

Great story!

 

wow. good story.

I changed my oil last weekend, and after finding the right size socket and burning my hand, she came off nice and easy.