Stripped oil drain threads

XJers:

I have stripped the threads in the hole my oil drain plug screws into.

I trashed an engine a couple of years back when the drain plug vibrated loose and dumped the oil, and now I've tightened this one too much and stripped the hole threads.

I know, I know -- torque wrench. I don't own a decent one. I've always got the loaner from AutoZone for major projects, but somehow thought I was talented enough to do something as simple as a drain plug without one. Now I know differently...

So anyway, how do I fix it? Drill out and tap? Helicoil? Does a helicoil take it back to the original bolt size?

Any ideas or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Herb

 

There are oversized oil drain plug kits available at reasonable cost. Try that first, otherwise pull the sump and helicoil it. And BUY a torque wrench!!!

 

I'm a machinist by trade. So I'm not 2 smart.

I stripped mine at about 8000 miles, and I was broke and I defintly didn't want to take the thing apart. Or have anyone else take it apart.

It made me sick, :cry: I thought about it for a few weeks.

And here's what I did; :idea:

I went to a machine shop supply store and bought a helicoil kit.

Hoisted the bike offf the ground so I could get a drill under it.

Flushed the crankcase with mineral spirits.

Dried it out by blowing air into the fill hole.

Then I got a rubber cork at the hardware store that fit the fill hole.

Drilled a hole in it so to fit tight on the air nozzle.

Stuck them into the fill hole.

Turned on the air. Not real hard to make a lot of turbulance but medium.

Drilled (very slowly) and tapped, the drain hole to fit the coil. (With the air on)

Flushed the engine again gently.

Installed the plug.

Added a quart of oil.

Pulled the plug wires.

Turned it over maybe thirty seconds, twice.

Drained the oil.

Flushed it out again with spirits.

Drained and dried it with air again.

Filled it with oil.

Ran it about 15 min.

Drained it again.

And filled it with new oil again.


All along I kept thinking, I'm only drilling a small amount out the case and it's aluminum. The gears, bearings, piston rings and cylinder sleeves are hard steel. Any little bit of chip that's left in their is just gonna' get squashed.

It now has 19000 miles and going strong :!:

Good Luck. And bye the way, thanks for the feedback on the synthetic oil.

 

drain plug

 

I looked at that drain plug. Didn't like it, no magnet, nothing to catch the metal that wears away. Moving parts, will leak sooner or later. They didn't have a listing for Yamaha motorcycles anyway. Although they do probably have one that'll fit, maybe.

I might would use one on my truck which has an oil guage & light. But not on a bike that doesn't, and that I can't replace.

Now that I have a helicoil in, Insead of having cast aluminum threads which are very soft, I have steel threads and a steel plug. They should last.

 

the steel plug and steel threads are still in cast aluminum, be careful
do the oem plugs have a magnet ?

 

Look over this whole website:

http://www.timesert.com/html/drainplug.html

 

LOL I love it- not your agony, but the fact that I am not alone.

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=94136.html#94136

This forum is a god send.

A friend is trying to sell me his KZ1300 for way less than he's got into it, but I just can't bring myself to sell my baby just to get that behemoth. My Maxim is too good to me and for me!


I have yet to deal with my stripped hole but will be this weekend. The makeshift fix from earlier this week is holding tight for now, but I'll need to change oil again soon so... I'll let you all know how it goes.

Good luck!

 

You are correct, but the OD and thd. depth of helicoil is larger than the original thread. so it is quite a bit stronger.