Well it's not the smartest thing I've done lately, but I was changing the oil in my 650 and accidentally over tightened the oil drain bolt. The manual says to tighten it to 14 lbs torque and I guess I went too hard.
Has anyone else done this? If so what's the best way to repair it? Is there some type of an insert or do I need a new oil pan? Any good advice would be appreciated.

 

Oops! What made you do that? Do you have 14 year old kids? Wife nagging? Never mind.

There is no oil pan. You stripped a hole in the engine block. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img]

You can get inserts and heli coils. If you can't match the thread, you could choose a thread and buy a different plug.

Inserts work much better than heli coils. They last longer, and never unravel. Many people will say they have never seen a problem with a heli coil. That may be true. You may have good luck with it too. I just like inserts better since I have seen many heli coils fail when they are subjected to either high pressures or multiple uses (like drain plugs and spark plugs).

Another good idea is to find a drain plug with bigger threads and just tap for it. Make sure that you can get it to seal before you decide on a bigger plug (check sealing surface size).

Any of the things you do are going to make shavings. It might be wise to send a lot of liquids through the crankcase to flush shavings out. It might also be wise to send the tap a little at a time and back it out VERY often to clean the shavings out of the tap. You can get almost any tap from www.mcmaster.com, in case you can't find the right one.

The oil filter will catch everything, however, the pump is not protected by the filter. The strainer protects the pump. It should be OK. Engines make shavings and small particles themselves and the pump is OK with them.

Good luck.

 

Raczzer, if you want to make a simple repair, stop by your local NAPA or whatever reputable auto parts store you have in your area with your old oil plug in hand and ask for an oversized plug. These plugs are offered for just your problem in 3 sizes over stock which leaves you 2 more foul ups before you would have to drill for an insert. These plugs are fluted just as a tap would be and cut their own threads. Start it in the hole and tighten as you normally would. They're about $3 ea. and are as reusable as the original plug.

 

Thanks for the good information nyroc (you the man!) and Dangerous. I think I can get an insert put in at the dealer for $60. They called it a "timezert". Does that sound right?
Well thanks again and hopefully everyone that reads this will learn from my mistake and not do a jolly green giant on their oil drain bolt.

 

i snapped (snapped one the other looked like it was stripped) a couple bolts off from the clutch cover and the dealer inserted some heli-coils havent had any problems yet

 

Raczzer
I have stripped several bolt's over my years be it oil pan plug's,spark plug hole's,head bolt hole's some time's I don't know my own stength. Do this go to auto parts store get one size bigger oil drain plug get a tapered fluted tap for the new drain plug. Coat the tap with normal axle grease especially in the flutes of the tap. Start the tap in the hole and go very very slow backing out often but allway's make sure when you start back with the tap you are starting the tap in the new thread's you have just created. The grease is on there to catch the shaving's clean the grease often when it get's a lot of shaving's in it and then apply more grease and go back to tapping. I have saved many a cylinder head or block in my day using this method. I have tapped spark plug hole's while the head's were still on the engine this way before and have never got any of the shaving's in the combustion chamber's because I have looked afterword's with a borescope. Note the key to tapping any thing is slow and straight do not try to tap in an awkward position tap in a position where your arm is most comfortable and you can get the best straightness out of it and all should be ok. I was a auto tech for many year's and have seen my fair share of stipped bolt hole's in my time. Also not a bad idea to run as much oil as possible through the engine with the plug out and not cranked to ensure there are no shaving's in it because shaving's are bad mmm k.

 

I had a problem with a stripped drain plug because of someone elses error. (Dealer) First the dealership drilled and coiled the hole but it still dripped. The hole wasn't at the correct angle for the washer to seal. They also made the metal sidewall too thin. In the end, that part of the motor had to be replaced. (Under warranty) I just want to say: Be careful. If you do have someone else do the work, choose a place that you trust. Then check their work anyway.

 

"stop by your local NAPA or whatever reputable auto parts store you have in your area with your old oil plug in hand and ask for an oversized plug. These plugs are offered for just your problem in 3 sizes over stock which leaves you 2 more foul ups before you would have to drill for an insert."

The original oil dran plug is a metric size 12 x 1.5. What would the next oversized plug size be? 12 x 1.75??

 

No, 14mm is the next diameter,1.5 is the pitch. Get 14x1.5 (if 1.5 really is the correct pitch).