Stripped Oil Drain Bolt

Yes I can hear the snickering and I told you so's but I did have a torque wrench dialed to 26 ft. lbs. on the bolt for my oil change. As it turns out the wrenches click mechanism was jammed and by the time I realized something was wrong it was too late. I know there are some good fixes for the threads but my immediate problem is getting the bolt out. It just keeps spinning counter clockwise without coming out. Has anybody else dealt with this ? Suggestions ? At least the riding season here in Alaska is over and it happened as I was getting ready to put it to sleep for the winter. Thanks, Will

 

There are only three things I will not torque on a moto, the oil filter, the oil drain plug, and the spark plug. Replace the oil pan, you'll be glad you did.

 

LOL. I never did that on my 06 way back when when I did not mis-dial my torque wrench and did not strip the threads. I did not ask for help here and everyone did not laugh at me and did not tell me that you can use a helicoil for the fix. I did not take it into the stealership and had a new pan put on.

Seriously though, I did not want to play around with the helicoils. I managed to get my plug out though. In my mind, a new oil pan was the way. I stopped using the torque wrench on the oil plug because I always suspected the wrench was not working. I do it by feel and have so for a couple hundred thousand KM. No leaks have ever shown up.

 

My 86 VFR700FII had a bad drain plug hole when my friend owned it. It happened to be a 12mm diameter drain plug. We drilled and tapped up to a Honda 14mm style (we did remove the oil pan). Been on there ever since with zero issues thru many oil changes.

Try getting a small flat blade screwdriver in there to apply some pressure outward while you wrench it out. You're still gonna have the same problem when you're done tho.

 

Yes for sure. And you can also try using a painters putty knife and do the same thing. It is much thinner and if used gently, it should not snap off. You can switch to a more substantial screw driver once you have started the gap. Either way, good luck.

 

adequately experienced wrenchers are able to closely approximate torque wrench #s without going beyond it and stripping anything by FEEL, the educated arm.

reputedly, our randy is an authority on this subject.

 

Ya. I'm like NCB. No torque wrench on the oil filter, or drain plug. I personally have never changed the spark plugs on my bike and for the life of me, can't find the plugs on my Duramax truck.

 

Was at the race track years ago and a fellow racer/friend was using a sears torque wrench on his TZ125 spark plug. I asked my employer/friend, "why is Miguel using a torque wrench on his spark plug?" His reply was, "he has no feel." That happened 20 years ago, some things stick with you.

I got an official calibrated elbow, FAA approved too!

 

I thought I stripped the drain bolt threads years ago on a bike but turned out to my relief it was just the new crush washer I'd fitted crushing in, never use a torque wrench on the drain bolt, filter or plugs as has been said, just tight enough will do by hand, no need to go crazy, I always keep an eye after I've changed the oil for any leaks.

 

Been in the marine biz for almost 50 yrs with the 2 strokers, current 4 strokes, and just about everything else. The standing joke around here is never let a diesel mechanic touch an outboard or sterndrive. They have no feel for aluminum and its alloys. The same applies to motorcycles.

 

Hence my motto.

 

I thought the shop manual listed that 26 was the correct torque. The bike is a 2003 800 VFR

 

Already tried to get a putty knife in there and there just isn't enough room to slide it in. I was hoping to avoid the new oil pan but ity doesn't look like the bike is giving me any choice. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions !

 

Yes! Thats the "slip" oh the slip (waxing on about it, like my kid says, "daddy, I know your jokes.") its satisfying installing fasteners and such that have new crush washers where you "feel" that slip. Once you feel it, its done - Nothing wrong with looking under vehicle for leaks when you do any kind of maintenance in my mind.

 

Ok, maybe a little lesson. Torques listed in the manual are for new and dry threads. Yamaha says 31 ft. lbs, and many stripped out their oil pans.. once the threads have a lubricant on them, you must drop the torque significantly. Funny the plugs on the rear drive were spec'd at 17 ft. lbs., exact same plug.
With the aluminum Honda washer, I don't torque the drain plugs, go by feel as the others have said. Spark plugs with crush washers need no more than a 1/4 turn once hand installed to seat.

 

I had an issue with banjo bolts a while back, I used a torque wrench to tighten them and ended up brutalizing one. I got a replacement copper crush washer and used a 6 point socket with a ratchet (all my wrenches are 12 point except a 15mm TMI I know) and that was better relying on my calibrated elbow and experience rather than blind faith in a torque measuring tool for a smallish bolt with a copper crush washer.

 

I believe a lot of torque wrenches are abused in that you are supposed to return the setting to zero when you are done with it. I am willing to bet, most people just throw it back into their tool boxes when done with them. Also there is a method to re-calibrate torque wrenches which means they go out of calibration.

I do use them. Matter of fact, I have three of them in my tool box. But for the purpose we are speaking about here, I don't.

 

I can only answer that with a total expletive, "FUC* NO!!!!!" my wrenches get wiped/wound down to zero or so (no digital ones here) and put in their respective blow molded case. Nuff SeD