Help, threaded sump plug!!

[Levo]

Hi, I took delivery of a 81 model Australian edition RH a few days ago, its in good nick and has new rings and other parts on the engine, but needed a oil change. So I took the sump off, no dramas, drained the gunky old oil. Put it back on, just as the torque wrench was approaching the correct setting it went limp and we know what that means (didn't even do it up tight). Took the sump bolt out and yep, its threaded (%^^@#&&). Not happy.. in the 30+ oil changes I'ver done over the years I've never had this happen.. its a old bike but man its frustrating.
Now i was thinking of a quick fix and using a slightly larger sump bolt to rethread it but i'm worried it might cross-thread.. or even god forbid.. crack the case.
Theres a few thread repair thingos I've seen online but i thought it would be wise to register here and ask some people with experience with this model on what to do.

Any help really welcome.

[tinman905]

Try using another bolt or wrap some teflon tape around the threads sometimes that will work. It might get you by for a while but the best fix is just to replace the oil pan .

[fredintoon]

Hi, I took delivery of a 81 model Australian edition RH a few days ago, its in good nick and has new rings and other parts on the engine, but needed a oil change. So I took the sump off, no dramas, drained the gunky old oil. Put it back on, just as the torque wrench was approaching the correct setting it went limp and we know what that means (didn't even do it up tight). Took the sump bolt out and yep, its threaded (%^^@#&&). Not happy.. in the 30+ oil changes I'ver done over the years I've never had this happen.. its a old bike but man its frustrating.
Now i was thinking of a quick fix and using a slightly larger sump bolt to rethread it but i'm worried it might cross-thread.. or even god forbid.. crack the case.
Theres a few thread repair thingos I've seen online but i thought it would be wise to register here and ask some people with experience with this model on what to do.
Any help really welcome.

Hi Levo and welcome,
You "took the sump off". That's the round finned bucket the oil filter lives in?
So which thread got stripped? The vertical thread for the oil filter retaining bolt or the horizontal thread for the oil drain bolt?
In either case, I'd say that the best option is to salvage the thread with a Helicoil or other propriatory wire thread insert.

[Yard Dogg]

The first time I dropped my oil filter to change it I thought I had stripped it too, it turned out to be the oil filter hanging up on the shoulder of the plug bolt. or the oil pan was sitting just a bit crooked while I was threading it, can't remember which. Just like you said it was threading, got tight, then all of a sudden something gave and I thought it was stripped. Can you see the stripped threads? You could try pushing the bolt all the way through the pan and filter then threading the bolt up while guiding the oil pan straight and make sure it's threading all the way up. I hope your as lucky as I was.

[fredintoon]

Hi Levo,
if what you are talking about is the oil filter retaining bolt and if this is your first go-around with an XS11, there's something you may not be aware of.
Dropping the oil filter cover to change the filter does not drain all of the oil. Most of it will still be in the crankcase.
The actual drain plug threads into the front face of the casting just behind the filter cover.
Unless the crankcase is fully drained, changing the oil filter and pouring in the full amount of new oil will seriously over-fill the crankcase.
There are those who have done this.

[Yard Dogg]

The first time I changed oil I did that. I started adding oil and didn't see anything but black in the glass. I dropped the oil pan again, not much came out. Then I cranked the engine to pump out the rest cause I couldn't find the drain plug. Don't rule out Murphys' Law just yet.

[Levo]

Ah right, its the oil plug bolt. I assumed its stripped, pulled it out and it had metal shavings around its thread. I will remove the other bolt as well, the manual did no mention that... :P

Thanks for the replies. i prefer to fix it than source another oil pan.

[Levo]

Edit.
Ok, it appears to be threaded, I can put it back in and do it up as theres still some thread but it won't tighten much. However I pured about .5-1litre of oil in to the engine an it appears to hold it. I'll leave it with a clean rag underneath to see if any spots seep through I'll know is cactus. Might be able to get away with some bolt seal and loctite.. hmm..

[bikerphil]

I fixed the oil pan drain hole once by using a longer metric bolt and a teflon washer. It will bite the threads further back, where they are probably still good.

[79XS11F]

Someone in the past likely over tightened it and it was 1/2 gone when you went to torque it. In any case don't mess around with the oil drain plug. It really needs to be proper. You don't want it popping out when the engine is hot or have it leaking. Repair it properly so you don't have to be second guessing it.
Rob

[yozzie]

I had the same thing happen to my XJ, the previous owner overtightened everything on the bike. The oil plug was only hanging on by a few threads, everytime I changed oil a few more thread shavings would come out on the plug. I took the pan off, drilled and tapped to the next larger bolt size, problem solved! There is a lot of room and material to go slightly larger.

[trbig]

My first oil pan was like that. They make oversized drain plugs. Just about every auto store will have them. I can't remember what size it is, but take your old plug with you and match it up with a metric one. The threads will be the same, they will just cut deeper ones into your pan.


Tod