Oil drain plug stripped

[rg54669]

Anyone got a fix or tip to get things sqaured up?  I did not use a torque wrench the other day and I guess I Popeyed it too much.  Now it is leaking a few drops a day.  Any ideas?

[Red01]

Is it leaking from being too tight? Seems that would only happen if you cracked the pan from overtorque.

Did you replace the sealing washer on the plug when you changed the oil? Perhaps it's leaking because this washer is damaged.

If you did bugger up the threads in the pan from your superhuman strength, there are a few ways to fix it.
1) Replace the oil pan
2) Rethread the oil pan with a heli-coil
3) Use an oversized, self tapping drain plug made for just such problems. (They're available at auto parts stores and the Bandit uses a common metric automotive size.)

[rg54669]

Not sure on any of your questions yet.  

I will take a look at it tomorrow and assess the damage further.  My first guess would be that I did overtighten the plug.  However, I do not remember using a washer or if the washer was flattened on the plug.  I did buy a new plug and washer just in case it is only the plug that is stripped.  My second option is the self tapping drain plug.  
After 19k, you would think I had all the PM stuff figured out by now.  So goes the life of a shade tree.

Paul, once again, thanks for coming to the rescue.  You are the Bandit God.

[rg54669]

Well, I took the plug out yesterday and just as I had suspected, I stripped that puppy.  There was a perfect strip of metal all the way up the plug.
Weird though, I do not remember forcing the plug in at all, but I do remember it being tight while I was hand threading it in.  
I went ahead and put the new plug on I purchased with the new washer and tightened it slightly.  It is not leaking at all right now, but I suppose after I ride it once or twice, it will begin to leak again.  

I went to my local Autozone, (Auto parts store in the US) and purchased the oversize plug for the 14mm.  It is a quarter inch longer than the stock plug and I am concerned about getting it perfectly straight when I tap it out.  

Does anyone have experience in this area?  What about the size being that much longer, are there any engine parts it may interfere with if I go ahead and install this one?

[StangMATA]

I went ahead and put the new plug on I purchased with the new washer and tightened it slightly. It is not leaking at all right now, but I suppose after I ride it once or twice, it will begin to leak again.

Just be careful that it does not rattle out of there. Drain plugs are meant to be tight...just not HE-MAN tight.  

I would go with the Helicoil first if it were me. At least if you totally screw that up, then you can put an oversized drain plug in. My .02

[Asphalt]

Could have cross threaded the thing too.  Its not hard to do especially when you reac your hand just in the pan and fondle around for it....Unless of course you have your head underneath like changing the oil on a car....if thats the case you are little.

[Bazza]

I had to Heli coil mine. Very easy, and have not touched it since.

You will have to remove the pan to do this in most cases unless you can get the bike far enough in the air to get a drill underneith it. Removing the pan also means you will have to remove the headers. A pain in the a-- job.

[elbandido]

Hi Fellow Bandits,

While tightening the oil plug on my 2000 b6, after emptying the oil in the oil pan,
I noticed the plug give as I was tightening it, and spiral slivers came out as I
was extracting the plug back out, my guess is that the hole had been previously heli-coiled by the previous owner,
and I'd like to know if the Oversized Self Tapping Oil Plug, from the autuomotive stores will work.

The ones I have found are about 1/3 inch longer.  Will I have a problem with that interfering with
parts above, once torqued in?  And will this now become it's permanent oil plug?

I can still tighten the plug in, but am afraid it will eventually rattle loose.

Thank you,
elbandido

[Red01]

I'm leaning more towards you NOT already having a helicoil in there, they're usually substantially stronger than the OE threads in the pan.  The self tapping plug ought to do it for ya, and yes, it'll become your new permanent plug.