idahogilly Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 (edited) Anyone ever have the threads (not the drain bolt) stripped? My oil drain bolt starts to thread and then becomes very tough to screw in; not like before. I tried a new drain bolt and same situation. I'm guessing the threads within the drain itself have stripped??? What to do...??? It's an 04 GG TXT300 Pro. Edited December 4, 2012 by idahogilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Maybe try running a correct size tap in the hole to "clean" up the threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thats_a_five Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 (edited) It sounds like the threads may have gotten crossed by the plug being threaded in at an angle. Be very careful here. You may still be able to recover the original threads if they are not too badly damaged. Do not try to force the plug in with lots of torque. This will make the threads even worse. Also be very careful if you go with the tap. If you get the tap crooked you could end up taking out much of the remaining threads. I do not know your mechanic skills but here is what I would try. Remove the plug and drain any oil. Remove the skidplate so you can see the threaded hole well. If you have a way to hang the bike up almost vertical will make this much easier. Inspect the threads closely. If the threads are not badly damaged, you may be able to clean them up with a small scraper. If you use a tap, it is critical that it is aligned with the original threads, not the crossed threads. Be careful to avoid pushing any metal chips inside the gearbox. A small vacuum hose can help suck the chips while tapping. If the threads are really badly buggered, it may be necessary to have the hole machined out and a helicoil inserted or tapped to a larger size plug. When I change my oil I always thread the plug in by hand and be sure it makes several revolutions before it starts to snug up. Only then do I put put any real torque on it. If it only turns less than 1 revolution, it is probably not straight and should be removed and reinstalled straight. I have seen some expanding rubber plugs that can be used if the hole is badly stripped. Check with your local quick-oil-change place. I am not a fan of them but it may be a viable alternative in a pinch. Good luck! Edited December 4, 2012 by thats_a_five Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris falcon Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 (edited) As thats_a_ five say´s, It sounds very much like the bolt has been placed crossed in the drain hole threads, if it had stripped the threads you would not be able to get the bolt to tighten and would just turn continuously. My sons Beta 50 had stripped threads in the oil sump drain, a friend used an helicoil kit to replace the thread in just minutes and the result was perfect. If you are unable to re-start the bolt on its true path in the threads it may be the way to go, but I would think it possible to get the bolt running true again with effort. Edited December 4, 2012 by chris falcon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Get it helicoiled,any other way you would be worried if it was leaking or fallen out.Gear box would soon be shot with no or little oil,as would the main bearings as the gear oil lubes these too on a pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idahogilly Posted December 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Thanks for the advice everyone! I'll look into helicoil kit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idahogilly Posted December 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 If the threads are really badly buggered, it may be necessary to have the hole machined out and a helicoil inserted or tapped to a larger size plug. When I change my oil I always thread the plug in by hand and be sure it makes several revolutions before it starts to snug up. Only then do I put put any real torque on it. If it only turns less than 1 revolution, it is probably not straight and should be removed and reinstalled straight. Good luck! Great reminder to hand tighten the bolt to almost snug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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