I was just about finishing up an oil change when i felt the drain bolt rotating endlessly. Further analysis showed that the drain hole had been somewhat threaded. THe bolt still goes in but i can't torque it down enough for it to hold oil. Now I got a few options here. tell me what you think is the most cost-effective and sensible.

1. Rubber expansion plug
2. Larger bolt or self-tapping bolt
3. heli-coil
4. Timesert

I'm leaning towards 1 or 2 since the others might require me to remove the oil pan.

 

heli-coil would probably be the most sensable. I don't think I'd trust a rubber expansion plug in my bike.

 

helicoil. Proven and reliable. Or you could use this resin/epoxy from permatex. You apply it to the bolt threads and it insert it. The resin dries to the thread pattern and seals to the pan. The pan has to be clean where it seals. I forget exactly how much but the package will tell you how much torque it will hold. I remember it being something over 80 lb-ft so you should be set. I think the permatex stuff is a bit easier than helicoil but if you're familiar w/ helicoil go ahead and use that.

 

Did you check to see how much a new oil pan is? It might not be that much. Or a used one online somewhere.

 

well i checked the hole again and it does have some thread. I just need to make the threads more pronounced. I think the permatex solution will do fine. At 6bux a tube i think this is the best remedy thus far. While i was at kragen, i did see Powerbuilt's version of the helicoil which looks more like a timesert. They were labeled as spark plug hole repair kits so i wasn't too sure whether they had the same thread pitch as my drain bolt. Anyway, any elegant repair solution would mean the removal of the oil pan, and I'm kind of lazy to do all that (plus the fear of stripping or threading another bolt).

I wonder if I should take off the oil pan when doing the permatex solution? I'm thinking of the uneventful scenario in which some of the epoxy will overshoot and get into the pan. Maybe if i don't put too much and get messy this won't happen. To all those who have used this product, any tips will be appreciated.

 

just get a new oil pan man. lol. im super cheap and i would do that just because i wouldnt want to leak oil while i was riding and get stuck somewhere. then when a car full of girlies drives by, you cant do wheelies for them

 

id jsut try to re-tap it with the same size first. if that doesnt work, helicoil would be the way. and if that doesnt work, enlarge that peni... hole