How do you screw up an oil change???

I may have found a way ... If you don't feel like reading all of the following, it boils down to 2 questions: 1) How likely is it to strip the threads on the inside of where the drain plug goes in? 2) Does the drain plug normally have a washer/o-ring on it?

I decided to try changing the oil on my 2003 sv650 today - I figured "how badly could I mess that up?" Well ... everything was going fine until I went to put the drain plug back in. I decided to be a good boy and use my torque wrench so that I could get the exact 15ft/lb torque specified in the service manual. I ended up tightening a lot harder than I thought I should, but the torque wrench hadn't released so kept pushing. I finally got to a point where I figured I had to be putting too much pressure on and stopped.

This was the first time I had tried this new torque wrench. I have a different one I usually use, but it's a 1/2" driver and the 14mm head socket I have is a 3/8" so I figured it was a good time to break out my new 3/8" torque wrench. Thinking there might be something wrong with the new wrench, I tried testing the torque wrench elsewhere and was unable to get it to release no matter what pressure I put on, even with it set at only 20ft/lb. I said to myself "oh !@#%" and was worried I had monkeyed the plug down too hard as a result.

So I backed out the drain plug a little, went and got a 14mm socket for my 1/2" torque wrench and tried again. Again it seemed like I was putting more pressure than I'd expect without it releasing so I stopped. I decided to try one last time, but this time the plug seemed to turn a bit more easily. I thought "oh !@#%$ I just stripped the screw". I backed it all the way out and checked the threads. The threads didn't look like they were messed up, so I put the plug back in. I wasn't able to turn it by hand very easily like I was before. But the threads did seem to be engaged. When I got toward the end and put the torque wrench back on, I turned it to the point where I'd expect it to be fully seated, but it didn't seem to be giving me the resistance I would've expected. Not wanting to screw things up more, I didn't push it very hard.

So ... is it likely that I stripped the threads on the inside? Seems like I would've stripped the threads on the plug first. And there's an awful lot of threads there - it seems like it would be pretty hard to strip it. Should I go back and try to tighten it some more? Also, is there normally an o-ring/gasket/washer on the plug (I'm wondering if it's hiding somewhere in my oil bucket).

I filled it back up and ran the engine for a bit. It didn't look like it was leaking out the drain plug at all, but I only had it at idle for about 3min.

Any thoughts on what I should do now?

I'm feeling pretty damn stupid right now.

[jambo]

OK,
Unfortunatly the sump is alloy, where as the bolt is a tougher material, so if one lets go it'll be the threads in the sump, not the ones on the bolt.

15lb/foot is about 20Nm. Are you sure the torque wrench was set to Nm, not lb/foot? either way I wouldn't have thought 20Nm would cause a problem

Edit: Reading through none of my above comment are terribly helpful. I would satisfy yourself that the torque wrench works using a bolt that is set to a higher torque like the 30-odd Nm used for the brake caliper mounting bolts, then see if you can nip the sump bolt up to the 15Nm, if you're not sure just use a spanner and give it a light tug, a "firm" pull rather than a major tug. If it holds, great, check it over next service. If it strips then it's time to get a garrage to put in a Helicoil or similar insert to give you a new thread.

Jambo

Originally Posted by jambo

OK,
Unfortunatly the sump is alloy, where as the bolt is a tougher material, so if one lets go it'll be the threads in the sump, not the ones on the bolt.

Crap.

15lb/foot is about 20Nm. Are you sure the torque wrench was set to Nm, not lb/foot? either way I wouldn't have thought 20Nm would cause a problem

The manual says 21Nm or 15lb/ft. I had it set to 15lb/ft.

Edit: Reading through none of my above comment are terribly helpful. I would satisfy yourself that the torque wrench works

That's what I meant by "I tested it". I put it on an immovable bolt, and gave it a healthy push and it never released. Either there's something screwy with how this particular wrench gets set, or it's busted.

you're not sure just use a spanner and give it a light tug, a "firm" pull rather than a major tug. If it holds, great, check it over next service. If it strips then it's time to get a garrage to put in a Helicoil or similar insert to give you a new thread.

I went back out and checked and it is leaking slightly. So I guess I'll try giving it a tug, but I have a feeling I know what the result will be. At least it's not quite as serious as I thought - I hadn't thought of the helicoil - I was thinking I'd have to replace the whole assembly which looked incredibly $$.

So just to make sure ... there is no washer/gasket on the plug - it's purely the plug being fully tightened that seals it?

It disappoints me people use torque wrench's on the oil pan bolt. I've had the horror of overtightening one on my 125cc bike (without torque wrench) and would never let a torque wrench get anywhere near my bike.

Hope everything is right with yours. Do more maintenance on your machine yourself and you won't need a torque wrench...well, not for using to click up to the 'specified' torque anyway. You'll eventually know whats tight enough and whats not.

[northwind]

Someone on Ebay is selling longer sump bolts- the idea is that they tighten into the undamaged thread further in. No idea if that works for hte SV but if it does it might be your salvation...

Originally Posted by instigator

It disappoints me people use torque wrench's on the oil pan bolt. I've had the horror of overtightening one on my 125cc bike (without torque wrench) and would never let a torque wrench get anywhere near my bike.

If you'd used a torque wrench, you wouldn't have overtightened it You seem to be saying that you shouldn't use a torque wrench, you should be able to judge it by hand. Then you admit to damaging your own bike by not using one. Then, you say that eventually you'll get the feel for it. Which is true, but what are you going to do in the meantime?

Ditto - I love my torque wrench - I use it everywhere it will fit on the bike! As long as you are using the tool correctly and it is within a reasonable tolerance for accuracy, then I don't see how anyone can overtighten a bolt.

Were they particulary expensive torque wrenches?

you can use a bit of teflon to put it arround the plug so it would be more resistancable to the end to tighten it up

a sump plug does'nt need to be that tight just nip it up thats all it needs like an oil filter hand tight for that and no more.

I thought there was supposed to be a washer on the sump plug?

Originally Posted by ls1bandit

Also, is there normally an o-ring/gasket/washer on the plug (I'm wondering if it's hiding somewhere in my oil bucket).

Yes, there's supposed to be a copper washer on the bolt.