[790Duker]

I was changing my oil for the spring. Unscrewed the first screen bolt, no problem. Unscrewed the second...wouldn’t move. Like an ignorant noob, I didn’t stop. Instead, I grabbed a bigger wrench and got it out...along with 2 threads worth of aluminum from the oil pan. Should have stopped, refilled the bit of oil and warmed the engine all the way up. Instead I got impatient and aggravated.

I decided to just replace the oil pan rather than Helicoil the threads. I really didn’t want to risk thinning the pan and winding up with a crack around the coil. After I replaced all of it, I’m pretty sure there is more the enough metal there to have done the Helicoil repair. All is good, but don’t be like me.

1. Make sure you don’t over torque any of those bolts...Ever. Even if you don’t over torque, the soft threads can still gall.
2. Get the engine fully warm, like operating temp before you remove the bolts.
3. If things don’t move with relatively light torque, STOP! Heat is most likely your friend...DON’T grab the big wrench for anything on these engines :wink:
4. I used a little anti-seize this time around and likely now on. I hate galled threads.

Side note. If you ever pull the oil pan off, there are 2 screws in the center of the bottom for the pressure plate area. If you have middle aged eyes like me, your dumb ass won’t see them while you’re lying on the ground up close, until you’ve tapped on the pan for 20 minutes with a wooden mallet and it doesn’t drop off.

 

[Rick]

D'oh! My favourite part was putting anti-sieze on oil related bolts. If there's one thing you actually want to stay put it's oil related bolts.

Also, if you torqued those bolts wet with oil/anti-sieze you've guaranteed overtorqued them.

Sincerely,
The mechanic that stripped his sprocket cover bolts because he thought they were 6mm not 5mm when setting the torque wrench, and had to heli-coil them.

 

[790Duker]

Yeah I know...I ditched the torque wrench this go round with the anti-seize and just did the small wrench, feels right torque. They are o-ring plugs and I check them every ride. Nothing has moved at all. When I torqued them prior to the disaster, I used a properly set torque wrench, and cleaned the threads first. It still galled. Probably didn’t have the engine warm enough is my guess why it stuck in the first place. I’ve trusted my “feels right” on oil plugs for 35 years. Tried to do it right for once and screwed it up.

 

[Thumper790]

Think we all have been there and done that. I now use high quality tongue wrenches on just about everything. Especially on motor or wheels and calipers. I would probably replaced part too. Do were you able to do in frame pan swap.

 

[colombo]

Think we all have been there and done that. I now use high quality tongue wrenches on just about everything. Especially on motor or wheels and calipers. I would probably replaced part too. Do were you able to do in frame pan swap.

What do you consider a high quality wrench?