stripped final drive oil filler plug

[kls1]

hey guys,
sad sad news. I was just replacing and refilling my oils, when retighetning with my torque wrench and it over torqued and stripped out the bolt. Now I'm just worried I just did about 500 dollars worth of damage...someone talk me down from this cliff. Any suggestions on what to do next?

*sob*

[Bob_Roller]

You don't have too many options here, the stripped threads in the final drive case need to be replaced with a threaded insert, or drilled out and re-threaded for a larger plug.

I would suggest calling around to dealers and independent BMW bike shops in the bay area, to see if one can help you out.

For a short term fix, you could try to clean the area and use a sealant and the old plug, it may hold enough to get the bike to a shop, but I wouldn't consider it a permanent repair.

[Justin B.]

Probably if this ever happens to me I'll most likely re-tap and replace with a larger plug.  I've never understood the dinky little plug anyway, a cost reduction?  A beefier plug would make sense, in my opinion.  Then again, I like industrial strength looking stuff...

[kls1]

thanks guys, that's what i was thinking needed to be done. I might just use a sealant as a temporary fix, take off the unit over christmas break, and have someone work on it then (to cut away a little cost).

[Justin B.]

It really wouldn't be very hard to run a tap through there.  Just coat it with sticky grease to capture the metal chips...  But, if you insist on having someone else do it I would find a reputable local small general machine shop instead of taking it to some specialist or the dealer - it ain't rocket science!  The shop I work at charges $50/hour (minimum 1 hour) for walk-in stuff like this

[Crossrodes]

I would use a helicoil.  I used one on a 1500 goldwing where the oil pressure sender threaded into an aluminum plate.  It was still in there 4 years later when I sold the bike.  It never leaked.

[kls1]

Hey guys,
Helicoil does indeed sound like the best bet. I've temporarily sealed the bolt with a little loctite. Curious if anyone can confirm what I got from max's microfiche -- that the screw size i'm looking to replace is a AM12x1.5? length? thanks all.