What i worry about most when changing oil....

[Jeff Kurth]

I worry about stripping the oil pan threads When i tighten the bolt snug before taking the socket wrench to the bolt it seems like i am not tightening it enough.... I guess tightening too little is better than too much....
I may be wrong but i think when aluminum heats up, like the threads of the oil pan, it shrinks and as it cools gets harder making the bolt more secure seeing how aluminum is a softer metal....Does that make sense?

 

[kromdom]

I use a torque wrench each and every time....no fear or worry at all

 

[dadofthree]

Smart man, as gentle as I tried to be I stripped mine long ago and have not been able to stop the leak since.

 

[Rocketmn]

I Always Use A Torque Wrench!

 

[Jeff Kurth]

Smart man, as gentle as I tried to be I stripped mine long ago and have not been able to stop the leak since.

lol, funny

 

[1busa]

Idk? I've heard from guys that said they used a torque wrench and still managed 2 strip it??? Now they said they go by feel and just know when enough is enough.

 

[jch364]

boy i needed a torque wrench....lol
actually still do. any good ones? i know nothing about them..

 

[sixpack577]

boy i needed a torque wrench....lol
actually still do. any good ones? i know nothing about them..

Buying a quality brand is the easiest way that you know that the torque wrench has been calibrated correctly. So when you need to torque something to 35 ft lbs, you have the best chance of it being 35 ft lbs, no more, no less.
Some NAPA stores used to calibrate torque wrenchs, otherwise I don't know where to check them.
They can also been thrown outta whack if dropped or impacted.
I have had good success with Craftsman over the years, and have borrowed a friend's Snap-on when I've needed to go over 250 ft lbs. Guess what that one costs Mac and Matco also make good stuff, but prepare to pay for those too.
An inch lb wrench is also a good investment for small stuff.
My Dad's a mechanical engineer, he builds manufacturing machinery. Years ago he told me about a fastener that needed something like 1200 ft lbs.
The company rented the torque wrench, he said it was over 6 feet long, and took 2 of them to torque it. Imagine what that cost

 

[RX1Jim]

I use a torque wrench and have backed off from the factory setting, manual specifies 16.5 ft-lbs, I tighten to 12 ft-lbs and put a new copper washer on every other oil change. The way I look at it, if I start with a lighter torque setting and there is a small leak, I can tighten up a ft-lb at a time. A little more tedious but I have not stripped a drain plug in over 40 years of working on bikes. It might sound extra tedious but I use a nut on a bolt and hold it up to the drain pan, spin the nut to confirm the direction of rotation to remove the plug. Extra work, might sound dumb, but I HATE the idea of stripping out the threads. I'd have to remove and replace the oil pan. It would be excellent if the oil pan drain plug would have a steel helicoil in it and use a drain plug with a larger dia, flange to span the diameter of the helicoil. Stripped drain plug holes would be a thing of the past.

Jim

 

[Flicka]

Full disclosure: I'm not on a Busa anymore. That said, I don't use a torque wrench on the drain plug of my current bike. I use a standard ratchet to get the plug just barely snug, then I apply a small dab of RTV sealant. Same goes for the oil filter. It's never leaked a drop, never damaged anything, and it's track day legal for my purposes.

Something like this: Sealants : Permatex® Clear RTV Silicone Adhesive Sealant

 

[Jeff Kurth]

Idk? I've heard from guys that said they used a torque wrench and still managed 2 strip it??? Now they said they go by feel and just know when enough is enough.

Yess, its all feel.....Some have no control....Feel, touch take your time and be patient or your going to mess up in doing what ever u do..

 

[cosmic_ocean]

Idk? I've heard from guys that said they used a torque wrench and still managed 2 strip it??? Now they said they go by feel and just know when enough is enough.

That's the best course... Nothing like the 'feel' to tighten any bolt or nut (keeping its functionality in view)

 

[kromdom]

For guys who have been wrenching for years, they have a good reference point for doing stuff BY FEEL. HOWEVER, tell a noob (who may have never seen or touched ANY wrench) to torque any nut BY FEEL may lead to expensive mistakes. my 2 cents.

 

[skydivr]

Jeez...go down to Sears and get a torque wrench and be down with it!

 

[caspernz]

Torque wrench, just buy one that does the majority of the fasteners on your bike and all is well...

I mean, how do you tighten the rear axle nut when you've snugged up the chain slack?

 

[Blrry]

This.

Use it on all of my cars, on my DR650 and now on my busa. Torque it once, never comes loose or leaks, and no spill or mess on oil changes!

 

[IG.]

Pretty neat! My only concern, when I load the bike on the trailer, the longer sticking drain plug may touch the edge of the trailer. Another point is this: if I had to change oil often, like every week, that would make sense. But changing once a year or so, the simplest device is most reliable and works best.

Regarding the regular drain plug, keep in mind that it just needs to be tight. There is no force which tries to unscrew it. So, tighten very light, then give another gentle snug and you are done. Keep in mind another point: all torque specs are given for a dry bolt/nut. If wet or lubed, the spec value should be reduced by at least 20%. So, if IIRC let's say the torque spec says 12 lb ft (dry), when it's wet it should be no more than 9.5 lb ft (wet, like with water). Wet with oil, it should probably be even less than that. Using shorter wrench would also help to avoid over tightening.

 

[Blrry]

IG, I'm just too forgetful to prepare ahead with crush washers every time, and I worry about stripping threads etc, so this works best for me. It doesn't stick out of the fairing, so unless you're dragging when you load it shouldn't be in the way. If you're right about the lesser torque when wet... I've probably overtorqued these before then, seems they'd tell you to set the torque wrench at what was appropriate for the task, knowing there would be oil in the threads. Oh well, with my set up I've only potentially overtorqued the bolt once!lease:

 

[Big Bo]

I have this setup on my truck.

Unique Truck Equipment - Quick Changer Drain Hose Assembly-Large

 

[busaziggy]

plus 100 on the crush washers