Couldn't get into the dealer for my 1000k service until the end of the month so I had to change the fluids myself. I have changed oil in many quads, bikes, cars, I always tighten until snug then a little extra. I put tephlon tape on the thread(dont know y) hand tighten it and finished with the wrench but it never tightened. I found the metal that was once in the swing arm now in my threads of the bolt that is made of steel.
Why is there a o ring on it? Why is lock tight needed? Is the swing arm made of tin?
It seems alot of people here have done the same thing and now I am stranded until the dealer can look at it July 31.
Why is lock tight needed? loctite is not needed; thread sealer is recommended.
Is the swing arm made of tin? no; it appears to be of cast aluminium alloy. The torque spec in the manual is, it seems, excessive. 10 to 14ft/lbs is plenty.
+1 on the O-ring....the primary drain plug has the same set up. I just finished a big dis-assembly project on the Uly and I think there are several torque values in the Service Manual that are excessive. I used more thread sealant than lock-tite.
The drain plugs don't need much torque which makes sense with a rubber O-ring design.
I am reading people using oversize drain plugs with success. What does this mean, same diameter only longer. Are there threads above the factory plug that weren't affected?
Travis- the product the manual recommends to go on the threads is made by Locktite, but it's basically teflon thread sealant. Go to your local building supply store and pick up a tube of "teflon pipe thread sealant" and you'll have what you need.
I think the sealant and O-ring is a "belt & suspenders" type of thing. If you use the sealant it helps keep the plug from backing out when you tighten it only minimally tight and it definitely won't leak.
I had the dealer replace the swing arm under warranty when I stripped my oil drain plug. I'll never tighten again over 14 ft-lbs. If I strip it again after warranty, I'm using a quality insert as suggested by teeps.
I called hd-buell and they said because the dealer didn't perform the work its not covered under warranty. I read alot of other people posts that did the same thing that had no problem getting a new swing arm installed under warranty.
How can I do the timesert when I cant put a oil plug in correctly?
Travisd, From what I have read online the torque spec in the service manual is a misprint. If this is the case then regardless of who performed the service this problem should be taken care of by Buell.
The dealer said they wanted to see the bike before I did any work to it. From the buell support line and talking to my dealer they both claim they have never heard of this.
Get a +1 size drain plug from your local auto parts store. They're self tapping. Do a turn or two, back out, and repeat until seated. Flush the reservoir with oil to remove any filings. There are +2 size plugs in case it strips again. They have the magnet on them as well. I don't remember the plug size, But if you bring it in you can size it there. How do I know all this?
Of course, if its under warranty, you may want to change the swing arm.
I went to the auto store and asked for a oversized drain plug. They had no idea what I was talking about. Are they in a package that say self tapping or oversize? Are they just longer than the original?
The oversize plug should be a temporary fix, however, temporary, for me has been about 15,000 miles.
I would still put in a TimeSert if I could only get a round to it.
Replacing the swingarm seems to be overkill for the problem, to me, but if Buell is willing, why not? My only problem is not wanting to be without the bike long enough for them to do it.
The dealer said they wanted to see the bike before I did any work to it. From the buell support line and talking to my dealer they both claim they have never heard of this.
Funny, I am seeing a trend here. I had the exact same comment from the Buell CSR on an unrelated topic-turns out the topic was indeed heard of. I suspect the same here.
Had the same thing happen on my bike at the 10,000 service -luckily it was in the shop at the time being done by them! Complete new swingarm replaced under warranty without hesitation from the dealer, and a lift home as well (I refused the offer of a loan bike, I was going to be away for a while). It was the second one they have done. This however is in the UK, dunno if that makes a difference?
I decided to wait until the dealer looks at it. I got a oversize plug and the head looked to big to fit. There is a indentation for the bolt head and what I had was bigger so I new it would not seat all the way. Thanks for all the replies it did help.
Lots of great people here.
Its hard for me to get mad at this bike. Its such a nice bike, I will put this behind me and ride.