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Oil Plug - Use a torque wrench

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etcthorne

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Unless you've been changing your own oil for a while and have a feel for it. I always use a torque wrench, especially on a Suzuki.

OK, not my horror story - the neighbor.

Guy has a 750 Katana. I hear a knock on my door yesterday afternoon and he's standing there telling me he stripped his plug threads after changing his oil. I first tell him he should realize that since he's 6' 4' and weighs about 240 that he's a gorilla in the first place.... (he didn't kick my butt).

I go to look at the damage, and notice the CASE IS CRACKED!!!! I'll try to get some pictures if he's home today. It's cracked about two inches in kind a circular pattern and it looks as though a piece might actually want to fall out. There's definitely oil seeping through the cracks. He did strip the plug as well, but unsure of the sequence of events. This guy was doing the third oil change, but the first without any assistance from me or anyone else.

This one's going to be expensive, boys. Lessons learned: use a torque wrench unless you're **** sure you know the point of no return.

Amazingly (unless I missed it, and I probably did), our owner's manual doesn't give a torque spec for the plug - just for the filter. If anyone knows what it is for the Bandit, please post.
 
Good advice, as I have also known of a few cases where people stripped out their drains plug threads from over tightening them. I also recommend using an accurate inch pound, 3/8" drive torque wrench on the drain plugs as opposed to a 1/2" drive torque wrench, as the amount of torque applied to the drain plug will be a lot more accurate for the same torque setting on the 3/8" drive in lb wrench as oppossed to the same torque setting on 1/2" drive, ft lb torque wrench.

The only things I use my 1/2" torque wrench on is things like axle nuts, and for most everything else, I use my Proto 210 in lb. range, 3/8" drive click type torque wrench. :rider:
 
The case is cracked or the oil pan? The pan on the Bandit/Katana motors is easily replacable for not too much cash. Seems like I recall a figure of about $150 or so for the pan and gasket.
 
Page OB-11 of the service manual list the torque spec for the drain plug.

Tightening torque
Oil drain plug (a): 23 N·m (2.3 kgf-m, 16.5 lb-ft)
 
first part of the manual under lubrication, shows the torq amount, next to the picture of the drain plug at 16.5 ft/lbs. which is about snug. ob-11 page 42.

funny we all agree to torq it, but no one knows how much?
 
Brass said:
Page OB-11 of the service manual list the torque spec for the drain plug.

Tightening torque
Oil drain plug (a): 23 N·m (2.3 kgf-m, 16.5 lb-ft)
Click to expand...


Or 198 in lbs, which is what I use.

Suzuki must like to use 16 1/2 ft lbs a lot, as its the same torque called out for the bango bolts on the calipers and master cylinders. :rider:
 
txmedic - oil pan. I sit corrected. You guys are so technical (as it should be to keep guys like me in line)! :lol2: It's cracked metal - I saw it and started feeling sick for the poor guy.
 
Safety wire it and you won't have to worry about over torqueing it. Sometimes torque wrenchs can do more harm that good since most are not calibrated correctly. I have never stripped a drain plug.;-)
 
txmedic said:
The case is cracked or the oil pan? The pan on the Bandit/Katana motors is easily replacable for not too much cash. Seems like I recall a figure of about $150 or so for the pan and gasket.
Click to expand...


Thats about right. Very common for people to crack the oil pan on Kats.
 
Roy said:
Safety wire it and you won't have to worry about over torqueing it. Sometimes torque wrenchs can do more harm that good since most are not calibrated correctly. I have never stripped a drain plug.;-)
Click to expand...


Roy:

Now you're talkin' my language - like airplane stuff.

Did you safety wire your drain plug? If so, ya' got a picture?

Phil
 
PhilS said:
Roy:

Now you're talkin' my language - like airplane stuff.

Did you safety wire your drain plug? If so, ya' got a picture?

Phil
Click to expand...


No not yet but I have only changed the oil 3 times so far. My 1000 is wired. Bandit doesn't look too complicated.
 
I stripped the drain plug threads on my KLR because I was in a hurry and totally thinking about something else while I was changing the oil. I "loosened" the plug by turning it to the RIGHT. When I felt resistance, I laid into it.

HODGES03.jpg


I used plumber's white teflon to help seal it for a while.

Lesson: Don't don't maintenance the morning OF your ride when time is running short.
 
John Bennett said:
Lesson: Don't don't maintenance the morning OF your ride when time is running short.
Click to expand...


You're not the only one to be caught by that one, John. In a hurry is when you get hurt and break things.


Other lesson: Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.
 
I changed my oil for the first time myself (first two times were done at the suzuki shop). I was impressed that I did not get one single drop of oil on the headers (tin foil works well).
Thanks to this thread I did not turn too hard the wrong way. I also had some movement to the right and would have continue trying to turn right without this thread. Thanks guys. I am mechanically challenged and this site has been a big help.
 
If you check your ratchet before you put it on a bolt you will never turn it the wrong way, it will only go one way (either loosen or tighten), the other way it will just click with no pressure. I alway hold onto the socket and check my ratchet before using.



If you are using a breaker bar however............... :eek2:
 
The Ferret said:
If you check your ratchet before you put it on a bolt you will never turn it the wrong way, it will only go one way (either loosen or tighten), the other way it will just click with no pressure. I alway hold onto the socket and check my ratchet before using......
Click to expand...

Yep, I learned that little trick a few decades back.....don't ask how I learned that valuable lesson... :rofl: :trust: But I do use a torque wrench too (ratchet type)
:rider:
 
I am not so sure that it is 16.5 lb-ft. I say this because I just stripped my oil pan yesterday and I had my torque wrench set to 15 lb-ft. Someone said maybe it is 16.5 lb-inch?

Time to break out the tools and remove my entire exhause just so I can drop the oil pan.... YAY!
 
The book calls for 16.5 ft lbs of torque on the oil drain bolt. Click type torque wrenches will often stick. One habit I was taught is always store them at zero settings. And, exercise them in a vise. When I was doing heavy equipment work, we always had to send them off about every 3 months for calibration. Company policy. But, we were pulling 650 lbs on the head bolts. ;-) .
 
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