Final Drive Drain Plug stripped?

Rogiecrockett

.020 Over
Joined
Aug 13, 2016
Messages
38
Location
Fairfield, IA
Ride
2015 Triumph Rocket III Touring
I was doing the 10K oil change yesterday morning and while everything was off I thought i would drain the final drive oil and replace. I know it is a 20K change but it is not expensive, I have the oil and I wanted to spend time working on the bike so 'what the heck'.

After draining the oil I put the drain plug back in and tightened with a socket. I backed off and then put a torque wrench on it. The torque wrench kept going so I stopped. I put the socket back on and tried to remove the drain plug but it would not come out. It will not tighten and will not loosen - it just spins.

The screw appeared to go in OK and did not feel cross threaded. When I tried to remove it with the socket it turns easily then gets slightly tight and then easy again.

I filled the drive reservoir up with gear oil and let it set overnight. There are no leaks.

I feel like it may be stripped but I am not sure. I tried to grab it with a pliers to apply force on it out while unscrewing it. Due to the way the plug sits in the recess it is hard to get a good grip on it.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Dave.
 
It sounds like it is stripped. Its hard to give an answer without being there. I just did the same thing today but did not have an issue with the drain plug. It does feel like it is of a very light material. I thought it was plastic until I got it out. So you could not see if the insert was turning with it? It does look like it is sitting in an insert and not an actual threaded area in the final drive.
 
I am not sure what you are describing.

I have a pair of needle nose vise grips and got a better grip on the head. It still will not come out when I apply force.
 
Rogiecrockett said:
I am not sure what you are describing.

I have a pair of needle nose vise grips and got a better grip on the head. It still will not come out when I apply force.
Click to expand...
Never mind, I just went out to look at the drain plug again. It is threaded directly into the drive.
 
What is the opinion on this.

I cannot get it to come out. I am working on it as I post.

Since no oil is leaking, would I be safe in running it?

Not sure if the oil viscosity changes, becoming thinner, and could leak out. Also does anyone know if there is pressure build up inside the final drive? If so I would be concerned it could cause a leak.

I figure if I run it I will stop every 5 miles on a test run to see if any oil is leaking.

If it is stripped what are options?
 
It's your bike but I am not sure I would ride it until I fixed it. I personally wouldn't risk blowing up the final drive, and possibly more. I may be over cautious and it may not leak at all. Take it for a quick 2-3 mile rip. Let it sit for a while and see if it leaks. Well, lets hope it is the plug that is stripped. Typically the drain plug threads will be similar to a pipe thread pitch. So you can chase it if you need to. You will need to find the correct tap. You can order a new drain plug from your local Trumpet dealer or 2wheelpros.com. If you can get a vice grip on it and pull it as hard as you can as you turn it left you may be able to get it to come out. If it is the final drive that is stripped that is another issue altogether. You can buy an oversized plug and tap, however you will need to consider the possibility of getting metal into the final drive.
 
Last edited:


That sucks. I would get it to a mechanic and get it fixed. I wouldn't risk running it. The unit only has about 7 ounces of oil in there and if it did blowout you could run your final drive in seconds before even realized it.

I figure worst-case scenario they'll have to remove the plug re tap the Drive for a slightly larger plug and put it in there.

All the best let us know how it works out.
 
I had the same thing happen to me. The torque spec is 15 newton meters. Not very tight but it works well. My problem was just as you describe. I could not get it out and it did not leak. I put some blue Loctite on it and covered it with duct tape to keep from loosing it should it decide to fall out. No problem for a year. Then I decided to replace it. Pulling and spinning is all I did until it broke in half. This plug is hollow with a magnet in it. Mine snapped in two. After getting the nut head part off, I used a small screwdriver to spin out the stud part. I replaced it with a normal metric bolt plug. I change this gear lube every spring so I'm not worried about not having the magnet.
 
you no i did that same dam thing got called away near completion off the whole job was gettn bike ready for a week away , came back to it thinkin a had just put the plug back in sorta hand tight , however id tourqued to the required setting and got the socket and rat**** mmmmm onto it give a quick tighten up and stripped the DAM thread out ??? the words "gee that was lucky" did not come to mind
We were off that arvo so i just a tube of that 2 pot type plaster- seen and bogged the whole thing in place , the drain plug was wobbling around before the "quick fix"
This was last summer its been that way for approx 25ks
GO FIGUIRE
 
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