Help - oil change on zzr250 and bolt keeps turning!

[vincible1]

Hey,
Thought i'd change the oil on my zzr250.
Anywho, took it for a ride to get it warm, parked it on its centerstand and then removed the oil plug bolt and let the oil drain for 15 mins.
Put the bolt back on and tightened with my hand, then used a torque wrench (14.5 lb/ft as in manual) yet it just kept turning.
I soon (10 rotations or so) realised and took the bolt off, searched through the oil pan and found a washer
Put the bolt and washer back on, hand tightened then torqued but now it just keeps turning, going from kind of tight back to loose, as though its turning off its grooves.
Took bolt off again and little bits of curled metal are on the bolt.

What have I done? How bad is it? Whats the next step?
Cheers guys.

[Semi]

You've stripped either the bolt or the thread in the sump. You might be able to get away with just a new sump plug, but you might have to heli coil (or from the sounds of it, get someone else to) the thread in the sump. You overtightened it because the sealing crush washer wasnt on there, so it wasnt tightening against that. Get a new washer when you get a new bolt.

[Captain Starfish]

Yeah, sounds like stripped thread.

Been done before:

Oil plug thread slightly stripped

Oil Leak

Good luck

[vincible1]

Bugger!
Well from the sounds of drilling a bigger hole to inserting the right coil, sounds like a mobile mechincs job (unless you guys reckon its easy?).
Funny how we do things to save money, only to stuff up and costing twice as much.
Might just buy tickets and try and win angry bee!

[Semi]

Seems to happen a lot on ZZR's?
Must have a weak or short thread in them.

[esquire]

^^^ WCSS

Happened to me too (as indicated in CS's link). Took it to Kamahl at KTEC and he sorted it out with a helicoil.

[vincible1]

how did you take it there?
you have to take the whole bike in dont you?

[vincible1]

and also how much did it cost esq

[Semi]

Kamahl will come to you, he's a mobile mechanic

[vincible1]

cheers semi, ill give him a call monday

[esquire]

I *think* it cost about $60 when I had it done. Might've been more or less though. I just rode it to his workshop. You could also take the sump off yourself if you're that way inclined. It would save Kamahl a lot of time and save you some $$$.

[TurboR1]

For a $60 call out... I would just get it done by Kamahl, miss a few days riding, the money you save on not riding for 2 days in fuel will pay for it.

[vincible1]

Well I dont want to ride it as I reckon it wont hold. Its all ready for repair, its just the ground clearance is only the center stand height, so im not sure if he would be able to do a helicoil procedure that way.

[smokeymatt]

the sump is just a shaped piece of tin or thin moulded aluminium and a helicoil may not have enough thread to fit properly, if you can take the sump off without removing the engine you might be better able to repair it. Other quick fixes may be a slightly larger diameter bolt which you might be able to screw into the hole, making it's own thread pattern. you could take the bolt to an auto shop and buy a slightly larger one with a matching tap to rethread the hole, which is easy and probably the best option. Failing that you could push the old bolt back in with a heap af aryldite around it, it wont last forever but will get you around until you get it sorted properly.

[vincible1]

I like the larger bolt idea, because it seems to match the grooves and fit for 3/4's of the thread, then just run off it and repeat.

[Semi]

If you can get the sump off it'd probably be a good idea

[TurboR1]

Ask yourself how mechanically minded you really are in relation to your bike.

Then add together all the things you could possibly fuck up and put a dollar amout to them.

If the total is less than what a mechanic can do, in your drive way, with the correct tools and know how, then go for it.

[vincible1]

Id say im somewhat mechanically minded, but I only ever learn from doing mistakes.
Might as well do it myself, maybe call Kamahl and put him on standby.

[Cbr1k]

Yes but with some bike parts there are only so many mistakes you can make before you f*ck it good & proper.

[vincible1]

Went to 5 different nuts and bolts shops today, to try and find 1 size bigger to screw it back in place, and no one stocked anything.
Gave Kamahl a ring and explained my situation, funny enough he said not to use a torque wrench as most are wrong/cheap and do more harm than good.
Booked him in tomorrow and he said he would heli-coil it for me.
5 different stores and 4 different methods they all recommended; putty/paste around the existing one, go up and drill a 16 size with 15 bolt, order a new sump as it will be too much hassle ....