Broken oil bolt

[dbailey223]

Anybody even broken the bolt that drains oil from the frame? Rather than tightening it until it felt tight, I decided to follow the manual's 23 NM with my torque wrench. At 20 NM, the head of the bolt almost sheared off. Luckily, I was able to back the bolt out and get a new one for $1.07 from a local dealer.

Maybe I need a new torque wrench, but it didn't seem like I was putting a lot of uumph on it when the bolt head broke.

[TwoBobRob]

It's not uncommon I believe. Mine gets a 'healthy nip' with a ring spanner and no more. I did torque it a couple of times but never liked the feel of it so binned that idea.

Also, be careful with the lower oil filter housing bolt. That one collects some debris and can strip out/snap quite easily. I always purge the hole with carb cleaner to flush out any bits of metal before it goes back together

[Liquor]

For some reason, the torque specs on most bikes, even cars, are way too high. Actually, the torque values are probably fine for the very first torque-down of the fastener, but for fasteners tightened/loosened alot, it is too much. Threads are made to stretch slightly, making for a very secure connection, but metal can only compress/decompress so much before failure.

I'd recommend getting a torque wrench, and torque these type of fasteners at about 80% of the listed value (multiply torque value by 0.8). I also suggest using anti-seize paste on dry connections (bolts not immersed in oil, like the drain bolt).

Sorry for the long post, you probably already know this, but maybe someone else can use the info, good luck!

Carcass

[dbailey223]

I didn't know it, so thanks!

[StreetbikePimp]

I also suggest using anti-seize paste on dry connections (bolts not immersed in oil, like the drain bolt).

This is a good tip for anybody. Alot of do it yourself wrenchers out there.