Leaking oil from drain bolt

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Krime

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Discovered a nice large pool of oil on the garage floor after storing the bike for the last 2 months. There was a slow leak from the drain bolt after changing the oil out for the fresh stuff. I tightened it further last week and checked again 1 week later with oil still leaking.

I had the original washer on the bolt for 10 years up until last year wen I got a slow drip while riding towards the end of the season. I replaced the washer with a new one and the problem went away, no more leaks.

When I changed the oil on October, I kept the same washer.

Is it likely that the washer is the issue? I find it odd that it would leak with such a new washer, when I used the original one for 10 years with no leak.
 
surprising, but possible. Copper is meant to deform. Avoid cranking the drain bolt too tight, just buy a new crush washer. Stripping the bolt can be an expensive mistake
 
I've always bought a new washer so I don't have a headache after an oil chance. That said, years ago I put a Fumoto Valve on the car and will put one on any future cars as well. I tried to put one on the bike but there were clearance issues, so I bought a Stahlbus I'll put on it next season.
 
Depends on how the washer deformed last time you put it on. Just get a new one
 
Just get a few spare washers. I've used the same aluminum washer I got from Ted (when I mentioned where I had to go to get a crush washer lol) for years, no issues. Definitely don't crank too much and pray that a washer change will fix the problem. Otherwise, you're better off replacing the oil pan.
 
$2 says you've got a cracked drain hole, especially after using the same washer for a decade
 
Do not crank it tighter.
Tq it to factory spec with a new washer,
Make sure the surrounding areas around the bolt are clean and clear of any dirt before tq the bolt down.
 
Having a look through the photos I took yesterday, I spotted what appears to be a crack...

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Today I cleaned up the oil to make sure it wasn't a mark... and could barely see it.

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Although it still looks to be a crack. It's weird how it was less visible in person with my own eyes than in the photos themselves :(
 
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I have a fresh unused crush washer but figure there's no point in trying it out now... although a part of me still wants to. Wishful thinking.

Only option at this point is a new oil pan? Saw it's about $230. Any idea on what labour costs would run me if I take it to a shop to swap out?
 
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Krimesf4i said:
I have a fresh unused crush washer but figure there's no point in trying it out now... although a part of me still wants to. Wishful thinking.

Only option at this point is a new oil pan? Saw it's about $230. Any idea on what labour costs would run me if I take it to a shop to swap out?
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If the crack isn't too wide (doesn't look like it), you can do the time-honoured tradition of tapping the hole and installing either a Heli-Coil or an oversized drain plug. There are a ton of kits on eBay for this. Most shops can also do this for you, if you like.
 
Weird thing is towards the end of last season I forgot I rode a superbike, and road off a curb after parking it on a sidewalk. The bike slightly bottomed out, but only hit the two lower headers (scraping the bottom of them) while the oil pan bolt was untouched. Not long after, I noticed it started to slowly leak oil from the drain bolt (as mentioned earlier). What's weird is that when I swapped the original washer out for a new one, the leak stopped and the problem was solved. If it was cracked from that incident, not sure why a fresh washer initially solved the issue, and why it's leaking again now that I did an oil change.
 
TwistedKestrel said:
If the crack isn't too wide (doesn't look like it), you can do the time-honoured tradition of tapping the hole and installing either a Heli-Coil or an oversized drain plug. There are a ton of kits on eBay for this. Most shops can also do this for you, if you like.
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Good to know thanks, I'll look into that before going ahead with the oil pan swap. The bike's got over 70,000kms on it so I'm hesitant to take apart engine parts if it can be avoided.
 
I tried heli-coiling mine on the r6 when I tightened it too much, it worked for a little bit and then when i went to do an oil change the following time it started leaking again. I ended up having to get a new oil pan...$230 later it was fixed. I changed the pan myself. It was surprisingly easy to do. If you're somewhat handy you can do it. Just take your time. Hope it all works out!
 
Krimesf4i said:
Good to know thanks, I'll look into that before going ahead with the oil pan swap. The bike's got over 70,000kms on it so I'm hesitant to take apart engine parts if it can be avoided.
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You'll have to take it off anyway, so you might as well just go with a junkyard pan instead of tapping or helicoiling.
 
FiReSTaRT said:
You'll have to take it off anyway, so you might as well just go with a junkyard pan instead of tapping or helicoiling.
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+1. A helicoil won't help unless you remove enough material to eliminate the crack. If a replacement pan is not available, one could attempt to go oversize on the drain plug and tap new threads in the pan to match the oversize plug.

Shopping around for your parts can pay dividends.

http://www.ronayers.com/OIL-PAN-OIL-PUMP--C213440.aspx
 
Krimesf4i said:
Good to know thanks, I'll look into that before going ahead with the oil pan swap. The bike's got over 70,000kms on it so I'm hesitant to take apart engine parts if it can be avoided.
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if you do oil pan swap it will costly! just heli coil it takes 1 hour max!
 
YZFer said:
if you do oil pan swap it will costly! just heli coil it takes 1 hour max!
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The OP has some material removal to do, no matter what happens. I would not want those metal shavings circulating through my engine, tyvm
 
FiReSTaRT said:
The OP has some material removal to do, no matter what happens. I would not want those metal shavings circulating through my engine, tyvm
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Meh... I have great confidence in the pickup screen & oil filter
 
You have all winter, I wouldn't helicoil it for a variety of reasons others have stated. I'd pull the pan and degrease it really well, dremel out the crack and JB weld it. Sit the pan over a bucket and fill it with oil and see it it weeps after sitting for as week or so. If the $10 JB weld doesn't work, you can go shopping for a new/used pan.
 
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