I don't think this is going to end well...

[emilyLOVESlime]

A couple days ago, I found out that nobody has done an oil change on my bike for about a year, if not more So I decided that I would change the oil immediately. Bought a filter, 2 quarters of Mobil 1 Synthetic 5W-40 and rode my bike over to my friend's place- he has a nice garage, a bunch of tools, and of course, he's done this (and many other things with his bike) before!

So, we grab a pan, his tools, etc. I grab the rachet, fit a 17mm socket on. Its very VERY hard to turn the racket, but in the end, by twisting COUNTER clockwise (lefty loosey, right?) I get the drain plug to come off. However, a piece of what I take to be the lower engine case, the part that the drain plug/washer fits into, breaks off as well.

As you can see, this story is getting worse and worse.

The oil comes out, really dark. There is only about a liter of it instead of 2ish. We try to fit the drain plug back on. Enough of the case has broken off that it does not screw back in. Also, the bolt that held the oil filter did not/could not come off. We both tried with the 17mm socket and it started stripping the bolt, so we stopped.

My friend and I both call our respective motorcycle mechanic friends. According to my mechanic friend the tiny 1/2" x 1/2" piece that came off is part of the lower engine case and that I will have to buy a whole new engine case, take apart the engine, but it back into the case. Holy crap, lots of labor costs. OR I could just buy a whole new motor and pay for the labor to switch it out and try to salvage my old one for parts. According to his mechanic friend (who has taken apart and put together my friend's engine, and also works on and owns 4 bikes), he wanted to take a look at it to see if he could weld the tiny piece back to the engine case. My friend told me that welding was a bad idea because the case was aluminum and welding would not last very long.

I need to add that I am a 110 pound Asian girl with no arm muscles and I have NO idea how I could've broken the piece off of the engine case. At first I suspected that I had turned it the wrong way to loosen it, so it broke, but am I really strong enough to do that? Also, it was VERY hard to unscrew the drain plug initially, but it got easier and easier, so I took it as a sign I was unscrewing it the right way.


Who knew that a simple oil change could cause so many problems? Right now, its sitting at my friend's place. Waiting for what could be a $700+ fix.

Any opinions?

[nate-bama]

sorry to hear this.. can you get some pics i'm having a hard time picturing this in my head

[emilyLOVESlime]

I don't have actual pictures but I found a picture of it. The part I circled, the part that comes out a little bit that the drain plug fits into- broke off. When you try to screw the drain plug back in, you can see the threads of the screw because part of the "wall" is missing.

[kkim]

yes, some pics will help. if you used the correct drain plug on the new gens, you might be in luck. If you indeed used the plug on the bottom of the engine case, you have more serious problems. In that case, perhaps a helicoil might work if there is enough engine case left to install one.

pictures!!!

[kkim]

Originally Posted by emilyLOVESlime

I don't have actual pictures but I found a picture of it. The part I circled, the part that comes out a little bit that the drain plug fits into- broke off. When you try to screw the drain plug back in, you can see the threads of the screw because part of the "wall" is missing.

okay, that's not the correct drain plug to be using. did you follow the DIY on this site? If not, you should have.

pictures of the actual bike would help.

[emilyLOVESlime]

Edit: I see now that I used the wrong one
I guess I thought that it was the correct one because I had a pre-gen

I would love to give you guys some pics, but the bike is stuck at my friend's place (obviously) and he gave me a ride back home. I think I may be able to bicycle out there to get some pictures though.

Double Edit: I did go over the DIY Oil Change the night before (I actually have it bookmarked ) and I remember coming upon this:

Originally Posted by kkim

new gen oil change
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10780

pre gen is almost the same except the drain plug is directly into the engine case on the bottom.

Did I use the right drain plug? I do have a pre-gen.

[kkim]

lol... sorry. for some reason I had remembered you having a newgen.

some pictures of the damage, when you have some time?

[emilyLOVESlime]

Haha, I keep on editing during your posts. Again, I will try to make it out there for pictures, but it is at my friend's place (which is 15 minutes away) and I currently havea good ole bicycle left to get me around

[min nin]

Aluminum can be welded.
Find someone who specializes in welding aluminum.

Terry.

[emilyLOVESlime]

Thanks Terry. My friend's friend said that he knew of welders in the area and he's coming on Tuesday to take a look at my poor bike. I'm just really pissed at myself for breaking that piece off, sigh

I'll let you guys know how it goes/post some pictures soon!

[Greg_E]

The drain plug is a non-structural part of the case. I would get it welded, drill and tap for a heli coil (because the welding is going to warp stuff and leave an uneven edge that needs to be drilled, and ride it. It is very likely that if you can get the plug to catch, you could fill in the broken area with JB Weld epoxy, again this is not a structural or pressurized area. Welding would be best.

Sad part is that to do this right, you would need to pull that part of the case off so that the flat gasket area can be machined so that it seals. Careful work with a dremel might get you a good seal, but it would be best to run it under a milling machine.

[greg737]

Is the person who overtightened the drain plug after the bike's last oil change. I've read several accounts (over at ninja250.org) of very similar situations that riders have had.

It always comes down to the fact that somebody overtightened the drain plug, then the bike gets ridden for a few months (or more, in your case).

The bike's oil sump is aluminum and the bolt is steel, when they heat up during riding and cool down when parked, these metals expand and contract at different rates. Over time, this can drive cracks into the softer aluminum of the oil sump.

[ASecretNinja]

Another vote for pictures.. I'm more interested in the cute asian girl than the bike TBH!!

[emilyLOVESlime]

I am updating this thread just in case someone has the same problem and is looking for a solution. Rather than replacing the whole engine case, I brought the bike to the local welder- he welded the drain plug hole shut, but was not able to drill into it and remake the hole. In the future, I will have to change the oil from the oil filter side and use a pump to get the little bit of oil that doesn't drain out because of the weld. Total cost was about $100. Bike is running great, though. The spark plugs were cleaned, new oil and I ran Seafoam through the tank. She's sleeping in the garage for the winter now, though

[Greg_E]

He should have at least been able to drill a small hole and tap for a smaller screw. Even a little 1/4 inch bolt would let you drain it properly. The only reason I can think of for not being able to do this is that the slag produced from burning the oil has made a really dirty weld. In the future it may crack so keep an eye on that weld to look for oil seeping out.

In the future (like when it snows) you may want to take the engine out, pull it all apart so that the inside can be stripped of all oil, and have it machined and welded again. maybe even cut out a big chunk and have them weld in a patch that can then be drilled and tapped for some kind of drain.

[bobaab]

You can also attempt to drain the oil where the oil screen is located. More info is here:

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Checking_the_oil_screen

[nate-bama]

Well I'd say it ended well, regardless of how you have to drain your oil

[emilyLOVESlime]

Originally Posted by Greg_E

He should have at least been able to drill a small hole and tap for a smaller screw. Even a little 1/4 inch bolt would let you drain it properly. The only reason I can think of for not being able to do this is that the slag produced from burning the oil has made a really dirty weld. In the future it may crack so keep an eye on that weld to look for oil seeping out.

In the future (like when it snows) you may want to take the engine out, pull it all apart so that the inside can be stripped of all oil, and have it machined and welded again. maybe even cut out a big chunk and have them weld in a patch that can then be drilled and tapped for some kind of drain.

He did mention that welding aluminum was kind of tough, especially because the metal was contaminated with oil. If I end up keeping the bike for longer than the next couple months (might be moving ) then I will look for another welder for a second opinion. Was kind of bummed that he couldn't drill a hole, but whatever...I needed to get her running, back home and put to bed in the garage so I didn't want to drag it out

[CZroe]

Glad to see it resolved! You aren't gonna take your bike with you when you move? I did... it was the perfect excuse to ride cross-country (GA to CA).