[Art Schneider]

I went to change the oil and found there was a bunch of caulk/gasket sealer around the oil drain plug. When I got it out, it doesn’t look like the right part (looks like a plumbing part) and I think the inside threads aren’t right. Like half if the threads are missing. How do I fix this?

I am hoping to avoid replacing the crankcase.

 

[retro]

You been bamboozled by the previous owner it looks like? Ya gotta replace that case to fix it. There'll be no net gain for universe until ya do.

 

[Art Schneider]

You been bamboozled by the previous owner it looks like? Ya gotta replace that case to fix it. There'll be no net gain for universe until ya do.

Yeah, I did not look at that before purchasing it. This thing has been a huge learning experience.

I’m not sure how tough this is going to be.

 

[retro]

Lots of those get broken by folks who overtighten the drain plug. Its a very common problem. The PO is a dirtbag for not revealing that to ya.

The motor has to be taken out, completely disassembled, the cases split and that half-case replaced. Best option might be a used set of cases from powersportsnation.com. Do you have the tools and abilities to do that work yourself? If not you soon may... a shop might charge ya over $1k for labor alone.

 

[Nanook12]

Depending on how bad the female threads are, you may be able to clean it up and install one of these... https://www.fumotooildrainvalve.com/f-109.html There are some pretty good sealants/epoxies out there, along with a heli-coil. Getting it clean is the hard part. Takes lots of solvent or brake cleaner sprayed up in there to get all the oil out.

 

[Art Schneider]

Depending on how bad the female threads are, you may be able to clean it up and install one of these... https://www.fumotooildrainvalve.com/f-109.html There are some pretty good sealants/epoxies out there, along with a heli-coil. Getting it clean is the hard part. Takes lots of solvent or brake cleaner sprayed up in there to get all the oil out.

That definitely looks worth my time/money to try to install. Is that the right size? Jbweld?

 

[Jeepwm69]

See number 9 for pics of the one I used.

https://www.hondaforeman.com/130-foreman-500/71918-oil-drain-plug-size.html

Keep in mind you will need to make sure that you have a skid plate on your bike, and will need to make sure that the skid plate hangs down far enough to clear the valve. I put a block of wood between the skid and the engine on my wife's rig to make sure that the skid plate wasn't pushed up in a hole where the valve could catch on something.

I used blue loctite and screwed it up in the hole and let it sit for a day before I filled with oil. If you don't have any threads left at all this won't work for you. You have to have SOME material for the fumoto valve to hold onto while the loctite sets.

Not enough material there to do a helicoil. Crankcase area is very thin there on a 420.

Crappy design for sure.

 

[Nanook12]

I have the same Rancher model as the OP, I’m still using the original Honda oil plug (knock on wood). I’m switching to the Fumoto valve on the next oil change. You can cut down a heli-coil to match the thickness of the case, if you have enough of the old threads to hold, glue that in first and let dry. Then tread the fumoto valve in with a hard sealant. Good luck

 

[oldmxrider]

See number 9 for pics of the one I used.

https://www.hondaforeman.com/130-foreman-500/71918-oil-drain-plug-size.html

Keep in mind you will need to make sure that you have a skid plate on your bike, and will need to make sure that the skid plate hangs down far enough to clear the valve. I put a block of wood between the skid and the engine on my wife's rig to make sure that the skid plate wasn't pushed up in a hole where the valve could catch on something.

I used blue loctite and screwed it up in the hole and let it sit for a day before I filled with oil. If you don't have any threads left at all this won't work for you. You have to have SOME material for the fumoto valve to hold onto while the loctite sets.

Not enough material there to do a helicoil. Crankcase area is very thin there on a 420.

Crappy design for sure.

I have NO CLUE if this might be possible on the 420 drain plug, but just want to say what I do on stripped drain plugs on the race bikes I wrench on and it works !

Many times I do not have the material to remove to do a helicoil, I just tap to SAE fine thread do not even need to drill the aluminum just carefully run the tap in cut down an SAE bolt if needed and make My own copper crush washer or use a fiber washer !

Just a thought!

 

[LedFTed]

i have to ask a question, just for the sake of it. why cant ya weld a fine thread nut to the bottom, an just make the drain different? is the metal to thin to weld?

 

[shadetree]

i have to ask a question, just for the sake of it. why cant ya weld a fine thread nut to the bottom, an just make the drain different? is the metal to thin to weld?

you could weld a fine thread nut on the bottom of the case, if you know someone that knows what they are doing with aluminum welding ?. it is very then right there. the problem you run into is, how far down will this new drain bolt hang ?, you must have it above the skid plate !!, if you do not ?, you run the risk of whacking it off, catching it on something when driving over a rock or whatever ?. then you will have big problems !..lol.

 

[Jeepwm69]

The problem with the 420 and 500 drain plugs is the case itself is super thin right there, and then there's that part that breaks off up above that supports the top of the drain plug, with a hole in the middle to let the oil drain out.

That's why, if you look at the Fumoto I used, I had to trim it down or it would have left quite a bit of old oil in the bottom of the motor.

Using a Helicoil will do the same thing, as the helicoil will stick up above the floor of the crankcase and not allow quite a bit of old oil to drain out.

That being said, I would not use a fumoto on a bike that sees anything but mud use (I could see a rock catching the fumoto, snapping it off, and bam, new engine) nor would I do it to a machine that I didn't intend to keep around forever. I did this on my wife's rig, she doesn't get too brave on it, we have NO rocks around here, only mud and water, and I made dang sure the skid plate was supported between the bottom of the motor and the skid so that the skid can't bend/ collapse up and rip the valve out.

On the other two 420's I've done, I bought used crankcase halves and replaced them, and I did the same on the extra 350 Rancher motor I went through recently. Of course, when you're tearing a motor down anyway replacing the crankcase half isn't a big deal because you're already tearing it down.

My father-in-law's 2006 Rubicon was stolen sometime this winter. He got it back a week or so ago, been ridden hard, put up wet. I suspect it may have been sunk based on the amount of debris I found and where I found it while cleaning it up, and more-so from the fact that the oil didn't look bad, but the drain plug was stripped out, and I was the last person to change the oil and I KNOW I didn't get torque happy when putting the plug back in.

Luckily on the Rubicons the case is thicker, so I'm going to tap it out oversized to a 14mm x 1.5 and use the factory drain plug from my Accord, which now has a Fumoto on it so the factory drain plug has just been sitting in the glove box. Will have the right 17mm head on it, just 2mm thicker on the shank.

 

[LedFTed]

i have to ask a question, just for the sake of it. why cant ya weld a fine thread nut to the bottom, an just make the drain different? is the metal to thin to weld?

you could weld a fine thread nut on the bottom of the case, if you know someone that knows what they are doing with aluminum welding ?. it is very then right there. the problem you run into is, how far down will this new drain bolt hang ?, you must have it above the skid plate !!, if you do not ?, you run the risk of whacking it off, catching it on something when driving over a rock or whatever ?. then you will have big problems !..lol.

on the 2000, 450es i got an inch above the skid plate. finding someone, that can do aluminum welding, well, a different story.. lol

 

[Art Schneider]

I think i must have ordered the wrong size.

Gonna have to figure out what size the plug I pulled out is.

 

[wheelsquad]

Yikes, yeah looks like prior owner drilled and tapped too a much bigger pipe thread size already.

 

[Art Schneider]

I found a rubber expansion plug at the auto parts store, so I put that in and I’m going to check tomorrow and see if there are any signs of a leak.

 

[shadetree]

I found a rubber expansion plug at the auto parts store, so I put that in and I’m going to check tomorrow and see if there are any signs of a leak.

what happens when a stick or rock rips that rubber plug out ?..hmmm..i would not trust that set-up at all !..lol.

 

[Jeepwm69]

Better make sure your skid plate hangs down much further than that thing, and that the skid is supported so that it can't be pushed up enough to allow that to drag and rip it out.

 

[Hogger]

I just stripped out the drain hole on my 07 Rancher 420, I ordered an over size drain plug repair kit off of the amazon, but from what I’m reading that won’t work, so I was thinking of a rubber expansion plug as well, I’ve seen different types that I dont think will hang down past the skid plate.

 

[Art Schneider]

I just stripped out the drain hole on my 07 Rancher 420, I ordered an over size drain plug repair kit off of the amazon, but from what I’m reading that won’t work, so I was thinking of a rubber expansion plug as well, I’ve seen different types that I dont think will hang down past the skid plate.

I have had this “fix” for about a year and so far, so good. I don’t do much rough riding with it, because of the risk of hitting something just right. And if I were to get it repaired correctly it would probably cost more than the atv is worth. This gets me by and it is still very useable.