[Riddlershowtime]

Hello to all. I'm new here on the forum. I Just bought a used 2006 honda fourtrax 350 es. Decided to dump the oil so I removed the drain plug and there was no seal washer on the drain plug. So i finished draining the oil. Then I thought I would put the plug back on. Now the bolt won't tighten I'm worried that I mightve stripped the threads or do I just need to find a seal washer and it will tighten back up. Hopefully someone can point this newbie in the right direction.

 

[alloutdoors]

Hello to all. I'm new here on the forum. I Just bought a used 2006 honda fourtrax 350 es. Decided to dump the oil so I removed the drain plug and there was no seal washer on the drain plug. So i finished draining the oil. Then I thought I would put the plug back on. Now the bolt won't tighten I'm worried that I mightve stripped the threads or do I just need to find a seal washer and it will tighten back up. Hopefully someone can point this newbie in the right direction.

Can you get the bolt out for an inspection? I realize it is too late today, but strongly suggest investing in a torque wrench.

 

[fishfiles]

I doubt very seriously that a crush washer is going to make the threads grab, in fact it would give you an 1/8 less threads to grab ---------the right way to fix it would be to change the case halves which is about as major a job you can get , money wise if you let someone do it for you and time wise if you do it yourself , possibly a heli-coil --------I think I would use 3M-5200 and glue the drain plug in , just be sure to clean the area and threads with some part cleaner before applying

 

[ktriebol]

I doubt very seriously that a crush washer is going to make the threads grab, in fact it would give you an 1/8 less threads to grab ---------the right way to fix it would be to change the case halves which is about as major a job you can get , money wise if you let someone do it for you and time wise if you do it yourself , possibly a heli-coil --------I think I would use 3M-5200 and glue the drain plug in , just be sure to clean the area and threads with some part cleaner before applying

If you are successful in permanently securing the drain plug with glue or other means, then in the future you could change oil thru the dip stick hole with an electric pump made for the purpose, like this:
Excellent 12v Motor Oil Diesel Extractor Scavenge Suction Transfer Change Pump | eBay

 

[Jeepwm69]

You could get some Loctite and put a piggyback style drain plug in there. You'd have to get one a little larger than the stock drain plug, and get all the oil out, put Loctite on the threads, and then screw it in and let it dry before you add oil back to the motor.

Or you could use Loctite and put a Fumoto valve in there. There's a risk there that the valve will come open if you get debris caught on it.

The correct way to do it is to tear the motor down and replace the crankcase half. The first two ways may or may not work.

You could also try an expanding rubber bung as a plug. Again, not the correct way to do it, but could possibly work.

 

[ktriebol]

Here is another idea. You will have to take the motor out of the machine to do this repair, but you don't have to replace or split the cases. Weld an aluminum half coupling to the outside of the case over the drain hole, then put a regular pipe plug in the half coupling. With this repair, nothing is sticking up inside the case (like a helicoil), so you will get all of the oil out when you drain it, just like it was before.

 

[mrbb]

welcome to the site, and the above about covers it,

if your really don't care, I guess you could get a welder to weld a plate over it with a threaded hole over the old OEM one, will make any future motor work a issue, but it will fix things in a round about way!,
you can also TRY maybe going to sat a new plug that is 2 sizes up over OEM threads and drill and tap it again, WON"T be much metal holding things, as they don't leave much extra meat on things from the factory.
as when folks do this, this is a BIG money maker for a honda deal to replace cases!


you can also I guess weld hole closed too and use a suction pump to drain oil in the future, BUt honestly I am NOT a big fan of that method, too much crap stays on the bottom , on a car or?? OK< but an off road vehicle> I am NOT a that sure I would want that!

 

[SamUK]

If the drain plug bites a little bit you could try threadlock, It MAY work but would only be a temporary fix until the next oil change.

 

[mrbb]

I also guess you can JB weld the hole and re drill and tap it too??
NOT the best fix, but possible deal here,
JUST make sure anything going into cases comes out, drill shavings or the likes??
or maybe JB weld a nut to the bottom of the case??

 

[ktriebol]

I also guess you can JB weld the hole and re drill and tap it too??
NOT the best fix, but possible deal here,
JUST make sure anything going into cases comes out, drill shavings or the likes??
or maybe JB weld a nut to the bottom of the case??

I don't much care for the use of JB Weld in an application like this. It doesn't hold all that well, and if it busts apart when you're riding, you lose your oil without knowing about it and your engine is history.

 

[mrbb]

I also guess you can JB weld the hole and re drill and tap it too??
NOT the best fix, but possible deal here,
JUST make sure anything going into cases comes out, drill shavings or the likes??
or maybe JB weld a nut to the bottom of the case??

I don't much care for the use of JB Weld in an application like this. It doesn't hold all that well, and if it busts apart when you're riding, you lose your oil without knowing about it and your engine is history.

I'd agree with you there, NOT a repair I would have a LOT of faith in either, plus, if you HIT something on a nut JB'd to the bottom of the case it can be sheared off

BUT< its just an option I threw out there, and IF it came off, it would for sure give OP a reason to open that motor up and fix right LOL

I have used JB weld for a lot fo things over the yrs I DIDN"T think would hold up, and to be honest , everything has and is still holding, its just one of them, I wouldn;t have a LOT of confidence in, but MIGHT work?

 

[redtherocket]

I know whats going on here...

I dunno if you've ever had a case open on a 350, but the threads are weak due to the design of the case...


There is literally a port cast into the case where the bolt threads in... If the bolt is over tightened over time, it will eventually ruin the threads and damage the thin wall of the port where the bolt threads in...


I'm sorry to tell you but you are SOL...

My 2000 350 did this and I fixed it using a brass fitting with pipe thread... The fitting had a small bolt in it to drain the oil... I had to thread in the fitting, then take note on its orientation so I could make a slit down the threaded part that inserts into the engine... this will allow the oil to drain..

I got it in there fairly flush and put a couple thousand KM on it after the repair... It was that or a new case at the tune of $400 before install..

And I also used a bit of JB weld to keep it secure... It was tight as a bastard to begin with, just a little insurance..

 

[retro]

Isn't the busted off part of the aluminum case still inside there when this oil plug design breaks (as it was designed too!) off? If so, ya gotta split the cases anyway; to get that loose chunk of aluminum out of there, else it may ruin everything else.

 

[redtherocket]

Not necessarily...


I took the front part of the case off on mine and fished it out with a coat hanger..

Its very soft metal..

 

[retro]

Aye redtherocket, thanks for confirming and glad ya could reach it!

 

[Jeepwm69]

Here's what I did with my wife's 420AT.

The fumoto doesn't hang down past the skid plate, and she's been running it this way for a couple of years with no issues.

Honestly still a little worried that the lever could be flipped by debris, but I've got a clamp on the valve, so unless that gets ripped off too it should be ok.

Oil drain plug size - Honda Foreman Forums : Rubicon, Rincon, Rancher and Recon Forum

 

[shadetree]

other than getting the broken piece out ?. you could take it to a welder that welds aluminum, have them weld up the hole to build it up, then drill the hole out, re-tap it, but !!!, this calls for the case half to have on hand. still..if you have to dig the part out, and can't get to it ?, your splitting the cases anyway, sooooo.

 

[retro]

*note to self: Always pull the oil drain plug out of 420s to check for a busted case before handing over cash*

 

[shadetree]

*note to self: Always pull the oil drain plug out of 420s to check for a busted case before handing over cash*

pssssssstttttttttt..same goes for the trx500's !!. this is what happened to both cases I had gone through. what a stupid design for sure !.

 

[Jeepwm69]

Yep, the wife's 09 420AT and the 08 FM 420 I just rebuilt both had busted bungs. I used a Fumoto on the wife's, and we're keeping it. If it doesnt' hold up I'll fix it. So far, couple of years in and it's good to go.

On the 08 I'm going to sell, I replaced the crankcase 1/2. Not going to dump something like that on an unsuspecting buyer, and I had to tear the motor down anyway so wasn't a huge deal (other than the $$$ for the crankcase 1/2!)