Harley Drain Plug Installation
Mike RoenDescription
Harley drain plug installation is not difficult but things can quickly become difficult if a drain plug is installed incorrectly. If a drain plug is not installed straight or is installed dirty, the plug’s threaded allocation in the case can become permanently damaged. The most common way oil cases become damaged is from Harley drain plug over tightening.
If the engine oil or transmission oil drain plug allocation becomes stripped on a touring model, the entire oil pan may need to be replaced. This holds true for, both, Twin Cams and M8 Touring models. If the primary drain plug allocation becomes stripped, the inner primary case may need replacement.
Sometimes, an oversized Harley drain plug can be used to repair a case. However, if an oversized drain plug is to be attempted, we strongly suggest removing the damaged case from the motorcycle. If “fitting” the oversize plug with the case still installed, you will run the risk of aluminum debris entering the oil compartment and, later, contaminating the oil.
That being said; Harley drain plug installation or oil change in general, should only be considered an easy service point by an individual if it has been completed many times, with a perfect end result.
It is of utmost importance to remove the engine oil and transmission oil fill plugs along with the primary derby cover; either before draining the oils or before the drain plugs are reinstalled.
This will help to avoid confusion as to whether or not the oil has been replenished before attempting to start the motorcycle.
Remember to replace the drain plug o-ring every time the drain plug is removed. The o-ring can give a false sense of feel when tightening. It can be confusing trying to determine if the drain plug is tightened enough. This is where it is easy to get into trouble and over tighten a drain plug and this is why it is so important that a torque wrench is used when tightening your drain plugs. Tighten your drain plugs 14 to 21 foot pounds.
All right. Before we get back to the checklist, we got to put these three drain plugs back in. I've gotten new O-rings on them it sounds pretty straightforward. But let me tell you, I have a lot of people that do a lot of damage, their motorcycle put in drain plugs in for some reason. Now, typically what happens is they strip the drain plug out.
And if you strip out the drain plug in the oil pan, you're gonna need to buy a new oil pan. You strip it out on the inner primary, you're gonna need to do to buy a new inner primary. It gets real expensive, so I tell you what, you probably wanna do, get yourself a nice three inch ratchet and snug them in with that, and then we're gonna torque them to spec. Now, before I put them in, I'm gonna go ahead and take the Derby cover off. Cause I want to make sure that I know there's no oil in it.
And having that Derby cover off, it's gonna remind me there's no oil in it. Same thing with the transmission, we're gonna take the dipstick out of that as well, cause you don't wanna get distracted. And all of a sudden think he got motor oil or tranny oil or primary oil in your bike, and you really don't. Either that, or you're gonna have to write yourself a note and tape it on the motorcycle. It kind of happens more often than you would think.
Okay, with that out of the way, now we know we got to put primary oil in, I'll go over here, take the transmission dipstick out. There it is, tranny oil, the dipsticks loose for the oil. Here's something else you're gonna wanna order up to three eights wobble. It's really the only way to get the transmission dipstick, works good order one up, have it on hand. Okay.
Let's go ahead and start by putting the motor oil drain plug in, which is on the front of the oil pan. Just get that started, and I'm just gonna snug it up for now. Now depending on your torque wrench, you got your manual specs 14 to 21. I wouldn't really recommend torquing the thing to max spec cause in the lifetime of your motorcycle, you're gonna be changing oil a lot and you really don't wanna stress out those threads, they're aluminum. So we're gonna kind of find a happy medium in between that foot pound range.
And you're gonna wanna make sure your torque wrench has the capabilities of going down that low. Otherwise you're probably gonna be stripping your drain plug out and you'll be buying a new oil pan. And it's not that easy to put in either. There we go. One in two to go next up tranny drain plug.
Same thing. Obviously you wanna run, be able to run it in with your fingers cause you don't wanna get across red or force it in. These drain plugs the threads gotta last the lifetime of the motorcycle. Snug it up with your three inch ratchet torque wrench, two down one to go. Primary.
Go ahead and kind of clean up any residual, cause you don't wanna fool yourself into thinking you gotta oil leak. All right, let's go ahead and put some fluids in the sink.
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