Which oil drain plug?

[rktman1]

I believe this has been discussed before but I can't locate the thread.

 

My 2003 LeMans looks like it has two oil drain plugs and the owner's manual picture is ambiguous. The smaller one (17 mm) is slightly lower and closer to the center while the larger plug (?? mm) is slightly higher and to the outside but they are both very close togther.

 

So, which one is the real drain plug?

 

Tim

[antonio carroccio]

Try one of both. If you get the wrong one, it's not important, the function of the wrong one is stopper.

So in the future you will know it and you will make some confidence with your V11

[callison]

FWIW, it's the center one. With luck, it will also have a magnet to catch errant ferrous stuff. The plug is left over from the earlier Sport design that had two spine drain lines down to the sump. In 1999, MG decided to only use on spine drain line, hence the blank plug.

[rktman1]

Thanks.

 

I would have guessed the center one (smaller 17 mm plug) only because it is slightly lower than the larger plug. I just don't want to loosen/re-tighten a plug if I don't have to - with my luck it will surely start leaking then...

 

Tim

[dlaing]

If you are going to drop the pan, it does not matter which plug you open, as you can dump out the extra oil.

Likewise if you drop the pan you don't have to warm the engine as all the oil reached the bottom already.

[rktman1]

OK. Another easy question...

 

What is the torque value for the 17 mm drain plug? I just finished looking thru the owner's manual and searching this forum and could not find the value. I'm guessing its around 25-30 lb-ft but I really don't like to guess...

 

Tim

[callison]

I've always just snugged it up by feel. Never stripped one. The aluminum washer isn't good for more than about five years of it though, cheapskate that I am.

[dlaing]

OK.  Another easy question...

 

What is the torque value for the 17 mm drain plug?  I just finished looking thru the owner's manual and searching this forum and could not find the value.  I'm guessing its around 25-30 lb-ft but I really don't like to guess...

 

Tim

42044[/snapback]

I wish I knew...First time I personally did an oil change, I found it was stripped. So it probably strips pretty easilly.

I think buying a stock of aluminum crush washers is a great idea.

The OE washer has a rubber gasket that does not seal that well after a few oil changes.

Perhaps the OE washer is fine if you replace it every other time, but I'll bet the crush washers are a lot cheaper and they give great feedback when you tighten down with the wrench.

[rktman1]

When I was younger I had a real bad habit of stripping bolts. This used to drive my father crazy. (He was a machinist.) I'm better now that I'm older but I still like to rely on my two torque wrenches (bar and click).

 

Damn, almost every M/C owner's manual I've ever owned had the torque value for the oil drain plug. Why can't Guzzi do that?

[dlaing]

I looked around the internet and found numbers for NON-Guzzi 17mm drain plugs ranging from 18-40NM

I would guess 15-25 NM would be about right.....but I am just guessing.

A guy on WebbikeWorld said that his Triumph started to feel like it was stripping at 38NM.

I would start low, go for a ride but keep an eye open for leaking, and make sure the torque is the same after the bike cools from the ride, as it was when you torqued it.

How old your washer is effects what your torque should be, but ofcourse you will only use a new washer, right?

Also be sure to clean crud out of the threads as this can give a false torque reading.

You probably already knew that...

[antonio carroccio]

Too many work-out at the gymschool. Try to listen to Carl. Feeling man....feeling.