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(10-23-2014, 12:12 PM)Deanohh_imp Wrote: Ok, I'll be the one to pit it out there this time....why wait another 4-5 pages for someone to do it.
A friend of mine put 150000 miles on his wing with no washer at all and never had a problem.
YMMV
I'd say thats certainly possible. Not sure there is a lot of pressure on a drain plug. You could probably put a rubber plug in there and it wouldn't leak. You'd be amazed at the cheap plastic slotted cap they use to keep oil in my John Deer riding mower.
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(10-23-2014, 12:23 PM)The ferret_imp Wrote: (10-23-2014, 12:12 PM)Deanohh_imp Wrote: Ok, I'll be the one to pit it out there this time....why wait another 4-5 pages for someone to do it.
A friend of mine put 150000 miles on his wing with no washer at all and never had a problem.
YMMV
I'd say thats certainly possible. Not sure there is a lot of pressure on a drain plug. You could probably put a rubber plug in there and it wouldn't leak. You'd be amazed at the cheap plastic slotted cap they use to keep oil in my John Deer riding mower.
I'd say thats certainly possible. Not sure there is a lot of pressure on a drain plug. You could probably put a rubber plug in there and it wouldn't leak. You'd be amazed at the cheap plastic slotted cap they use to keep oil in my John Deer riding mower.
I made it up. I never have known anyone with a Wing or know anything about their drain plugs.
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90% of the time I reuse the washer many times and have never had a leak on several different bikes. YMMV.
But you can't go wrong by fitting a new one each time.
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I think one of the benefits of a crush washer in addition to compressing slightly to provide a seal, is that it prevents any over tightening from stressing and stripping the threads of the drain hole. Once it "loses" it's ability to compress down it makes it more likely that a little extra torque now and then will eventually lead to stripped threads and an expensive fix.
That education was provided to me many moons ago courtesy of a service department that was replacing the oil pan on my car after my regular oil change shop, after a number of oil changes and a reused-overly crushed-crush washer, stripped the drain hole threads. And it never leaked - the threads just simply gave out as the drain plug was removed on the last oil change.
With all the debate about oils and filters, why risk the whole process over a .30 piece of aluminum?
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(10-23-2014, 10:28 PM)Short Timer_imp Wrote: I think one of the benefits of a crush washer in addition to compressing slightly to provide a seal, is that it prevents any over tightening from stressing and stripping the threads of the drain hole. Once it "loses" it's ability to compress down it makes it more likely that a little extra torque now and then will eventually lead to stripped threads and an expensive fix.
That education was provided to me many moons ago courtesy of a service department that was replacing the oil pan on my car after my regular oil change shop, after a number of oil changes and a reused-overly crushed-crush washer, stripped the drain hole threads. And it never leaked - the threads just simply gave out as the drain plug was removed on the last oil change.
With all the debate about oils and filters, why risk the whole process over a .30 piece of aluminum?
Well, the good thing is that the oil filter boss can be had for $5.47. It isn't hard to remove and replace.
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(10-23-2014, 10:28 PM)Short Timer_imp Wrote: I think one of the benefits of a crush washer in addition to compressing slightly to provide a seal, is that it prevents any over tightening from stressing and stripping the threads of the drain hole. Once it "loses" it's ability to compress down it makes it more likely that a little extra torque now and then will eventually lead to stripped threads and an expensive fix.
That education was provided to me many moons ago courtesy of a service department that was replacing the oil pan on my car after my regular oil change shop, after a number of oil changes and a reused-overly crushed-crush washer, stripped the drain hole threads. And it never leaked - the threads just simply gave out as the drain plug was removed on the last oil change.
With all the debate about oils and filters, why risk the whole process over a .30 piece of aluminum?
Why? Because by your own story you related there is no risk of a leak! And no one really thinks about the possibility of ruining the threads.
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At least the CB just has 1. Now I've got 4 washers and 1 o-ring each time.
BMW=Bikes made weird
I love changing oil........
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I never replace them on my bikes or on my cars, and I never get any leaks.
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I just use Dollar General oil and a tampon to seal the case.
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(10-24-2014, 12:15 AM)Ack-CB11_imp Wrote: At least the CB just has 1. Now I've got 4 washers and 1 o-ring each time.
BMW=Bikes made weird
I love changing oil........
Hey Ack, I don't know if you've seen it, but off the Cycle World website there's a link to a BMW Scrambler someone made from a R100.