Tapered Drain/Sump bolts

[andy120t]

Flicking through Practical Classics Car mag today & found mention in the letters page of tapered drain plugs as a way of solving stripped threads. It didn't give much detail - so a quick look online tells me that these are a form of self-tapping plug / thread slightly larger than the standard and are used to recut a thread when the original has been stripped.

So -anyone heard of these? Used them?....used them on a motorbike...such as a CB650...

..as the pool of oil on the shed floor and my sump plug giving little resistance seems to indicate that I have a problem! 

[hairygit]

Seen one used a few years ago, it just cracked the sump pan forcing the owner to find a good replacement Far safer to remove the sump and repair it properly with a helicoil or timesert, not expensive even if you can't do it yourself

[matthewmosse]

I have found helicoils often wind themselfs back out when undoing fastners which can be annoying and costly on things you undo reguarly like sump plugs - I've yet to try timserts which I'm told are better in that regard. I think sumps are same on 500 and 550, if that is the case I have a few spares with good threads in the sump plugs.

[ST1100]

I've yet to try timserts which I'm told are better in that regard.

TimeSert are excellent, if there is sufficient 'meat' around the bore... like engine mounts and such.

[andy120t]

Cheers Matt - I think I'll try a helicoil as it'll be the first time so may as well have a go - might take you up on the sump after that!

Any idea what size helicoil kit I need for it? (bike currently buried in the shed & I can't reach the bolt without shifting stuff..)