When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Working on my friends 45 and he has question he ask me to post.
The inspection plug on the left side of his motor became stripped, he’s not sure how it happened!!!
Anywho he has asked is there any good way of repairing it without taking the motor apart????
I mention a wine cork but I also ate lead paint chips as a kid.😳
There is an article in this month Classic Easyriders that talks about you issue. They discuss re-tapping in a built motor and welding if the cases are split. Give it a read.
They discuss over size tapping with lots of grease and patience to limit the amount of shavings that enter the motor. Sounds a little sketchy, but sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do. Good luck.
I see that 45 restoration company has a 11/16 tap with a new chrome plug, to fix stripped out plug hole.
Has anyone out there done this is ? And if so did it work out?
Im kind of concerned about alum shaving being pushed inside of the motor.
Scottie p
Last edited by Scottie p; Aug 8, 2022 at 03:14 PM.
The BEST solution is to tear it down and weld it like johnzzzz mentioned.
As Architect mentioned above, you can tap the new threads using a larger tap with lots of grease on it.
The grease is supposed to catch the metal chips and keep them from falling into the crankcase.
This technique works pretty well for tapping new spark plug threads on a flat 6 Porsche 911 engine,
In that case, the cylinders are horizontal and you can vacuum the bulk of the chips out.
Does it work well for a WL? I'm guessing 50/50 chance.
Are the threads THAT bad?
Could you use the normal size tap with grease on it to clean up what threads you have?
LESS chips to worry about. You could also use pipe thread tape to tighten the connection.
I would say there’s about 20%threads left.
I did try wrapping it with pipe thread tape but it works so so ! with little effort it still will turn, and the way these old boy vibrate its something I don’t want to fall out.
I guess I know what the answer is being a perfectionist!!! Take it apart and weld and tap … you only cry once
Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Stripped inspection plug
