Primary drain plug floating I’m around in primary case
https://www.ebay.com/itm/28660179515...Bk9SR7Dt-L32ZQ
I think he meant to say he screwed the drain plug all the way in. Not knowing that the drain plug is a pipe thread plug, and should only be screwed in until slightly snug.
He screwed it in way too far, and the magnet got knocked off of the plug at startup.
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/17660265653...Bk9SR7Dt-L32ZQ
https://www.ebay.com/itm/28660179515...Bk9SR7Dt-L32ZQ
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
Then went and looked for pictures of it.
Now I get it. It's a tapered pipe plug, and the OP managed to run it (or an aftermarket piece) up into the hole, and right on past the sealed point, jamming the magnet into the chain. Got it.
Begs the question of how he did it, and what the repair will/should be. The primary case should have a matching tapered thread, to match up with the plugs taper. Yea, the threads in the aluminum cover can be progressively boogered by repeatedly overtightening the drain plug. That would allow the plug to go too far inside. It's also possible the plug the OP has is not tapered.
Aftermarket doesn't always get it right. Like this one:
So, were it my bike, I'd pull the primary cover in order to get the magnet out and assess any damage (likely nothing critical, but if it's been pulverized, it can hang out around the stator).
Then I would examine the primary cover. First for cracks at the plug hole, and then to see if the plug hole has been oversized, either of which is likely. I probably wouldn't fix the damaged cover, especially if it's cracked. Primary covers are almost a dime a dozen here at swap meets and online. I'd probably simply replace it.
I'd also look at the primary cover and ponder not so much a thread insert (which for pipe threads isn't fun), but for something like gasketed straight plug, an expandable plug, etc. This would only be if the threads and taper were destroyed, not if it was cracked.
But, if I already had a threadsert tool kit, for the cost of some tapered inserts I likely would try to repair it. Or if I wanted to use it as an excuse to buy a threadsert kit, I'd now have one.
Last edited by foxtrapper; Jun 28, 2025 at 07:32 AM.













