Sorry this is so long.

After searching I found many such threads. Here's my story. Thought I'd save a few $$ and learn about my bike by doing regular maintenance. I have the Harley Service Manual for my '06 FLSTCI. Learned how to change the oil & filter, changed primary fluid & adjusted primary chain tension and belt. I have the appropriate torque wrenches. Careful not to over tighten. So far, so good. Fun workin' on your own bike. When I came to the transmission fluid plug it was another story. The 1/4" allen wrench fitting in the middle of the plug stripped. This sucker was on tight. Put a 5/8" socket on the plug and pulled HARD. The bolt moved with a "pop" sound and seemed to loosen normally. It's only supposed to be 14-21 foot pounds with a warning Not to Over-tighten. As the bolt was coming out it became harder to turn the wrench. I switched directions and it went easier, but became harder again as I backed it out. I went ahead and backed it out and yep... found aluminum between the threads on the steel bolt. Since this is the first time I'VE done the transmission fluid and I've never heard of stripping a bolt while removing it (I suppose it's possible), I think it was over tightened at the dealership which stripped the threads. Now, when I try to re-install the bolt, it aligns with the bottom threads fine, then becomes harder the further it goes in, and actually ***** to the side. I don't want to force it any further. I suspect the threads have separated or shifted because of the over tightening, and the threads in the bottom of the hole are different from the threads in the top.

I have a call in to my dealer mechanic see what he would offer in the way of advice. Not really expecting any recourse like a free fix though a case could be made.

After scouring the forum I've found several Fixes:
1. various kinds of self-tapping oversize diameter drain plugs from an auto parts store (cheap and apparently effective for many on the forum; have to be careful not to re-strip the threads and someone said you can't use o-rings now but you should use thread sealer. A piggy back version of this plug comes with a smaller bolt in the center of the plug so once the main plug is installed you don't have to constantly stress the aluminum threads of the tranny. This includes an o-ring on the smaller bolt but some have used a 10mm brake washer (rubber and steel) with better success because it doesn't squish and squirm out of place.

2. Heli-coil. A local Harley shop will install this for over $100 depending on how long it took. If I went this route I would install it myself using a kit around $30. These are readily available at auto parts stores. Requires drilling out existing threads, cutting new ones, installing the heli-coil and reinstalling original bolt (a plus). The original bolt has the 1/4" allen center which is an excellent way to "feel" the plug threads "start" so it doesn't get cross threaded again. A long allen key works best because of the location of the Softail shocks. Most of the plugs in auto stores that I have found don't have an allen fitting, and some don't have the magnet that the original plug has for capturing bits of metal.

3. Time-Sert. This is the solution I really want to go with but it's pricy. It installs similarly to a heli-coil but becomes a "permanent" solution, lining the aluminum hole with steel threads pressed firmly into place. Heli coils work for many but some have had them work their way out or leak. I've not found bad press on the Time-Sert except the price. For the 1/2-20 thread kit it's about $100 (some other sizes are cheaper on eBay), plus I probably need to get a bigger threader driver handle and maybe one of Time-Sert's optional guides for another $13 to make sure the threading goes in straight. Seems like a lot of $$$. And yes, this can be done without removing the transmission (there is no removable transmission fluid pan on my '06 FLSTCI), using grease to trap small shavings and then flushing with some tranny oil. Some have used shop vacs in addition.

So I've called my friends and the shops. Waiting to hear back from my main dealer mechanic and another mechanic friend. In the meantime, I'm trying to think of every angle. I like the cheap and dirty fix of the self-tapping plug. If I'm the one doing my own work from here on out, I know how to be careful with it. But the threads could get stripped again. Really, since I'm the one doing my own work, I'd like a top rate solution and use Time-sert and the original plug so I don't have to worry about it every time I change the fluids. It's winter so I have the time to do the repair. Maybe I'll post a "wanted" in the classifieds to buy someone's used Time-sert tool.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

An old rule of thumb to always remember and one I really try to remember and to live by. "You get what you pay for". Buy or go cheap, get cheap. I have never had this problem but boy, this would seem like a biker's night mere. I don't know if this is the right way of thinking or not or if they would even cover it, their work, should something go wrong while your driving down the road but if the Stealership installed it would they then not be liable if something went wrong in the future? I don't know, I'm just sayin and thinkin!!! If they DID stand behind it I think the extra few bucks would be well worth it, to me. Did you ask if anyone would stand behind the more permanent fix, your INDY or the Stealership's? Good luck Dude and let us know how this plays out and which way you go. I know this thread just got my attention, BIG TIME! I don't want ANY stripped fluid holes. My next day off I am going out to buy a torque wrench! and to use extreme caution when changing out my fluids.

 

Good point. I'll ask before I pull the trigger on a solution. My guess is, though, I will get something like, "Well, we've have good success with (heli-coil etc.) but there really is no guarantee in every situation."

My regular Harley mechanic called back. He's in charge of the service department too. He said he'd take personal care of my bike but he has no idea how much time it would take. He said he's fixed the problem on many Harleys through the years (hmmmm) and he's treated them differently depending on what he finds. He starts with attempting to retap/clean the threads and use the existing plug. Then possibly a different kind of plug. His concern with helicoil or Time-sert is measuring the transmission casing thickness and finding the right depth insert for the job so that it doesn't interfere with the inner workings. (Right. But shouldn't I be able to just order one the depth of the threaded portion of my plug?) So, he indicated it might be from 1-3 hours labor. Not sure I want to do that if it means a different type plug that is still relying on the aluminum casing threads.

I'll call around a few more shops to see if I can find one that is experienced in Time-Sert installation.

 

My trans plug was cross threaded when I got it. Noticed a drip on the floor. So far, I've been lucky as I was able to get it restarted correctly and have not had a problem since. Knock on wood. Using an Allen wrench to restart the plug is the only way to go as far as I'm concerned. You might want to call a couple smaller machine shops in your area to see if they might help you the Time-Sert idea. Most will have some on hand along with everything needed to do the job. Being in that business myself, I know most shops won't mind helping if approached properly. Just a thought. Good luck.

 

If it were me, I would do as the mechanic suggested and first try to clean up the existing threads. After that, I would probably go with the oversize plug and live with the thread sealer. My reasoning is not because it is cheap, but because you are not introducing another component to fail such as a heliocoil or other type of insert. Good luck with your fix however you go.

 

Thanks for the opinions guys.

Perhaps I'll try a thread chaser first to see if I can salvage the threads.

As I've called around, shops (Harley & Metric) seem to use the heli-coils as far as inserts go. No big surprise because they've been around longer, proven reliable and are cheaper too. So I'm really thinking about going that direction. Regarding leaks, someone said it's the O-ring, not the threads that creates the seal so it shouldn't matter that the coil is not solid.

I think I can do the work myself. The service manual says I need a $60 Snap-on adapter SRES24 (4" crowfoot extension) to remove and correctly torque the shock bolts however. Didn't see that one coming. Some have added a Time-Sert without removing the shocks 'cuz it's a straight shot if you can get under it, and not everyone who has removed the shocks has used the special tool or a torque wrench to reinstall:

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...il-shocks.html

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...eder-422s.html

 

Here are some pics of the underside of my bike.

You can clearly see the damaged threads in this pic:


You can also see how close the gears are to the oil drain hole, making it very important to use the right solution to fixing it. The drain plug itself is 1/2" long on the threaded portion with a tiny magnet that protrudes about an additional 1/16". The Time-Sert insert is .400 long. If that means 4/10" that would be about perfect... at least not too long. The shortest heli coil I can find is 3/4" long. (The local HD shop says this is their repair method of choice, but the long-time service manager also said she has never seen a softail with a stripped transmission drain hole..... Really?) Time-Serts are looking better all the time to me.

Here's a pic of where the drain hole is actually located under the bike... It's centered between the shocks.



Here are the shock bolts nearest the back wheel, which the service manual says I need a special tool for (4" crowfoot adapter for torque wrench). I'm guessing this is because a torque wrench with a socket attached won't fit up there. There does seem to be plenty of room for a box wrench if you are willing to ballpark the torque when reinstalling.



Here's a pic of the front bolts of the shocks. The adjustment lock nuts sit right on top of the shock cannisters while the shock mounting nuts sit on top of the frame cross member.

 

If it were me I'd tap that out to the next size hole and go with that.

 

That's how I installed my progressive 422s. A box wrench and a small sledge. I paid attention to how many raps and how hard it took to get them off, and tried to repeat when I put them back on. I don't think they're going anywhere and have had no issues after about 8 months.

 

Thanks spydyr. Sounds like a plan.