Hi all, new member here. I was changing the oil on my 2012 Ultra Limited and when I took the bolt out, out came an insert someone put in previously.
My question is if anybody knows what size of Timesert to buy? I don’t know how to measure for the correct size.
Al

 

No one can answer you that as no one knows what insert you had in there.

 

Oh I see, I think it must have been a helicoil but I am not completely sure.

 

Gotta measure the hole.

We know your oil plug drain hole started life as 1/2"x20 threaded hole, for the OEM 1/2"x20 Drain Plug..... but since it's been stripped, and we don't know exactly how it was "fixed", we can't even offer an educated guess at this point what you should do next.

If you have a thread gauge, or your local hardware store has one, it would be good to measure the thread sizes on the insert you pulled out..

It would also help if you post a pic of the insert you pulled out, next to a ruler or metal tape measure, so the size can be seen.

If needed, you can get electronic calipers as cheap as $10 at Harbor Freight or on Amazon....

There are many on this forum willing to help, but we are not there.

We cannot see, feel, hear, or smell anything you are dealing with.

We rely solely on the information you give us, to try to help you out..

 

Got it I appreciate the effort, the problem is that the insert, whatever it was it came out in pieces, in a form of very thin wire, the plug itself is the original from factory, so you see that’s all I got.
I got the oil tank out in preparation to drill for some kind of insert. Ill measure the hole with the caliper tomorrow.
Al

 

Is the drain plug the OEM one? If you measure it can you then see what insert would be used.

Can you measure the hole in the casing to perhaps get an idea of the size of the insert that was installed?

 

Sounds like it may have been a Helicoil.
Might be able use another and apply some red loctite to the insert.

Have to pay attention to the chamfer for the o-ring.

 

Being it has a removable oil pan, If I planned on keeping the bike, I would replace the pan.

That OEM expensive designed MS fitting uses an o-ring that goes into the chamfer. That way the steel washer face of the plug goes metal to metal without a gasket ring. It torques and does vibrate loose.

Heli-coils most of the time and inserts need a face gasket.

Doing it like that is like plugging a bike tire. That type of shortcut fix works for most, but a failure can get you worst then dead if that plug vibrates out at speed in a curve.

I know... I'll save you the effort.

 

Myself I would think about replacing pan so you don't ho through this again.

You good Google Harley oil plug repair kits and they might have some things you could match to use, since it is still stock plug.

 

It sounds like what you are seeing in a "very thin wire" is likely the factory threads. A helicoil wouldn't come out in pieces, but aluminum threads sure will.