• You're one step from joining Sportster Forum – Custom Mods, Performance Parts & Riding Tips.
    Create a free account to post, follow threads, and never miss an update.  Sign up free →

stripped bolt

mrbreakit

Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2025
Messages
8
I was doing a maintenance on the transmission and while removing the drain bolt I found that I was stripped. Don't get me wrong, I'm clumsy, but I'm dead sure this one is not on me. So, should I consider just the bolt as a vistim of someone getting carried away with the shop air gun, or I'll need to figure things out with the transmission housing?
 
Take your motorcycle to a dependable repair shop and have them handle the repairs. It's likely that the work will take around 30 to 50 minutes. Make sure they're thorough and do a quality job on it
 
The bolt might have been over-tightened with the air gun, which can strip threads, if the threads are damaged, you might need a repair kit or helicoil to fix it
 
@mrbreakit yeah, taking it to a shop is a safe bet, but you can definitely figure this out yourself first. It's a very common problem, and it might not be as bad as you think.
you need to carefully clean the area around the drain plug and inspect the threads in the transmission housing. If you see metal shavings on the bolt, you can be pretty sure the housing threads are also damaged. If the threads in the housing look okay but the bolt is chewed up, you're in luck (y)

and if only the bolt is stripped, just get a new drain plug and a fresh crush washer. Do not reuse the old bolt!
When you install the new one, be gentle. You can hand start the bolt to make sure it's not cross threaded, and then use a torque wrench to tighten it to the factory spec
 
Back
Top