I hit 600 miles on my WR250X yesterday and completed my 2nd oil change. I did one without changing the filter at 300 miles as well. I am using Yamalube 10-40. I tried to be very careful to clean all the o-rings and surfaces for the filter, then torque the bolts to the recommended 7ft/lbs. I don't have an actual torque wrench so just had to guess with the socket wrench. This morning I noticed the oil seeping from the cover area. Did I overtighten, or not enough? I don't want to strip anything on a new bike. Any help is appreciated.
Oil filter cover leaking after filter change
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^^ I don't understand what you mean. Did what too?
Anyway, I went ahead and bought a micrometer, which is a small torque wrench that measures inch/lbs. It is perfect for working on a bike. I'm probably overtorqued one of the bolts without it so the cover wasn't sitting plumb to the block. At only 7.2 ft/lbs, it's very easy to misjudge without the right tool.
So I put the bike on its side in the grass, removed the cover and cleaned all the sealing surfaces. When I retorqued the bolts I noticed oil seeping out as the seal got tighter, which almost fooled me as a leak at first. After that bit drained out on a ride the cover area seems to be staying dry and leak free.
So in conclusion, I highly recommend picking up a nice micrometer. There's no way a human hand can feel 7ft/lbs that a $45 tool is meant to. I set mine to 85inch/lbs at first, which is about 7.2ft/lbs and it felt like way too much torque. Setting the tool to 75inch/lbs seems to be just about right for the little 8mm bolts.
Anyway, I went ahead and bought a micrometer, which is a small torque wrench that measures inch/lbs. It is perfect for working on a bike. I'm probably overtorqued one of the bolts without it so the cover wasn't sitting plumb to the block. At only 7.2 ft/lbs, it's very easy to misjudge without the right tool.
So I put the bike on its side in the grass, removed the cover and cleaned all the sealing surfaces. When I retorqued the bolts I noticed oil seeping out as the seal got tighter, which almost fooled me as a leak at first. After that bit drained out on a ride the cover area seems to be staying dry and leak free.
So in conclusion, I highly recommend picking up a nice micrometer. There's no way a human hand can feel 7ft/lbs that a $45 tool is meant to. I set mine to 85inch/lbs at first, which is about 7.2ft/lbs and it felt like way too much torque. Setting the tool to 75inch/lbs seems to be just about right for the little 8mm bolts.
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As a tech i would always recommend replacing the o-rings and drain gaskets. for the extra maybe 6 dollars its good insurance, i see all to often o-rings ripped,cracked,missing and the drain gskts used 5 times to many. its possible the small o-ring fell out or got pinched on the cover
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Good advice. And always make sure the o-ring is properly seated before tightening the cover down. If you pinch the o-ring, it will leak.
Yep, this is what was happening to me. I do admit that I most likely over torqued the bolts the first time. I'm just glad that I paid attention, being the first change, and was cautious about it. Now that I have the right tool, I don't have to worry as much.
Thanks for the advice, MX. I don't like o-rings either, but being brand new I can get a feel for how the motor wears on things. After 600 miles they are still fresh. Drain washers get replaced every other change. I don't have any leaks after retorquing everything. I even rode with the torque wrench and sockets for the first time, just in case. :thumbup:
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7 ft. lbs. is not much at all.
but the bike shouldnt be leaking if the bolts were only slightly over-tourqued. i would have to say that mil has the right idea with the residual oil being compressed out from the cover
but the bike shouldnt be leaking if the bolts were only slightly over-tourqued. i would have to say that mil has the right idea with the residual oil being compressed out from the cover
Yep, that's what was most likely happening, but I didn't know having never worked on a bike before. I'm just glad I didn't strip anything with the socket wrench, because I do know to be careful with AL hardware. Now that I have the proper tool I can properly torque those little buggers all over the bike.
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716 Posts
It may be a micro-torque wrench but its not a micrometer, micrometers are used for measuring distance.
Why buy the tool if your gonna decide that the proper torque "felt like way too much" and just use what "seems" right anyway???
If 85in/lbs felt too much its likely that that setting is near or at the max of your wrench and its locking out. Meaning it not accurate at that extreme of the range(or it could just be innaccurate period. Theres a good thread on here about torque devices, you may wanna get rid of your "micrometer adjustment style" or "click" type torque wrench and get a nice beam style instead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micrometer_(device)
Not every word has only one meaning. Please don't treat others like they are ignorant for your own satisfaction. I may be inexperienced working on motorcycles, but have been working on automobiles and various other mechanics for a decade now. Knowing that tools are not 100% accurate, I used my judgement to adjust how much torque I was using, which is not at either capacity of my micrometer. It has a range of 20-200 inch/pounds.
Not every word has only one meaning. Please don't treat others like they are ignorant for your own satisfaction. I may be inexperienced working on motorcycles, but have been working on automobiles and various other mechanics for a decade now. Knowing that tools are not 100% accurate, I used my judgement to adjust how much torque I was using, which is not at either capacity of my micrometer. It has a range of 20-200 inch/pounds.
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Please dont judge me based on potentially the only post of mine youve ever read and assume that I "treat others like they are ignorant for my own satisfaction" My post was 100% meant to be informative and in no way degrading or simply for my own amusement.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micrometer_(device)
Not every word has only one meaning. Please don't treat others like they are ignorant for your own satisfaction. I may be inexperienced working on motorcycles, but have been working on automobiles and various other mechanics for a decade now. Knowing that tools are not 100% accurate, I used my judgement to adjust how much torque I was using, which is not at either capacity of my micrometer. It has a range of 20-200 inch/pounds.
There are a myriad of special and unique tools for servicing internal combustion engines motorcycles and automobiles, keeping their names straight makes it easier for others to follow along with the story you are telling. The message board is not the most efficient form of communication and its best if we try to say exactly what we mean so as not to confuse others.
I was unaware that Wikipedia was now considered an acceptable reference. That not withstanding, your own post points out the error in calling a torque wrench a micrometer, the wikipedia article makes no mention of
a micrometer being a torque measuring or application device.
Thanks for clarifying. I didn't mean to be insulting either, but so many people get mean in forum land. Anyway, the wiki article does mention that micrometers can have a torque repeatability device as well. It's a little farther down the page. I don't know if wiki is "acceptable", but it is some type of reference, and I didn't happen to have my Oxford English Dictionary handy. I just googled "micrometer", which is also a unit of measure- one millionth of a meter, or metre. Depending on your locale.
No flame wars intended. I am just calling it what it says on the case it came in. Maybe they called it that since it measures smaller increments than a regular torque wrench. A looser definition could be: a small-scale version of said measuring device. That better?
Depending on your locale. No flame wars intended. I am just calling it what it says on the case it came in. Maybe they called it that since it measures smaller increments than a regular torque wrench. A looser definition could be: a small-scale version of said measuring device. That better?
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Thanks for clarifying. I didn't mean to be insulting either, but so many people get mean in forum land. Anyway, the wiki article does mention that micrometers can have a torque repeatability device as well. It's a little farther down the page. I don't know if wiki is "acceptable", but it is some type of reference, and I didn't happen to have my Oxford English Dictionary handy. I just googled "micrometer", which is also a unit of measure- one millionth of a meter, or metre.
No flame wars intended. I am just calling it what it says on the case it came in. Maybe they called it that since it measures smaller increments than a regular torque wrench. A looser definition could be: a small-scale version of said measuring device. That better?
[
]The Wiki article article makes no reference of micrometers being torque wrenches, the torque repeatability device they speak of is a funcion of the micrometer itself, its the part on the micrometer that allows consistently repeatable measuring by limiting the amount of force you can apply to the thimble screw of the mic, if you twist a mic too hard you can get faulty reading at best or at worst damage the mic and your work. I am sure that the case of your tool was labeled as you state, its a common error in naming, however your torque wrench is a click type with micrometer style adjustment, because you twist the handle and set the torque based on the numbers that line up on the handle and body of wrench. just like how you read a micrometer. [/]Anywho......... I saw a guy on a white '08 DRZ400SM at the movies tonight in Mays Landing.....tried to wheelie, didnt. Bike appeared stock. Way to be a tool, guy on the white SM, attempt a wheelie in the crosswalk of a movie theatre as families with small children(who LOVE motorcycles) are leaving from watching WALL-E
you guys may want to be careful with torque wrenches. in the repair manual the specified torque rating is "dry torque". when there's oil on the drain bolt and filter the "wet torque" needs to be a little less to compensate for the extra lubrication. i've heard too many horror stories with people cracking their oil pan because of it.
Same thing happened to me with the oil filter cover. It was definitely just the film of excess oil squeezing out. It was still a little disturbing. Have any of you guys done the oil pressure check per the instructions in the user manual? Being a "by-the-book" type, I did it. Word of advice: tuck a towel up under the bleed bolt and get ready to cut the bike off very quickly. I had a veritable geyser of oil spewing out of that beast! It took half an hour to clean the excess oil off of the crankcase! Also, good luck fitting a torque wrench in their to tighten that bleed bolt back down to 7.2 lb-ft.
Anyone else have any fun stories?
Anyone else have any fun stories?
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