what would cause drain plug and filter cap screw to leak?? - Ducati.ms

japhar81 · Jul 8th, 2007, 6:37 pm

Ok, another weird gremlin..

Took the 1098 to a track day to learn the bike, find out what upgrades i need, etc. Right before that, had the NESBA minimum requirement wiring job done. Oil filler, oil drain, oil filter, and the inner filter cover (the flat plate at the bottom of the oil pan)..

This was thurs, went to unload the trailer today, and found a little puddle of oil on the floor, maybe 2 tbsp., almost nothing, cant even tell the change in the sight glass.

Looked under the bike, and my freshly drilled oil drain plug and one of the 4 screws holding the metal plate on had oil on them -- clearly the source of the leak both position-wise and because the fairings are spick'n'span on the inside..

Tightening issue perhaps? Stripped thread? (would it matter?)

The holes were drilled horizontally, so I can't imagine the hole punched through -- would that even happen??

Lost_In_Spice · Jul 9th, 2007, 6:05 am

Yeah; stripped thread is usual culprit. On a new bike? Hmmn... maybe plug wasnt tightened to correct torque & high oil-pressures from the track forced a leak? Dunno really; just guessing...

was the leak apparent before the lock-wiring was done?

japhar81 · Jul 9th, 2007, 7:28 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Spice

Yeah; stripped thread is usual culprit. On a new bike? Hmmn... maybe plug wasnt tightened to correct torque & high oil-pressures from the track forced a leak? Dunno really; just guessing...

was the leak apparent before the lock-wiring was done?

Well, its not tightness, so stripped thread is my guess. There was no leak before the wiring was done, so I'm betting either the crush washer is toast or the thing is stripped.

Off to the shop I go tomorrow -- yay

weldingshop · Jul 9th, 2007, 4:04 pm

Who's shop? And did you consider the oil filter area. When I changed the oil, even though i wiped the insidedown well; the residue still trickled later. The first time I lit it up it smoked like somthing was wrong. Everything was right. I use a torque wrench before and after on everything, noting the readings and settings.......anal..........too much time on my hands too.......

Still leaking?

japhar81 · Jul 9th, 2007, 6:30 pm

I did some more digging. Its just the oil drain plug leaking, the oil was traveling down the safety wire and making the other screw appear to be leaking. Ain't capilary action great?

I've got a spare here that I'll be swapping in tonight, and let it sit overnight to test for leak. It oozed overnight, so I'll be able to see in the am if the swap is the fix.

It was battley cycles that did the job, I KNEW I should have taken it to alex at RAM. This shit never happens when he works on my toys.

998Pilot · Jul 9th, 2007, 8:07 pm

The day my warranty ran out was sad and happy for me. I no longer had factory coverage for broken parts, but I also didn't have to let some one tinker around with my bike. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the one who most wants to see the job done right.

Your problem might be as simple as the monkey that changed your oil didn't bother changing the crush washer...but I'll bet they charged you for it. It's good to see you found the leak and it wasn't too serious.

japhar81 · Jul 9th, 2007, 8:26 pm

Youre dead-on, they re-used the washer.

I just put a new plug/washer on, and it's not leaking, but I did find an empty coolant reservour

I'm going to have someone's ass tomorrow morning, I'm ready to go postal.

$300 of oil and labor for track prep, and I'm re-doing it all again in my living room.

Lync · Jul 10th, 2007, 5:20 am

Maybe I'm speaking out of turn here, but I've never found a dealer or shop I could trust.

You can feel alot more confident if you do the work yourself. It seems you can't buy the quality of work you can do on your own. I'm sure you will feel alot better on the track knowing you did the work right.

weldingshop · Jul 10th, 2007, 7:27 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lync

Maybe I'm speaking out of turn here, but I've never found a dealer or shop I could trust.

You can feel alot more confident if you do the work yourself. It seems you can't buy the quality of work you can do on your own. I'm sure you will feel alot better on the track knowing you did the work right.

Right On! If you can afford the toy, chances are your smart enought to figure it out. However, if you finance it, chances are you don't have enough left over for tools and parts.

And the Big Japhar did his own Termi fit; why did you think you needed the Baddley Cycles? Your smarter than that; Bad owner, Bad owner.... now put that bike on the paper.

japhar81 · Jul 10th, 2007, 7:29 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lync

Maybe I'm speaking out of turn here, but I've never found a dealer or shop I could trust.

You can feel alot more confident if you do the work yourself. It seems you can't buy the quality of work you can do on your own. I'm sure you will feel alot better on the track knowing you did the work right.

You're spot-on. The problem is, if I do my own oil change, my warranty is all but voided.

Granted, if a $200 part breaks, they wont argue with me, but if my engine falls out of the bike and they don't have every service on record, forget about it..

Oh, and as a side-update, new crush washer and plug seem to have solved the issue. 12hrs, not a drop of oil.