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Well, after avoiding doing my own oil changes on the Falco for a couple of years for fear of overtightening the sump plug, I've finally got round to doing it.

Got myself a torque wrench to be safe.

First, loosening, turn of the wrench

nasty noise

put bolt down on strategically placed kitchen roll

notice strange silver residue and threads

Drain oil (both plugs)

Re-insert bottom bolt and turn to correct torque

Except, no torque, no resistance, in short, no fucking thread

Only thing I can imagine is that when it was last (1st) serviced, they must have overtightened to the point where it was stripped down to a fine grain but not far enough to drop back out again.

So, good news is, it didn't vibrate out at 140mph on the Autobahn

Bad news is, need to re-tap the hole

So, apart from generally sharing the misery, does anyone know what size bolt/thread Aprilia go with for the lower oil drain plug?

No idea about the size, but when you do find out, tap the thread out and put an appropriately sized Helicoil in, that should stop it happening again.

Hi Nooj

First time I've ever seen this, looks cool. Do you know if you can use the insert without the tool? I know that sounds dirty but hey...

Nope, you'll need the tool as well. Once you've done it you could always sell it on. Probably to another Aprilia owner

I did the same a while back and got it helicoiled back in. A while later managed to do the same with the helicoil

Took it to my local engineering shop and they tapped in a copper insert instead.

Not changed the oil since then so fingers crossed.

So, might be easier to just re-tap the thread, bung half a tube of ThreadLock in with it and make sure I take to the garage next time then?

Prolly not, you'll get a loose fit.

I've always heard good reports about Helicoil. I just think that mechanic that did mine did it badly. I have my suspicions that the 1st time I stripped it it had been tightened to the point of stripping at the service. The same as you it seemed to strip as I took it out, not putting it in.

Granted the second time it was all my own doing, but I didn't have the washer on the bolt and I think it was this that caused it to pull the helicoil out.

Go with the Helicoil, if it doesn't work you can still make it good again, I did.

Hi Kenif I'm pretty sure the standard flange bolt is a M8x16, should be enough meat to go up one size and drill and re tap the oil tank to suit without a helicoil but the choice is yours mate.

if the helicoil's done properly you wont have another problem.

OK, have re-tapped up to M10 but it still doesn't feel right. Two choices:

Helicoil

Replace Oil tank

Advantage to choice 2, less chance of bunging another £50 down the drain as I mange to bugger up the Helicoil

So, before I go coil shopping, does anyone have a spare oil tank??

Just in case anyone's still awake, found an engineering place to fit a Time-Sert (harder version of helicoil apparently) for £20.


Then, just to make sure it never happens again, I managed to find a complete set (M5, M6, M8, M10) of brand new Recoil insertion tools on Ebay for £50!

In case anyone lives in this region, Allbike Engineering in Greenwich were the chaps who dug me out of the badly stripped hole They also do shock/fork servicing/rebuilds

http://www.allbikeengineering.co.uk/

Glad you got sorted.

If that's a recommendation it might be worth putting a link here. https://www.ridersite.com/viewtopic.php?t=248