Gear oil woes

[Vision]

Sorry for the long story, be glad it's not you. A lesson for others out there, never use a torque wrench on your gear oil bolt, the manual is wrong and you will strip the threads.

I'm concerned my stupid gear oil bolt is going to cut the life of my scooter short.

So a few years ago I stripped the threads on my gear oil drain hole by following the directions to how much torque to use. Subsequently the drain was tapped for a larger bolt and the mechanic put some rtv on it for a seal.

So 4,000 km ago I removed his work and remember everything as normal. Enough oil stayed in and was smelly when it came out like usual.

Fast forward to now, I remove the bolt and very little oil comes out and what is there seems untouched. The bolt was oily but there was never a sign of it leaking on the ground or around the bolt. But darn, I appear to have driven for a while with little to no oil in there.

I rtv'd it back up and am trying to figure out a next step.

I saw a guy on youtube who fills his gear oil until it back flows. The manual says don't do this but this may be my only option, being, keep filling to back flow to check on the level every 500km or so. 

Thoughts?

[xsel777]

.

[Stig / Major Tom]

No, aome scoots have the handy "fill until it back flows". Some don't,  and require a specific amount. If you overfill you could be in a worse situation....the answer might be another try at fixing the threads.
Manual's torque specs are accurate. ...but most torque wrenches are not, at these low settings.
I NEVER use a torque wrench on small fittings into alloy metal....never a problem.
Stig

[MrXT]

I used a torx wrench every time iv changed the oil its not a problem at all. I don't know how you could even manage that the design makes that near impossible unless you used the WRONG bit.

Either way why couldn't you just replace it with a suitable bolt.

Gear oil can't burn like engine oil so the only thing that could be happening is you have a slow leak somewhere.

[Stig / Major Tom]

I used a torx wrench every time iv changed the oil its not a problem at all. I don't know how you could even manage that the design makes that near impossible unless you used the WRONG bit.

Either way why couldn't you just replace it with a suitable bolt.

Gear oil can't burn like engine oil so the only thing that could be happening is you have a slow leak somewhere.

Not "TORX">>>but torque wrench.
TORX use bits - hexagon drain bolts use sockets or wrenches.
Another bolt will not fix things as they stand.
It is VERY easy to over-torque a small bolt which is threaded into alloy metal.

Stig

[MrXT]

Not "TORX">>>but torque wrench.
TORX use bits - hexagon drain bolts use sockets or wrenches.
Another bolt will not fix things as they stand.
It is VERY easy to over-torque a small bolt which is threaded into alloy metal.

Stig

It doesn't matter what you call it.

I'm talking about one of these
https://www.toolstop.co.uk/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/NOR-130114-3.jpg

If the correct bit is used then you shouldn't be able to shred the bolt. I have yet to shred anything and this is the first topic iv ever seen on here regarding it so clearly not so easy. Don't over tighten.

[hypophthalmus]

When I got my first scooter, I didn't know overtightening bolts was a thing.

Doubting the idea that a bolt could keep oil contained, I tightened it very well and tore off a chunk of the aluminum housing. Thankfully it was such that I could just clean it off really well (with kerosene I believe) and fill it with JB Weld. It never leaked. When I needed to change the oil, I drilled a small hole and patched it with fresh JB Weld (again, cleaning it thoroughly).

That said, drilling/tapping a larger hole sounds like it should have worked. I'm assuming that the rtv was used in place of a crush washer for the bolt? Maybe the area wasn't cleaned well enough before it was applied. Or the rtv sealant directions weren't followed correctly. Which rtv was used?

Also make sure that no extremely small cracks were missed.

[CROSSBOLT]

It doesn't matter what you call it.

I'm talking about one of these
https://www.toolstop.co.uk/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/NOR-130114-3.jpg

If the correct bit is used then you shouldn't be able to shred the bolt. I have yet to shred anything and this is the first topic iv ever seen on here regarding it so clearly not so easy. Don't over tighten.

Yeah, it matters what you call it. It matters the correct term is used so the reader/listener understands. Nothing more frustrating than trying to decode some vague description of a problem so some help can be rendered. The Kymcos seem to be prone to bolts stripping the threads in alloy. Selection of torque wrenches is crucial to success. Stig and I prefer the "feel" method since that seems more effective than an inch-ounce torque wrench seems both out of touch and reach. Me, I'm cheap and lazy!

[Stig / Major Tom]

Not me. "I'm thrifty and restful."...(per my résumé.....;-)
stig

[Viper254]

I just tighten it up until it feels right Stripped enough to know what it feels like when it's going to go...

The quality of the alloy castings varies hugely with these motors and I think it's safer to do it by feel than it is to use a specified torque setting, sadly.