Persistent drain plug leak

[Brian]

'15 FJ 48k

Have small seeping at drain plug. US half-dollar size spot on cardboard when I park. Replaced crush washer twice. Did the drain plug mod a while back and can't recall if problem arose right after that was done.

When I cut off the oil pan tab at the plug, could heat from blade or something have caused warping or cracking at the drain plug threads?

Is my new (likely made in China) VW flush drain plug a piece of junk and not sealing as it should?

Any other thoughts? 

 

[betoney]

19 minutes ago, Brian said:

'15 FJ 48k

Have small seeping at drain plug. US half-dollar size spot on cardboard when I park. Replaced crush washer twice. Did the drain plug mod a while back and can't recall if problem arose right after that was done.

When I cut off the oil pan tab at the plug, could heat from blade or something have caused warping or cracking at the drain plug threads?

Is my new (likely made in China) VW flush drain plug a piece of junk and not sealing as it should?

Any other thoughts? 

 

My guess is since you have already replaced the crush washer twice, the pan could either be cracked or slightly warped.  Carefully lay the bike on its side on some blankets and thoroughly degrease and clean the area surrounding the plug, remove the plug and inspect the inner threads and seating surface for a small crack.

I use the oem flush mount plug from the R1, sorry, I don't remember which year.

[Ziggy105]

A Mazda flush mount drain plug can also be used.

FS05-21-249 drain plug and 9956-41-400 crush washer.

[2and3cylinders]

Good advice but maybe buy another quality plug first and check beforehand.  I have one also an R1 plug that has a rubber skirt too.

[DavidS]

I would get a new Yamaha oil drain plug and washer.  (Just to be sure this isn't a damaged Oil drain plug) Drain the oil from your bike, and before you install the plug, look to see if you have any metal pieces around the plug opening. You can use a shop rag to lightly wipe the threads to remove anything stuck in, or around the plug. The oil rushing out when you drain your oil usually does a good job of removing any small contaminants in your oil pan.

Put some clean newspaper under the spot where it has been leaking oil, and see if you notice any more leaking. Go have dinner, and watch some TV, and get a good nights sleep. In the morning, check for oil around the oil plug screw and under your bike. 

Hopefully this will help you figure out if you truly have a leak, or if this is just oil dripping from your chain. (Yep, that was me once upon a time)

If after all that, it is still leaking, it is likely some kind. of crack in your oil pan, which will require removal and re-installing a new pan. BUT, that is not a likely scenario, unless you have bottomed out the bike a bunch during your crazy rides.

Good luck, 

[2linby]

10 hours ago, Brian said:

When I cut off the oil pan tab at the plug, could heat from blade or something have caused warping or cracking at the drain plug threads?

Is my new (likely made in China) VW flush drain plug a piece of junk and not sealing as it should?

Any other thoughts? 

Unless you used a torch to cut it off the answer is no. 

Get the Mazda plug as Ziggy stated along with a new crush washer. If that fails you can try some high temp teflon tape. 

10 hours ago, Brian said:

 

 

[2and3cylinders]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/311557082474?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=_9GOGMlUSya&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=jmAFzP5TQy2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=MORE

 

This is the drain plug I use and it can take either the washer with the rubber skirt or a regalert crush washer

[betoney]

7 minutes ago, 2and3cylinders said:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/311557082474?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=_9GOGMlUSya&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=jmAFzP5TQy2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=MORE

 

This is the drain plug I use and it can take either the washer with the rubber skirt or a regalert crush washer

Bret, thanks for posting that.  Same plug as the one I bought many years ago.

[2and3cylinders]

"Put some clean newspaper under the spot where it has been leaking oil, and see if you notice any more leaking. Go have dinner, and watch some TV, and get a good nights sleep. In the morning, check for oil around the oil plug screw and under your bike."

 You can also spray some powdered athlete's foot spray on the drain plug area and it will quickly tell you where it's leaking from around it.

 

[Brentinpdx]

What happens if you put the OEM plug back on the bike? If it stops dripping, your VW plug is probably the culprit.

[DavidS]

12 hours ago, Brentinpdx said:

What happens if you put the OEM plug back on the bike? If it stops dripping, your VW plug is probably the culprit.

Yep, you could try this, and it's free, but I seriously doubt the issue is with the VW plug, many of us from early on with the FJ09 and Tracer have been using the VW plug hack to increase the clearance of the oil pan. This reduced the incidences of bottoming out the plug and losing all your oil. This was a problem many a rider was experiencing. 

I suppose with all the changes since the original bike, they may have raised the oil pan plug, or even provided more ground clearance, making the likelihood of hitting the oil pan unlikely, but my personal opinion is having a low plug hanging under your oil pan was a poor decision by Yamaha, and more than a few folks have lost their oil pan  prematurely.

[Ride365]

Oil pan damage was only with the FJ's I Thought? Have to wonder if lowered bikes and suspension settings being wrong are also a major cause of damage, my Tracer has about the same clearance as my old Vstrom and I never came close to ever having a clearance issue.