Topic: I ned some shop talk, please

[Uncle Ernie]

I've got an old aluminium trasmission with a banged up drain plug.  I tried tapping it to 3/8", wrapped a plug with pipe tape and put it in.  I poured mineral spirits in the tranny- I was going to swish it some and drain it to get any metal bits out from the tap.  Instead, the liquid poured out as if the plug wasn't even there. 
I'm really resisting tapping even bigger (to 14mm), so I want to put a compression plug in there.  I'm thinking of using a rubber stopper with a bolt and washers, but drilling the center is just going to blow the rubber up.

So- how do I make a 3/9 plug?

[Sam Green Racing]

Paul, are you sure there isn't a crack in the case, within the thread?

And just a thought, I know you live in the States but are you by any chance British ?......(aluminium)

Sam.

[Uncle Ernie]

I got introuble for that in high school once.  A teacher insisted I spelled colour wrong, and I insisted he look it up in a dictionary.  For some reason I picked up a lot of British spelling early on.

The tranny was oil tight before I took out the last compression plug- what a job.  I thought I'd get fancy and try to put a regular pipe plug in there- American 3/8" as it's a little cloer to stock size than 14mm.  I'd rather give up than make it worse.  The old plug got completely decimated, so I can't tell how it was made.

[DarkRider]

Just a thought by why dont you try putting a drain pan gasket washer on that plug like what you see on your oil pan drain plug..if that doesnt work..try getting ahold of a bunch of different drain plugs and trying them till you find one that fits correctly and is oil tight.

[333]

Just a thought by why don't you try putting a drain pan gasket washer on that plug like what you see on your oil pan drain plug.

Or maybe something softer like an o-ring.


It's one thing to argue with a teacher between the British and American spelling of a word, it's another thing when the teacher is just wrong.  In 7th grade a teacher insisted on referring to "Henry WORDsworth Longfellow".  I know Virginia is a ways away from his home town in Maine, but we were in a school named after him.  He insisted to the wrong student, as my mother IS from Longfellow's home town.  He never admitted defeat, referring to our difference of opinion as a "colloquialism"!

[Ecosse]

I got introuble for that in high school once.  A teacher insisted I spelled colour wrong, and I insisted he look it up in a dictionary.  For some reason I picked up a lot of British spelling early on.

The tranny was oil tight before I took out the last compression plug- what a job.  I thought I'd get fancy and try to put a regular pipe plug in there- American 3/8" as it's a little cloer to stock size than 14mm.  I'd rather give up than make it worse.  The old plug got completely decimated, so I can't tell how it was made.

Don't you mean gearbox? A tranny is what the Kink's song 'Lola' is about. I personally prefer some of the Brit terms as they often are more accurate in description. I just rather not get beat up by my blue collar Yankee friends.

[SteveD CB500F]

When I was a kid a "tranny" was what we hid under the bedclothes and listened to Radio Luxembourg (Remember Kid Jensen?)

So "Lola" was about undercover radio ? 

Or is it a Ford Transit?

[mcpuffett]

i remember listening to radio luxembourg on my little tranny with its one ear piece

[tramp]

don't know how thick the material is but you can alway drill it out and put a insert in with the theads that you want

[hopterfixer]

Um, don't Google "tranny" in front of the kids, Ok?

[Jonesy]

I got introuble for that in high school once.  A teacher insisted I spelled colour wrong, and I insisted he look it up in a dictionary.  For some reason I picked up a lot of British spelling early on.

The tranny was oil tight before I took out the last compression plug- what a job.  I thought I'd get fancy and try to put a regular pipe plug in there- American 3/8" as it's a little cloer to stock size than 14mm.  I'd rather give up than make it worse.  The old plug got completely decimated, so I can't tell how it was made.

Don't you mean gearbox? A tranny is what the Kink's song 'Lola' is about. I personally prefer some of the Brit terms as they often are more accurate in description. I just rather not get beat up by my blue collar Yankee friends.

The Kinks could come up with examples of a lot of these terms. Didn't the Well Respected Man ".. Like his fags the best"?

I know the Brits are talking about cigarettes, but over in the States that has a much different connotation...

[kghost]

I got introuble for that in high school once.  A teacher insisted I spelled colour wrong, and I insisted he look it up in a dictionary.  For some reason I picked up a lot of British spelling early on.

The tranny was oil tight before I took out the last compression plug- what a job.  I thought I'd get fancy and try to put a regular pipe plug in there- American 3/8" as it's a little cloer to stock size than 14mm.  I'd rather give up than make it worse.  The old plug got completely decimated, so I can't tell how it was made.

How about helicoiling in a new thread?

Couple that with a shouldered bolt with a fiber washer or gasket?

Problem of course would be that its already tapped for a pipe thread.....didn't run the tap (pipe thread) all the way thru did you?

[Uncle Ernie]

Of course I did.  It doesn't feel very thick just sticking a finger in there.  I think I must have twisted the tap as I was screwing it in and that's why the plug isn't doing anything.  I'm afraid to go even bigger for a 14mm helicoil- that tap for that is scary huge. 

It's hard to get a perfect angle because the bike is leaning at an angle while I'm tapping from underneath. 

I've heard a REALLY good auto parts store may have one.
Gone shopping ~

[kghost]

Of course I did.  It doesn't feel very thick just sticking a finger in there.  I think I must have twisted the tap as I was screwing it in and that's why the plug isn't doing anything.  I'm afraid to go even bigger for a 14mm helicoil- that tap for that is scary huge. 

It's hard to get a perfect angle because the bike is leaning at an angle while I'm tapping from underneath. 

I've heard a REALLY good auto parts store may have one.
Gone shopping ~

Yeah see.....the Pipe thread tap is not made to go all the way thru....its tapered....

Did the same thing myself not to long ago and it just wouldn't seal.

I think I would measure the OD of the current hole and then get whatever tap (Metric or SAE) was closest. Other than that its helicoil time.