Help, I stripped oil filter housings

I overtightened the oil filter bolt on 1983 KZ 440 ltd belt drive and stripped the internal threads, how can I fix this I'm a novice

A Time sert, & before you do any more work on the bike, you have to get a Kawasaki service/workshop manual & check the torque spec's & torque with a torque wrench for whatever nuts & bolts you tighten, & don't even think about removing any screws with a Phillips Screwdriver , they're not Phillips & will easily strip, you have to get a set of JIS ( Japanese Industrial Standard ) screwdrivers or bits, & if you've never installed a Time Sert I would take it to a shop to do it, because the last thing you want , is to have it not properly installed set holding your oil filter on, the oil can drip right under your rear wheel which could be deadly
Pete

The right answer is to remove the engine, possibly even split the cases, and take it to a competent machine shop who will install a timesert/helicoil.
There's going to be a lot of posters who are going to say never do what I'm about to tell you, It is definitely not the right way to fix it. However, I'm guessing you're on a budget and the above solution may be beyond what you willing to spend on the bike.
If this doesn't work, you're only out a couple of bucks.
If there is any thread left at all, drain the oil and clean the thread area on the engine thoroughly. Use brake cleaner, alcohol, q-tips ect..to remove any oil. It must be absolutely clean and oil free. Next, cover the threads on the oil filter bolt with oil and/or Vaseline. Cover that with JB weld and gently tread it into the engine. Don't get carried away with the JB weld. You don't want excess inside your engine. Use just enough to create new threads. The idea is you want the JB weld to bond to the cases, but not to the bolt. Let it dry the specified amount of time. Remove the bolt and reinstall to the correct torque. If it holds, you got lucky. If not, see option 1.

Good luck

1. Take it to a machinist and have a time-sert installed.

2. Buy an appropriate sized torque wrench and the Kawasaki Service Manual and tighten things up to the specified torque settings rather than giving them the old King-Kong treatment.

Ed

MDZ1rider wrote: The right answer is to remove the engine, possibly even split the cases, and take it to a competent machine shop who will install a timesert/helicoil.
There's going to be a lot of posters who are going to say never do what I'm about to tell you, It is definitely not the right way to fix it. However, I'm guessing you're on a budget and the above solution may be beyond what you willing to spend on the bike.
If this doesn't work, you're only out a couple of bucks.
If there is any thread left at all, drain the oil and clean the thread area on the engine thoroughly. Use brake cleaner, alcohol, q-tips ect..to remove any oil. It must be absolutely clean and oil free. Next, cover the threads on the oil filter bolt with oil and/or Vaseline. Cover that with JB weld and gently tread it into the engine. Don't get carried away with the JB weld. You don't want excess inside your engine. Use just enough to create new threads. The idea is you want the JB weld to bond to the cases, but not to the bolt. Let it dry the specified amount of time. Remove the bolt and reinstall to the correct torque. If it holds, you got lucky. If not, see option 1.

Good luck

Heh. Clever idea, but boy is it going to be a bad day when that thing pops out on the freeway. The kid's already set to learn one very expensive lesson, let's not make it two

Back in 1989 I had a 78 KZ 650 that I stripped the threads on the drain plug, from not using a torque wrench
I ended up taking it to the nearest dealer (Suzuki) & they Heli coiled it for 40.00 & never had a problem after that
Don't know what it would cost today though
Pete

Has Ichiban Moto an new nic?

drain the oil and clean the thread area on the engine thoroughly. Use brake cleaner, alcohol, q-tips ect..to remove any oil. It must be absolutely clean and oil free. Next, cover the threads on the oil filter bolt with oil and/or Vaseline. Cover that with JB weld and gently tread it into the engine.

This is possibly one of the worst advice that I have read on this forum, please don’t even try it. Using epoxy to fix striped treads inside an engine leaves me speech less. :ohmy: :ohmy:

There are ways to Timesert/Helicoil it without taking the motor out, you need some skills and imagination to get it done, or please talk to a local machine shop with skills.
/Anders

Got a manual yet?
Steve

People are going to give you crap till you get a manual. Www.kz400.com has a free download for the 440.

Told ya! I'm not going to defend the worst advice ever on this forum. I've shared a technique I've used successfully in the past. If it was my bike, I'd helicoil it. Bikes are a hobby for me now and I have the resources to do it right. However, I also remember 30 years ago when I had to improvise to ride.

MDZ1rider wrote: Told ya! I'm not going to defend the worst advice ever on this forum. I've shared a technique I've used successfully in the past. If it was my bike, I'd helicoil it. Bikes are a hobby for me now and I have the resources to do it right. However, I also remember 30 years ago when I had to improvise to ride.

I've made threads out of epoxy before myself... not on a bike though. Doesn't take long for them to crumble. I'd put this one in the "might get you home" category. Add some "assembly tape" and green zip ties for good measure...

It sucks, but everybody has to learn how soft aluminum is and how a lever works at some point...

I'm lucky it was the oil filter bolt and not the engine that was stripped, I did find a solution if anyone strips the oil drain plug, later Ninjas (250 cc) use an oil filter screen cover with a drain that will fit the 440's stock screen cover, this allows for the stripped oil drain plug to be either epoxied or welded in place and allows a new place for draining the oil, or it can be pumped out via siphon pump but that will only get a portion of the old oil out