When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
You got the plug in far enough that the PRIMARY CHAIN was trying to saw it into bits.
I highly recommend checking/replacing the chain.
Just replace the plug as you banged up the threads a bit. It doesn't look like it hurt the magnet. As far as checking the chain. I would n't worry about it. You never ran it no where long enough to hurt anything. SOme teflon tape and run it in just shy of flush and your good to go.
That is the correct plug for primary drainage.
It probably rubbed against basket or chain slightly.
Does not take much to grind it.
The hole for plug is straight thru the outer primary cover so it never bottoms.
Flush is good enough.
If needed there is a white teflon paste available next to loctite at autopart store..
I like the paste better because I think it offers less chance of a long strand coming off and blocking some passage inside or wrapping up against something.
Just replace the plug as you banged up the threads a bit. It doesn't look like it hurt the magnet. As far as checking the chain. I would n't worry about it. You never ran it no where long enough to hurt anything. SOme teflon tape and run it in just shy of flush and your good to go.
This is what I did... when I RE-drained and RE-filled the primary with NEW fluid it was to inspect the chain and what I could see of the Clutch bell... everything seemed fine. I didn't torque the bolt but ran it in until just at "snug" but the floss type tape I was using was just peeling off. That stuff is crap! I put the Teflon tape 2-3 threads above the beginning of the threads so shouldn't be any issues of lingering strips of Teflon tape anywhere. I thought maybe they had tapped it too far at the Factory but looks like others here say there is no bevel at the bottom of the tap to stop it - so... Lesson learned - won't happen again.
Thanks for the replies...
You can see my chain and Clutch in the Att'd photo (and my HD Pegboard... $50)
Thats not the drain plug that should never be removed on bottom of motor is it?
No, it isn't what you are thinking. It is definitely the drain plug for the primary chain casing. If you look at the bolts around the outer edge which hold the outer primary cover in place, it is the bottom one directly below and in line with the center of the clutch. It is not the plug next to the oil pan drain plug. Nor is the plug at the bottom of the right side engine casing under the cam housing.
One thing for sure. . . the Moco made an improvement when they got away from this kind of primary drain plug to one with an o-ring.
Absolutely have to agree with that statement!
For those concerned about the teflon tape being wrapped too far over the end of the plug and coming off inside the casing... Even if it were to do that, it is not hard enough to do any damage. There are no small orifices for the pieces to plug. It would simply be chewed up if caught in the chain and sprockets. In the off chance it got in between the clutch plates, I'd think there would have to be a serious amount of it to do anything there like causing slippage.
Like I said in an earlier post in this thread, the magnet was completely sheared off of mine. And one half of the magnet was tossed off and stuck to the inner side of the outer primary case, just inside of the clutch inspection cover. The other pieces are most likely attached in a similar manner out of sight. When I pull the cover off next time, I'm sure I'll find them!
That plug only needs to be tightened flush with the cover. Any more and it will go right inside. The newer models do have a shoulder on them. But, that is definitely a drain plug for the outer primary. I sure you were hitting something on the clutch basket. Do do that no more, ok.
"Do do that no more" NOW those are words to live by!!!
Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.