Sorry I thought I was looking at a picture of the oil pan under the trans,he did not give the year or model.

 

JB weld will work if crack is clean and completely dry. Dont forget to clean well with acetone before applying using single edge razor blade as a trowel to force JB deep into crevice......... good luck

 

Sounds like a good plan. You have nothing to lose.
Tom

 

If you can, try to locate the end of the crack. If you can, a tiny hole drilled, maybe (1/64) drill bit, at this point might terminate the crack from growing.

 

This is very good advice. And the dill 'hole' does NOT have to go completely through the case. Just do a divot.

Also, before you do the JB weld, you may want to install a timesert, so that the the pressures exerted from the plug is forced over the whole area, and not just the crack.

Anyone else? Basically folks only pull that plug to check how much oil is in the cases to look for 'sumping' problems. NOT normal maintenance. To pull this plug... one needs to ride the bike until completely warm and that seems to allow the plug to be pulled without too much drama. Remember... this is a tapered plug, and the tighter one tightens it, the more pressure is placed on the case. In this case, it will spread the crack open as you tighten it, and thats why I suggest a helicoil/timesert fix first.

 

Something like that, even JB welded in, might really help. Strengthen up that whole area. Put some steel there. Really just need to keep it together there.

Back in the day when we were really poor and had to feed mnore than just two, I have used JB weld on a couple unlikely things.

 

Take care when doing this repair, and it may last for quite some time.
Just keep a damn close eyeball on it.
Scott

 

I have a few chevy trucks that got cracks in the oil pans. One crack was there when I bought one truck that way, the other I caused when putting the motor in & bumped the pan a little to hard. Anyways I have tried the JB weld & it does work, but I have found the best stuff to use is that gas tank repair stuff. It comes in a roll with 2 diffrent soft compund in it. Take a piece off & mix it up in your fingers & put it on. I am not saying jb weld dosnt work, just that I think that the stuff that is made not to disolve from gas is just a little better in this type of thing.

 

On a late model touring engine, there is a plug next to the oil drain plug that faces forward. I believe it can be used to screw in a oil temp sensor. I don't think that is the "Oh Jesus" pipe plug others warn about overtightening. Unless I am mistaken, I think this is the same hole that you connect the plastic hose to when you add fresh oil to the engine while using the Roque Oil Scavenger. Anybody that has practical experience with this want to confirm?

 

You are mistaken; go back and read Truk's previous posts and go out in the garage and look under your bike at the bottom of the brake side engine case. First, we are not talking late model, so I don't know where that came from. The OPs bike is an '03 softail which means "B" engine which means oil tank under the seat whereas the touring bikes with the "A" engines do have an oil pan under the transmission. Both models share the crankcase drain plug locate in the bottom of the brake side engine case. There is only one reason to remove this plug and that is to confirm if the engine is sumping. Like Truk says, that check shoud be done hot, at or near operating temperature. However, if the plug doesn't break loose fairly easy when hot, forget it and just assume the engine is sumping and investigate.

I think the OP has a solution; good advice so far and, if followed, should solve the problem.