Did I just drill something out that is not supose to be?

[madeindetroit]

Well I am obviously new to this engine and I took the clutch cover off. Well on inspection it looked like the PO had broken two bolts off into the crank housing.

When I look at the cover it also looks like someone welded around the holes to seal it up.

SOOOO I thought there was broken bolts in there. Well I drilled one out and used my easy out and it just spins... and looks real shiny like its some plug or something.

Then I did a search and it looks like other engines have the same plugs...
Is this an oil passage I just drilled into? Can I just fill it back up with JB weld? As thats what it looks like was in there.

How bad did I mess up.

 

[Poverty]

Im not sure but the casting looks like it could be a oil passage .. Might wanna ask before you grab a drill next time But you can probably just fill it

 

[xjwmx]

That's the generator cover rather than the clutch cover, which is the other side.

I think that's just a locating pin, or whatever they're called, to help you line up the cover. But it's puzzling that there's something in there that turns. There wouldn't be any oil passages there. At the bottom of your pic might be a plug for an oil passage, but it looks like you haven't done anything to it. If I had my cover off I'd go look and see for sure... But I try to keep it on.

 

[madeindetroit]

Ah yes your right about the covers haha my bad just in a panic and posted.

Green circle is what I drilled with the hole and the red circle is a locating pin. What I drilled was flush with some sort of jb weld on top. Same with the plug below the green circle that I haven't drilled yet.

 

[Poverty]

are you talking about the black highlighted pin or the yellow highlighted hole?

 

[xjwmx]

The cover will tell you if there's supposed to be a bolt there. It's not critical, because that cover doesn't have to seal anything. The only thing is it has to be on solid so it will counter the force of the clutch springs when the lever is pulled.

 

[madeindetroit]

Yellow circle

 

[Poverty]

yeah I think thats a oil passage you drilled into .. i could be wrong Im by far not an expert but those are the same type of passages Ive drilled on other bikes / quads to run oil coolers .. someone should come along shortly with a deff answer

 

[xjwmx]

Oops, I thought you were talking about the black circle. It looks funky there too.

 

[xjwmx]

Here's what it's supposed to look like there. I'd be a bit concerned. Someone will show up who's had their oil passages apart to tell you what to do The cover would have told you no bolt goes there.

 

[littlebill31]

Look like the oil passages to me.
The factory couldn't make 90 degree turns when making oil passages, so they connect the passages by drilling a hole. Then filled it to seal it off.

 

[xjwmx]

The thing that's turning in there is probably just the slug that you've pushed in. I'd get that all the way out, then either get a machinist to make me an aluminum slug of the right diameter and depth to hammer in or put jbweld there to a depth that would seal it but not block the passages deeper in.

 

[gggGary]

Yeah oil passage, it appears to be one that feeds tranny shafts. The $64,000 question is how many metal chips got into the passage.........

 

[gggGary]

There IS (was) a threaded hole in the center of the locating pin that accepts one of the cover bolts.
For future reference if the cover doesn't have a bolt hole at a location there won't be threads there.
I am quite sure I can safely deny having ever done something like this, I have enough dirt on any witnesses that they will forever keep their yaps shut.

 

[CoastsideXS650]

yeah man metal shavings do not mix well with your motor oil. Not to mention they look like they are in a constricted area (poor oil flow plus metal shavings). I hate to say it but you might have just opened a pandora's box full of headaches.

 

[madeindetroit]

I am not too concerned with metal chips as I I am real careful with all of that. I will clean it up good and double check everything.

How close is the transfer hole to that plug? So my question is how much JB weld can I pack in there.
I know the whole thing if there is no hole in the cover there is no bolt hole but this thing has custom covers on it.

I kid you not it looks like someone filled in these sections of the cover so to hide what was once a bolt hole. Plus those plugs looked like rusty old sheered off bolts in the housings.

I guess I will get some jbweld and fill her up as thats what it looks like Yamaha did.

Does mikesxs or anyone make new plugs? Are they like serviceable items?

 

[gggGary]

You can see the outside of the cross tube in the casting and the plug on the front of the engine tells you the depth exactly. Yeah it's a touch scary, but what are you going to do? I am guessing it is an aluminum plug with sealer. now that you have loosened it with an easy out you should get it all the way out so you can get sealer around it. Replace it or patch it and cross your fingers I guess. Carb cleaner to get the casting dry to accept the JB weld, a little gasket seal when you put the cover back over it. The XS runs low oil pressure (roller-ball bearings) so no big deal on the seal.

 

[1974jh5]

FWIW, you should also see two more similar plugs on the front of the case. On mine, those are seeping a little. I ain't messing with them!

I doubt you will find the plugs anywhere. But a thought: Weber carburetors have very similar passages. The way those are sealed is they put a small lead ball in the hole then dimple it with a punch, this deforms it so it will stay in the hole. To keep from getting JB Weld in the bottom of the hole, I'd say use a fishing line lead sinker weight. Stick it in the hole then dimple the center with a sharp punch, then fill on top of that with JB Weld. That way you don't have to worry about the epoxy blocking the oil passage.

You could also tap the casting hole and thread in a plug, but that runs the risk of cracking the thin casting. As a last resort, the hole could be welded up but that means completely disassembling the engine.

 

[madeindetroit]

Plan is to suck all or any of the shavings out, then use a q tip with some grease to double check there is no metal in the hole.
Then I will either use green loctite as it is, that should seep into/around that plug to seal it. Then JB weld on top. or just say f it and use jb weld.

If its low oil pressure I should be good to go. Worst case I could find a freeze plug and jam it in there.

Not too worried, only concern I have is the connecting passage to the trans is close to that plug. Then I would run the risk of it plugging that hole up if i put too much jb weld in.

The first 1/4" of it or so is jb weld or similar material from the factory, then its what looks to be a steel/alum plug behind it.

Thanks for the support guys.

 

[TeeCat]

This might sound dumb, but...

For the best chance and most surety of getting all the metal shavings out, before you risk shoving bits in with a greasy Q-tip, you could take a cheap clear fuel filter and tape it up (fuel flow toward the vac) to a shop vac hose to get a good seal. Then, when you turn the vac on, you use the inlet of the filter like a probe or suction device you have seen at the dentist, but the fuel filter traps all the little metal bits so you know what you have collected. You can't use a magnet on that alloy, I don't think.

Might sound like overkill, but you don't want those bits in your oil.

TC