Show chrome plugs or gold plugs for 1330

[happyspyder2039]

What is your take on show chrome plugs vs gold plugs on 15RTS or newer?

[Gwolf]

I don't care about the show chrome. Nobody so far has ever laid down to look under my Spyder. I bought the plugs because they have the hex head on them. There is a lot more to get a grip on with a 12mm or 14mm socket than the m6 hex/torx of the OEM plugs. The hex and torx will be full of road grime and you have to pick them clean to get the tool in them enough to turn them. Socket will go on the hex head after just brushing the under side off. I changed mine on the first oil change. Don't care what brand or what they want to call them as long as they have the hex head on them. Both the plugs I put on have the magnetic tip on them to catch debris.

[jcthorne]

The one for the transmission side is fine. The one on the engine side with the dual o-rings is highly NOT recommended. They both add a magnet in the end of the plug. That would be fine except it leaves a thin wall weak point at the o'ring groove just above the threads. Our shop has had two of them break of when trying to remove. They snap at the o'ring groove leaving the threaded portion up inside the engine. One we were able to coax out with some work. The other required an engine tear down. very expensive lesson. We will not install them. Bikes that come to us with one installed we inform the owner we are not responsible if it breaks on removal and we replace it with an oem plug.

Using the right tool, there is nothing wrong with the T45 torx head on the oem plug. Have never stripped one and have done a great many oil changes on these bikes.

[Gwolf]

I have also read some horror stories about the OEM drain plugs breaking off in the case. There could be more to it than just the wall thickness of the gold plugs. Over torqued on installation, trying to take it out with case really hot, maybe bad torque wrench. It would take a lot of pressure to sheer off even a thin wall hollow bolt.

Has anybody ever split one of the gold plugs lengthwise to see what the wall thickness really is? Looked for a picture on the Internet and found nothing. That doesn't mean there is not one there, I just didn't find it.

[P.W.]

Just replaced both drain plugs with gold plugs today.....torqued to spec. Hopefully I never have a problem like mentioned above.
I never heard about them snapping off until this thread....


P.W.

[Gwolf]

I am staying with my gold plugs too. Dealer will never touch my oil plugs.

[pegasus1300]

I have the Show Chrome plugs, because I wanted hex head plugs. I had a couple of instances where I did not get the Torx in far enough and almost stripped out the head. I think that is the reason most people have a problem with the Torx or the Allen Head.Any have not had any problem with the Show Chrome and at 6.95 I was happy. They do the job.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Just replaced both drain plugs with gold plugs today.....torqued to spec. Hopefully I never have a problem like mentioned above.
I never heard about them snapping off until this thread....


P.W.

I don't think the GOLD plugs were having this problem ….. It was reported that " DIMPLE " brand appeared to have a lager Magnet so the thread area was thinner, therefore weaker …… The real problem is OVER tightening either plug …… Mike :ohyea:

[PMK]

I don't think the GOLD plugs were having this problem ….. It was reported that " DIMPLE " brand appeared to have a lager Magnet so the thread area was thinner, therefore weaker …… The real problem is OVER tightening either plug …… Mike :ohyea:

Actually, when I did my drain plug comparison, the Gold plug magnet diameter is larger than the Dimple Drain Plug. In short, the Gold Plugs have less material.

The plug with the most material is the stock ones, however, while doing the comparison, a local rider gave me his stock drain plug that had failed. He was fortunate to have it come of of the case without crisis.

Agree that overtorquing is a concern. If you consider the torque called out in the manual is for clean dry threads, any residual oil will result in overtorquing the drain plug.

[pegasus1300]

and since you can't get clean dry threads once you have oil in the unit, what's the point of such a torque value.

[Gwolf]

I don't torque mine. I just run them in until I feel it snug down and then put just a slight amount of twist on them with a short 3/8 ratchet. I been putting the plugs in motorcycle cases like that all my life and never had one leak or come out. Seen a lot of stripped threads on the old aluminum cases from over tightening the plugs.

[jcthorne]

I don't think the GOLD plugs were having this problem ….. It was reported that " DIMPLE " brand appeared to have a lager Magnet so the thread area was thinner, therefore weaker …… The real problem is OVER tightening either plug …… Mike :ohyea:

Not sure what brand the ones that broke off for me were but they appeared to be different so perhaps I had one of each.

Both broke at removal. I will not install one of them.

[Highwayman2013]

I have the Dimple plugs and I do not torque them. I just snug them and they are fine.

[jcthorne]

I have the Dimple plugs and I do not torque them. I just snug them and they are fine.

Yep, that's what both customers that had broken ones thought. One of them was a 4 digit repair bill. We are not the only shop that has seen the problem.

[happyspyder2039]

What is your take on show chrome plugs vs gold plugs on 15RTS or newer?

Update. I went with the gold plugs which I ordered off of amazon & they came packed nice with the almost all seals except the green one on transmission. Lucky I had ordered the k&n filter kit from Bajaron which had one supplied. Install was actually easier then the oem.

[Revalden]

Yep, that's what both customers that had broken ones thought. One of them was a 4 digit repair bill. We are not the only shop that has seen the problem.

I might be way off base,,,,,but would Never-Seize or some other aluminum friendly grease work to keep the plugs from getting "Jammed Up and Jelly Tight"? I used Never-Seize on EVERY bolt(especially the wheel lug nuts) on my Jeep CJ5 back in the Olden Days but there wasn't ANY Aluminum on it (except the intake manifold).

[PMK]

I might be way off base,,,,,but would Never-Seize or some other aluminum friendly grease work to keep the plugs from getting "Jammed Up and Jelly Tight"? I used Never-Seize on EVERY bolt(especially the wheel lug nuts) on my Jeep CJ5 back in the Olden Days but there wasn't ANY Aluminum on it (except the intake manifold).

In regards to removal and preventing the drain plugs from getting stuck it should absolutely work. During installation, it could be possible to more easily over tighten the drain plugs, creating other possible issues such as failed drain plugs or possibly pulled threads.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I might be way off base,,,,,but would Never-Seize or some other aluminum friendly grease work to keep the plugs from getting "Jammed Up and Jelly Tight"? I used Never-Seize on EVERY bolt(especially the wheel lug nuts) on my Jeep CJ5 back in the Olden Days but there wasn't ANY Aluminum on it (except the intake manifold).

I use it on the plugs ( the copper high heat stuff )….. What really helps is a hard tap on the plugs BEFORE you try to remove ….. I know this won't happen to you , but I have always set my ratchet to loosen Prior to putting in the plug ….. good luck, … Mike :ohyea: