I used a low-temp aluminum
#brazing rod to repair the oil drain threads on my 1990
#KX250 #2stroke #dirtbike . The oil drain threads on these old
#kawasaki engines were prone to strip out because there's a large slit that goes through the middle of the threads to drain the lowest part of the oil sump. Poor design. Anyways, I had first planned to grind out the old stuff and weld an aluminum tube and tap the new threads that way. But I don't have the skill for that and I've had poor experiences welding cast aluminum. But I know these brazing rods will do a good job. This video is for the common
#DIY guy and not the experienced machinist and
#tigwelding snobs who are going to be leaving all the negative comments because it boosts their self esteem. Please keep scrolling, jerk. Now to elaborate on the repair: You'll notice I added more aluminum than I should have. I had wanted it to be flush with the bottom of the spout. And I was going to grind it flush. But then I thought it may not hurt to have a little extra so I left it. I may still grind it down just for a cleaner look... lmk what you think about that. And then about the oil drain bolt size, I went with a small 6mm bolt (as opposed to the stock 10mm). The reason for this is because if for some reason I had a problem with the 6mm hole I tapped, or if it strips out later, I could simply enlarge it to 8mm, and then to the stock 10mm. The only drawback to the smaller bolt size is that the oil drains more slowly. But so what? And then concerning the slit to drain the lowest part of the sump, I opted just to drill a small hole there so that it doesn't comprimise the threads and then fail again the way it originally did. Again it just means it will take some more time to drain. And then finally concerning the matter that I can't get a perfectly even surface for the oil plug to seal by just using a grinder instead of a mill, well that's not a big deal since the material is soft and just threading in and tightening the bolt will correct it. And then with the copper washer there will be a good seal.
#aluminumwelding