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Magnetic engine plug question?


Buckaroo

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My fellow Rotax owner advised me today that my plug appears to be the old type that can be a bitch to remove and inspect. I did my oil change today and he advised me to leave the plug alone as the torque slots look somewhat stripped and advised me to leave it until my visit with Roger for the 5 year hose job. He said the newer plugs are a different metal and torque and easier to deal with. 

What do you folks think? 

 

 

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The old plug has a #40 Torx head. The new style has a 16mm hex head. It won't strip out. Yes you should replace it and you can wait until later.  It is by far worth doing. If you can take your old one out then just replace it. Make sure the #40 Torx is seated to the bottom of the plug head before you turn it out. If someone whacks it with a hammer while you turn it will come out easier.

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I will wait till I visit with you Roger! When we get together I'll need two carb drip pans! Both mine are cracked at the inner bolt face. I'll remind you in advance! 

All in all my mill is in pretty good condition! She just needs some TLC!?

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I apparently have the old style plug, but have never had any issues with it, and the Torx socket looks factory perfect, no wear or stripping,  Torx are super secure, I wonder what the mechanism is that gets those to strip?  Using the wrong size Torx, or a hex head instead? 

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Hi Andy,

There are those that have stripped theirs and those that are going to strip theirs.

It will strip. Just give it time or just the right circumstances. It looked good on paper for design, but in the field a majority has had issues. The new 16mm hex head is worth the bucks to replace it.

 

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Andy, when I went to Rotax training the first time they suggested a hammer type impact for removal of the plug, especially the first time on a new engine. The factory torque numbers are higher that they need to be. In that class they suggested a lower torque value. When the plug has been installed and over tightened after the engine has been through a few heat cycles it becomes very difficult to remove.

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Actually my torx plug looks good and non stripped! It just has some little marks from slippage. If I can reasonably loosen it I'll replace it with the proper hex plug. 

I did the oil change can I replace the plug with oil in the motor or must I wait for the next change? 

Also my carb drip pans are both cracked around the upper hard to get to bolt. The pans are holding well but are cracked.?

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9 minutes ago, Buckaroo said:

Actually my torx plug looks good and non stripped! It just has some little marks from slippage. If I can reasonably loosen it I'll replace it with the proper hex plug. 

I did the oil change can I replace the plug with oil in the motor or must I wait for the next change? 

Also my carb drip pans are both cracked around the upper hard to get to bolt. The pans are holding well but are cracked.?

If you burp the engine to return the oil to the tank, you should be good to remove the magnetic plug, that's pretty much what you do on a change anyway.  It will spill some oil out, it always does, have a rag handy around the hole to catch the drooling oil, and have the new plug ready to insert.

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There is no need to burp or drain the oil. The oil that comes out is from gearbox, and is trapped in there when you drain the oil. If I have someone around I have them stick a finger over the hole when I remove the plug. I also place a rag under to catch any drips.

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My old mag plug was close to being stripped when I purchased my CTSW.  This was just a straight hex allen bolt and not a torx.  The old allen or torx are distorted by applying torque to remove the mag bolt without insuring the allen wrench or torx wrench is fully seated in the bolt and/or by letting the wrench get out of perpendicular when attempting to loosen the mag bolt.  I could tell my bolt wasn't going to last much longer without stripping the wrench pocket so I took a dremel with a small carbide cutter to deepen and sharpen the inside of the pocket that accepts the wrench before loosening it.  Once loosened and removed, I installed the new hex head mag bolt. 

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1 hour ago, FlyingMonkey said:

Just priced out the new mag plug...$56.  Insane.  But I guess I'm used to those prices for even the simplest Rotax parts.

Yep, that's about right.

I think that's what I paid for it 3 years ago.

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1 hour ago, FlyingMonkey said:

If you mean replace it or suffer a failed engine, that seems a bit extreme.  I don't think a stripped plug is going to kill an engine.

What I meant was you could buy a new engine and not have to worry about getting the old plug out. I would have thought by now from my participation on the forum you would have known me well enough to know that was an attempt at humor.

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1 hour ago, Tom Baker said:

What I meant was you could buy a new engine and not have to worry about getting the old plug out. I would have thought by now from my participation on the forum you would have known me well enough to know that was an attempt at humor.

I didn't take it poorly I was just confused...so hard to read tone on the interwebs! :)

But yeah, a zero time engine would be cool, and a free mag plug!  Maybe after I ruin mine with a Zipper Big Bore conversion...

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5 hours ago, Tom Baker said:

What I meant was you could buy a new engine and not have to worry about getting the old plug out. I would have thought by now from my participation on the forum you would have known me well enough to know that was an attempt at humor.

Tom . . . you failed again.:giggle-3307:

I guess we just take you too seriously.

i found your comment funny.

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