Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Refresh the copper washer?

I remember hearing that to soften a copper washer (sump plug washer etc.) you simply heat it with a gas torch, then drop in water. Is this correct?

That's it, get it red hot, drop into a glass of water. Works with copper but not aluminum.

I've reused my oil drain plug washers when I'm too lazy to go to the dealer to get a new one, but they're so cheap(about $1.00 at most) it doesn't make sense to waste time, torch gas, and effort to try and anneal what's there. My last oil change I reused an old one, and it hasn't leaked yet in over 1,700 miles. But next time I'll put a new one on.

I've been using the original washer, with 16K+ miles now too.

Thanks guys,
I thought that I could do that.

I ask because next week I'll be puting the big bore motor back together, but I forgot to order the copper washers for the oil cooler hose to head attachment. I might get new ones if I can make it to the dealer before then but thought I'd ask just incase I don't...

When Pat and I put my stock oil cooler back on, we did that to tthe washers. Works fine. Getting them aligned is the tricky part.

Thats good to here, thanks. The alignment on mine seems pretty easy I think, the banjo bolts hold the washers aligned for re-install from what I can see.

A couple of other things were brought to my attention when stripping the motor down that seemed easier than the earlier models (aka from Dinqua big bore install photos). My 12/2005 model was much easier to remove the cam chain drive gear because the newer models have no retaining bolt, just the shaft held in by allen head bolt at the other end. Also there is no thrust bearings, just 1x spacer. So to remove you undo the bolt, put an 6mm allen key or rod in the end of the shaft and push through. the allen key holds the spacer and gear safe when the shaft has been removed. No magnet tool needed!

I've been using the same washer on my '03 drain plug since day one never even heated it up, no leaks.

Red hot and quenching = hardening. Better to stick it into a pile of dry sand or lime to cool it slowly.

For the oil drain plug washer, I just go to the nearest auto parts store and get metric ones. Cost about 50 cents. I can't remember if it was 12mm, 13mm, or 14mm. I never had any trouble using these.

The banjo joint at my oil cooler was leaking not long after i first got the bike. It soon began leaking badly and no amount of tightening would stop it. I just took a piece of #400 wet and dry sandpaper and laid it on a flat surface and ran the washer over it on each side till any marring was gone. reinstalled it and it hasn't leaked a drop since. Just don't run it over the paper with more pressure on one edge to avoid inconsistancy in thickness from one edge to the other.

I have always put them on a stove burner till red hot and then drop them in a cup of water. It's that simple. Did that for my damper bolt washers when I lowered my front end. No Leaks.

BikerT

The sump (oil drain) washer on my 03 TA is aluminum. The copper washers on the cooler and lines to the head can be annealed (heated and cooled) and reused but that doesn't work with aluminum.

And, the banjo bolts and mating surfaces have very shallow "seats" for the copper washers to sit in. If you continually center the washers in the seats while you tighten the bolts by hand till they're snug, you shouldn't have any leaks when you apply the final torque with a wrench......