let me begin by saying that i'm new to wrenching... just bought tools this weekend. probably no surprise that i accidently poured too much oil in my GS while talking to a neighbor. so i unscrewed the plug and bled some oil and then retightened it. and now i can't help but think the plug is going to loosen and cause a problem when I least expect it. so the questions are: do i need a re-do on my oil change? will the oil that doused the plug cause it to lose its grip someday soon? do i need a new crush washer after tightening and then loosening the one that is on there now? how important is a torque wrench? I didn't know the value so just did it by hand - plug and filter. thanks for your time.
I'm no mechanic, and I know zero about your particular bike, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just check the bung plug for looseness after your next couple rides, and look for any oil leaks at the plug and filter. I'd be more concerned about over-filling with oil, but only if it was WAAAY overfilled, in which case smoke might be one clue. Good luck.
You'll be fine, just go ride. What you can do to make yourself feel better (a good idea anyway) is after a couple of rides just put a wrench on the plug and make sure it is still snug. If it has loosened up you will notice it, and if it hasn't then you know that it is OK.
If you are tightening a steel plug into an aluminum case, a torque wrench might be advisable. There is a tendency for inexperienced mechanics to overtighten things. In any case, you're going to want one as you start delving into other repairs, so why not go ahead and get one?
Note that all my experience has been on Japanese bikes, mostly old dirt bikes. It's possible that a BMW has some special metal alloys that make normal mechanical skills irrelevant
Geez, you have to type quick around here Good advice, just don't tighten it up while the engine is hot. You might struggle to undo it once it cools down (although you should do an oil change while the engine is hot anyway).
Just be careful when "retightening" a bolt in aluminum. I always loosen first then tighten. Had a block heater blow out on a Ford diesel 400 miles south in Baja. I appeared that the "mechanic", at every oil change, noticed a slight leak and simply gave it another snug which eventually fractured the interior tee.
thanks for all the quick responses. i will definitely get a torque wrench. was going to upload a pic of my hot neighbor but the upload failed. too bad, i'm sure she would love to meet you!
I am not sure if it would have worked with your bike, but on some engines you can get excess oil out with a turkey baster. Probably best not to put it back in the kitchen afterwards though. PS: Also good for filling batteries.
