Alright, so I just did my first oil change on my XT660X and now I have some questions.

I used the Haynes manual and I thought it was straight forward. On my old bike it was a cakewalk so I thought it would be on the XT as well...however.

1) The pressure check bolt on top of the oil filter housing is causing me problems. The manual advices to slacken it to see if oil is flowing (it was) but now I cannot tighten it again. I used a torque wrench to tighten it to the specified 5nm but it just keeps turning. What gives? There is no way I could have stripped it because I barely touched it. When I start the bike, oil seeps out from the screw. Could it be because the washer/gasket was not replaced? The Haynes manual did not mention that I had to replace it.

If I need a new gasket/washer, does anyone know what size/type?
Also would I need to drain the oil all over again to fit it? Im afraid that if I remove the bolt, oil will start pouring out.

And is the bike ridable in that condition? Will it be able to maintain oil pressure?

2) Is it normal that you cannot see the oil level on the dipstick? I poured in 1.9L and then 0.6L as specified in the manual (I didnt change the filter) however, I can barely see anything on the oil dipstick, it only reaches up to the lower mark even after I ran the bike for a minute.

Im really quite frustrated, on my old bike an oil change took 5 minutes but on the XT it seems like a major pain in the ass to avoid getting oil all over. On top of that you need several different sizes of washers and there is no way to check if the bike has enough oil due to the dipstick issue.

Okay, bad news.

Out of curiosity I went and took off the pressure check bolt and pretty much all of the thread of the socket came out attached to the bolt. It was completely stripped (bolt looks completely fine)
Ive never seen a thread that was so completely stripped.

This could not have been done by me as I unscrewed it very carefully and used a torque wrench to tighten it (it never got even remotely tight so I didnt even get to apply pressure).

Now I am wondering how this could have happend. The previous owner had the 1k km and 5k km done by a shop and due to the way the socket was stripped it makes me think it might have been a production error?
There is still 1 month left of warranty, but now that I have touched it myself I guess the warranty is void?

****ing hell. Guess I need a new oil filter cover now...

Good news is that the part(2WK1344700) is not as expensive as I would have though. (~20�)

However, I see that its a part used on many different bike models so I am a bit worried that the colour will not be the same as the engine on the XT660X.

What do you guys think?

Shouldn't use a torque wrench on small bolts. Just do them by hand and try to get a feel for how tight you can take them.
This applies in spades to small steel bolts in alloy casings with oil on them!
Most torque settings are for a dry bolt; the oil lets them get much tighter before triggering the wrench.

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XT660R 2006

Niko

I have an XT660R, the oil change is very simple.

The best advise I can give you is to use the owner's manual, it is clear, detailed, simple to follow and gives you all the required torque settings.

the pressure switch is not touched in anyway during an oil change!

For an oil change:

replace the crankcase drain plug oil washer
replace the tank drain plug oil washer
if you change the oil filter, you do not need to change the oil filter rubber ring unless it is damaged.

Unless you use extremely cheap oil and change frequently, I recommend changing the oil filter at every oil change (yamaha oil change is at 10k km)

If you follow the owner's handbook routing, then it is quick but don't rush it and let the old oil drain.
You check the level after the oil is at full operating temperature, say after a ride. wait 2~3 minutes and check the level: unscrew the dipstick, wipe it and then put it back in (loose) without screwing it in (very important). hold the bike upright (vertical), make sure you don't tilt it towards the right at all. Hold it for 5~10 secs, then remove the stick and check the level
et voila

Lesson to be learned here, don't let anyone touch your bike but you or someone you really trust , I'm not saying they defo did it, but I took an XT600E in to a garage for an MOT and they suddenly announced that the front disc was warped, I would've noticed the "pulsing" of the brake had that been the case.
Also, when I tried to change the front sprocket, they had done it up so tightly it had to be cut off.
I use an MOT-only garage where I can wait in a viewing bay now.
A biker friend who knew the garage said it was not unkown of them to put a stout screwdriver or similar and twist to get more work.
So your stripped thread might've been that sort of mechanic.
Do it yourself and know it's done properly.