Blue Ridge Beemers

Took advantage of being off work today and did some routine maintenance on my R75/6 after a little riding. Unfortunately, I managed to strip the drain hole threads on the drive shaft.
I'm hoping to find a tap kit to repair it as there appears to be enough of the original thread to regroove it. I already called Advanced Auto in Ruckersville and they don't have the size I would need. Any recommendations of where I may find a tap kit to purchase in the Ruckersville/Charlottesville area?
Thanks.

You generally need a real AP store for stuff like that, not a boutique like Advance or AutoZone. NAPA on Preston Ave has the stuff I need. The tap you need is a 12-1.5 (I have one here).

Another problem is that there is very little room behind the hole for the tap to go. It's unlikely that you'll be able to salvage the threads. You'd need to Helicoil it, and I suspect the kit is over $40.

One DIY option is to coat the plug in a release agent, smear the hole with JB Weld and screw the plug in. Once the JB Weld sets, you remove the plug. Haven't done it that way myself, but I hear it works. No idea what a good release agent for that application would be, though.

I did some research and you will need to partially disassemble the rear drive in order to helicoil the threads. Special tools are required for the disassembly, and then the Helicoil kit is over $70. It's far from a trivial task.

Let me know if you want me to do this, so I can order the tools. Your cost would probably be about $50 if you brought me the drive but it can't happen for about a week.

DON'T try to fix it yourself without the right equipment. Call me if necessary.

Thanks for taking the time to look into this. Currently I have no way of getting the bike to you, but will be considering your services for this project possibly in the future. Fortunately the R75 is what I ride the least and won't miss out on any riding even if it sits for awhile.
Thanks again.

No prob. For the short trip here, the oil in the swingarm isn't that critical anyway, so you could just ride it without oil if you had to. However you could put the plug in with some teflon tape if it leaks. Yeah, teflon tape is a major danger sign if you're looking at a used bike but for a temp repair it's still good.