XJ550 Oil Change issues...

So I rebuilt my fuel petcock and I figure I'm going to go ahead and change the oil since it reeks of fuel. I picked up oil, new filer, drain pain and had my tools ready.

Then, I see this...A PO made a home-made oil filter cover bolt that's part nut, part washer, part bolt and welded it all together. It's so sloppily put together that though I could get the wrench on it, I couldn't get any grip with it. It was also torqued in such that with the limited grip of the wrench, there was no way I was going to get it out without rounding off the nut first.

Anyone else seen this and what did you do to get it out? I'd really like to be able to change the oil filter on this bike.

I'm thinking a grinder to flatten down the sloppy welds on the sides of the nut, then an impact wrench to get it loosened up...

 

The washer is part of the bolt. It's not just a bolt, it has the bypass valve in it.

The PO probably buggered the head (common) and welded the nut on.

Send Chacal a PM and arrange to get a new bypass bolt.

 

That's what I'd do--BOTH. File the flats better and beat a socket on there, and get on it with an air wratchet. If the head breaks off the whole thing should come off and let you get a pipe wrench on what's left. Get a new "bolt" first, Carl is right it's more than just a bolt.

 

My PO welded a 3/8 th socket on, so mine's easy to change, but now that I think about it, it could have heat soaked the little spring in there, making the bypass act wrong. I'll have to look at it now. . .

 

Thanks for the input guys. I just wanted to make sure I was on the right page about this.

I'll definitely get a hold of Chacal about it and a couple other parts I'm expecting to need for the overhaul this winter, seeing as he is repeatedly recommended as "THE" place to get parts.

Looks like I'm just going to need to drain and refill the oil without swapping the filter until I get started on the teardown. Yes, I know it's less than ideal, but I only have another 2, possibly 3 weeks of riding season left and they're predicting rain for half of those days anyway....

 

Another thing to think about would be to get one of the spin-on filter adapters to eliminate the whole basket assembly entirely. Chacal sells those, too. Makes the oil change a lot simpler and cleaner. Especially if you have 4-1 headers. I always had to drop my headers to get the basket off to access the filter. Now, I just have to spin off the filter and spin on the new one.

 

I used rounded bolt remover sockets and an impact wrench to get mine off. Looks like you may be be able to use a socket once you clean up the welds.

Chacal can have the bolt to you in a few days. I'm not sure how much I would ride with the gas soaked filter. Should not be much left after the oil change but I tend to be over cautious.

 

I wonder if gas will ruin the filter over time?

 

Filters are cheap. You should be able to get a FRAM (comes with the o-rings) at AutoZone or Murray's (Pep Boys?) <regional issue?> lots cheaper than the Yamaha store (one local Yamaha dealer that shall go unnamed tried to sell me a FRAM for DOUBLE what I could buy it for 1/2 mile down the road at AutoZone.) If it got saturated with gas/oil mixture I would replace it.