Oil filter woes; a few questions

Yeah, that same rounded bolt that everyone else has. I've tried for a couple days now... bought a pipe wrench and cranked on it, nothing seems to work. I'm done with that shitty design anyway, and I think I'll just order the spin-on conversion (as soon as my money tree starts producing). My question pertains to how to remove the old filter housing. I want to just take a grinder or something of the sort and chop into the bolt head, and then I should be able to slide the filter off, correct?

After I slide the filter off, the rest of the bolt is still going to be stuck into whatever it is stuck into, correct? How am I going to get it out once I've chopped the bolt head off of it and taken the filter off?

I swear, every time a try to fix something on this bike or make it better, something other problem rears it's ugly head and kicks me in the balls. GRR!

 

An impact driver with a six point socket will loosen most fasteners. They are not expensive and as an old biker (started in 1969), I think that it is an indispensible tool.

 

I tried to send a PM but it seemed to get caught in the outbox. This info may have arrived there also.

The bolt threads are probably under stress from being too tight. If the impact driver approach doesn't work and you absolutely have to cut off the bolt head, it will probably relieve the stress, allowing the bolt to be easily removed with your new pipe wrench or locking pliers (vice grips). I have been a mechanic for nearly 40 years and have experienced this many times.

 

ANd unless you want to keep it completely stock, once you get it off, get a spin on oil filter adaptor kit from Chacal. Piece of cake to install and no more stuck bolt!

mikeg

 

I ran in to the same situation last week on my 1985 maxim X, it sat for 2 yrs with same oil..imagine that..i sprayed oil penetrant..gently hammered with a impact (hand)driver..then used compressor and socket..came out with oil splashing all over..If tightened to spec in future i think its still a good cover to use. Good luck.

 

I'm off to harbor freight for an impact driver and a grinder then. What do you guys think? Should I grind a flat cut into the bolt head and then use an impact driver with a flat head attachment?

Cause this thing is rounded. I should have just used it from the start, and i might have been able to get some grip on it, but now a 6 point won't work. Either grind down the sides to make a new 6 sided bolt or grind through the middle for a screwdriver.

Oh well, both are good tools to have, right?

 

Damaged bolt remover (Like These From Sears) on the end of an impact driver should take it off.
If not - grind it flat to the housing like you said and slide the housing off. Then you'll have enough of the bolt exposed that a pipe wrench shouldn't have too much problem getting it out.

 

The bolt is hollow and contains the over-pressure relief valve. Once you cut the head off it will come right out; you'll need a new one though and it's not a hardware or auto-parts store item; it's a "part" not just a bolt.
If you're going to need to re-use it at least temporarily then I'd go with grinding new flats or a screwdriver slot (I'd go with new flats.)

 

Ground the washer portion of it away, the housing fell off and I was able to unscrew the bolt by hand, just like you said. I don't trust the housing after all the grinding I did to it, so I'm just going to wait for some free cash flow and order the screw on filter adapter. I plan on running this bike a long time so it'll be nice to have.

Also when I was taking the exhaust off, the ring nut broke into two and fell off the header, so I'm going to need one of those, haha. I'm just happy that all the head studs held in there.

That leads me to the question: I see on the parts list that a 30mm "thin walled" 1/2 inch drive socket for the installation is going to run me nearly 30 bucks on top of the conversion kit. Has anyone installed one and does anyone know the deal with this? Why does this socket cost 30 dollars?

 

The head of the bolt does not seal to the housing. The seal is that o-ring 1/4" or so down from the head. If you haven't buggered the hole it doesn't matter how much the face is hacked up (My 650 had "worm tracks" from someone drilling under the bolt head).

Chacal sells an aftermarket bolt with the larger head. Get one of those and don't over torque it.

 

The socket is really only required if you want to be super anal and torque the nut on to a proper specification. You should still be able to get a regular old crescent wrench on there and just tighten it down gudentite.

 

Ahh, that's what I wanted to hear.

Thanks to everyone. Such quick replies, very cool.

 

I was able to get the socket at Lowes for less than $10 this spring. I wanted to be anal since it's going to be on there for a long time.

mikeg