Stuck and rounded oil filter bolt

Got a rounded oil filter bolt. Impact wrench just spins. Ordered a new bolt to replace it, but I still need to replace the filter. What's the best method to get it off?

 

Welcome to the forum.

I don't know what your wrenching skill set is, or what type of tools you have. There are many different ways to make the bolt have a shape that can take a wrench or socket again. Order a new plug, as the one you have will not be going back on the bike.

You can file or grind down the round of the bolt to give an area to put a wrench on again. Once you are able to get a "grip" you can use a little heat on the bolt before you try to remove it. Hard area to work in, just make sure to keep the case of the bike in good shape. I am sure some more folks will chime in with some other ideas as well. Good luck.

 

As Timbox suggested you need to grind some flats on the head so an adjustable wrench fits.
Failing that I've had to completely grind the head off on one occasion.
If you damage the filter housing don't worry too much about it, cheap used replacements are easy to find.
Heat will not be a realistic option as the threads are 4" in, heat will only get the head hot.

 

Stilson ftw. Unless it makes it worse of course.

 

Or one of these.

 

You'd think those rotten buggers could have put 15 or 17mm head on that thing Sheesh.

 

Others may correct me, but I believe early models had the 12mm head, but at some point they realized that was a bad idea and increased the size to 17mm or something.

 

I have used this before for rounded bolts because you can get it very secure with the fitted bolt. Might work its worth a try.

 

Thanks for the tips y'all, imma see if my Dremel will make a some contact point to monkey wrench that sucker off. That pesky lil 12mil is stubborn

 

You can always grind the head off, and then carefully grind through the shoulder til the housing pops off. The spring inside will make it do that. If you end up screwing up the filter cover, there are plenty available. The 650, 700,750,and 900 all used the same cover. If you can’t find one, I have several right here in NY.

dfox

 

just think how tight the DPO could crank it in with a 17mm.

 

Or stick a 1/2" nut over the bolt head and plug weld in place.

 

Well there is that. Haha good point.

 

You know imperial is exact and I wish I could think it properly but I was born in a metric age, unfortunately, I use metric.
The simplest example of imperial being superior is when you talk in 3rds. I'll stop now as our world with computers has become all about rounding.

 

I use them both, and they both make sense. I do like the unit size of imperial measurements as they seem more practical. But my first rig was a VW bug and I had metric tools before I had standard. And feet and inches are commonly divided into tenths, especially in surveying just to make it interesting! Using a 250' tape with fractions on one side and tenths on the other has bit me more than once.

 

I used these allen hex sizes at work for years and got used to them, but having started out on UJM I thought it was a crazy way to mark tool size 050, 1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 9/64, 5/32, 3/16.

I like metric for tools as it seems much easier, although I also like the tenths in the SAE when measuring tight tolerances.