Topic: oil filter bolt?

[turnenwheels]

Fellow ricers:
Talk about wacked, Here I've rebuilt this 750K4 from almost next to nothing, And a little bolt has got me whipped.  Not only did I round the sucker, But vice grips, the file, and the like cannot unstuck this stuck bolt.  My fear is that drilling is not an option, due to the nature of this bolt.  I've even removed the pipes to get a clear shot at this sucker...I'm at an impass.  Thanks, and I can take some heckling for this one!

[mcpuffett]

hi there, you can either try cutting the head off so you can remove the filter housing and get a better grip on what is left ,or you can destroy the oil filter housing to get to the bolt    mick.

[turnenwheels]

Well, I was afraid of those options...however, taking the head off the bolt remains the best option...Thanks for you advice...

[Harry]

I took a ring spanner that was one size smaller than the original size and tapped it carefully onto the rounded head with a hammer. Then I tapped the shaft of the spanner near the head with a hammer until the bolt gave. Tried this on two different bikes with rounded oil filter bolts and it worked both times.

[jotor]

hi there, you can either try cutting the head off so you can remove the filter housing and get a better grip on what is left ,or you can destroy the oil filter housing to get to the bolt    mick.

I use a peanut grinder to get the head off--careful when you get close to the aluminum.

On several occasions the bolt was just finger tight after releasing the tension in it.

 

[Bob Wessner]

What's a peanut grinder? (other than something I assume that grinds peanuts, of course) Not familiar with it.

[dpen]

To go one further on the smaller ring spanner theme-
get a small flat file & file some flats on the rounded head.
leave them just bigger than the spanner & then tap it on
Time consuming but it works.

[mcpuffett]

you could also get a bigger nut welded on to the old nut so you can get a better grip etc    mick.

[jotor]

What's a peanut grinder? (other than something I assume that grinds peanuts, of course) Not familiar with it.

Sorry................

[kghost]

Small pipe wrench on the rounded head has worked every time for me.

[turnenwheels]

Rather than grinding the bolt just yet, I'll try the spanner, the pipe wrench as well as filing for better grip.  Again, this forum has been so helpful, 

[dpen]

Let us know how you get on

[Bob Wessner]

What's a peanut grinder? (other than something I assume that grinds peanuts, of course) Not familiar with it.


Sorry................

Gotcha.

Guess it would some kind of overkill for me to shell peanuts with this, eh? 

[turnenwheels]

Wow!  It took alot of careful tapping and a pipe wrench to get that bolt off.  When I replaced the oil filter it was so brittle I could crumble it in my fingers.  I've never seen a filter so "waisted."  Thanks again for your help with this one.   

[phylo101]

If you decide to reuse the old bolt theres ONE very simple totally reliable cure, that will prevent the porblem
EVER occuring again....have someone braze (sifbronze-weld) a 3/4" drive socket onto it...!

Phylo

[Chris Liston]

This happened to me on my 550 3 years ago.  about 2 hours with a dremel and about 20 cutting disks later I had the bolt head off and slid the oil filter cover off and put a screwdriver into the bolt and removed it.  I then order a 1" bolt head from cyclewearables.com  no problems since that.  Just go slow with the dremel and wear eye protection, those little disks brake off fast.  Just be careful near the housing and you'll be fine.  I managed to cut the entire head off without touching the housing.  It also helps to have some compressed air handy to blow the shavings and dirt out of the way to check your progress.

[kghost]

Umm chris,

I think he got it off with a pipe wrench.

I have successfully repaired the bolt by welding a bigger nut onto the old bolt head. You might have to true up the old bolt head with a file to get a big nut to fit.

The bigger nut will keep it from stripping the next time.

[jotor]

Or get one of these with a 17mm head......

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product?storeId=10101&Pr=p_Product.CATENTRY_ID%3A2005475&TID=100&TID=100&productId=2005475&catalogId=10101

[sonnamuso]

I agree with mick phylo and kghost,  I had the same thing happen - stripped completely.  Found a nut where the inside diameter was the size of the head of the bolt and had a friend weld it on.  works splendid.
paul.

[turnenwheels]

It will need to be modified for future service.  Very silly to have such a small head for the size of the bolt...

[Harry]

It will need to be modified for future service.  Very silly to have such a small head for the size of the bolt...

But then again this is a bolt which should just be snugged, not tighened so your muscles bulge! The dimensions of the bolt reflect this fact, and there really should be no problem if the bolt is tightened the way it should be!

[Bob Wessner]

Actually, I believe Honda scaled the filter bolt down. The original, at least on the 750, was larger, but folks were over tightening them leading to cracked filter housings. They added some webbing inside the housing to strengthen them around the bolt hole and made the bolt head smaller.

[eldar]

Thats why there is an o-ring around the inside of the housing. You only need to snug up and the o-ring does the rest.

[Hop on a Honda]

This may be a little late but I managed to relieve a bolt like the 14mm oil filter bolt in question by drilling a 1/8 hole through it then using some reo bar like the spark plug bar, then a ring spanner over the end of it and simply eased it untill it let go.Bang.
Replace it with a 17mm one.
Dave Australia.