Topic: How do I get these screws off?!

[Suke]

Hi all,
I have a '73 CB350F Four and am trying to change the oil for my first time. This is my first bike and I'm learning on it, but I wouldn't think something like this would be difficult. I am completely unable to get either screw loosened on the drain plug and also where the filter is! I tried using all my strength (maybe I'm just real weak!) and also sprayed some WD-40 to no avail. I read some posts on here about impact drivers. Do you think I should try one of those, or are there any other secrets to getting these screws loose? Mine seem to be on there extremely tight from the previous owner. Whatever happened to good 'ole lefty loosey, righty tighty?!

Thanks for your help!

[gerstle]

I never had any trouble with these particular screws myself, but if you're going to get involved in a relationship with a CB you might as well break down and spend the $15 on an impact driver.  There's no other way to get all those damn philips head screws off of your engine covers to replace them with socket heads.  Impact drivers are one of my favorite tools - they take very frustrating, tough situations and solve them in a matter of seconds.  Not to mention you get to hit something with a mallet really hard.

[frostypuck]

Don't know the 350, but is it a screw or a bolt? If it is a bolt, try increasing your leverage by sliding a small diameter pipe over the wrench end to help turn it off. And impact driver is a good investment for a bike, however, it is best used for phillips and flat-head screws, although mine (from Sears) came with an adapter to put a 3/8 drive socket on. But my opinion is if you can get a socket on it, you can remove it. If you are buying wrenches/sockets in the future, get the six-sided ones. Less chance of mucking up the bolt heads.
And if you're getting an impact driver, you'll need a hammer to hit it with.
Hope this helps a little,
Chris in Boston

[mick750F]

   Sometimes a direct blow, straight on, to the head of the filter bolt will loosen it up. You can also try to tap on the head while attempting to turn it with a wrench...sometimes three hands are required for this. Kind of a poor man's impact wrench. You could try the same with the drain bolts. Heat can also help loosen things up.

Mike

[Suke]

Thanks for the quick responses! It's great to have a resource like this website! They are actually both bolts instead of screws, and I did try a socket also thinking it'd help with leverage...but they didn't budge. I'll try to pick up a impact driver tonight and see if that works, as well as just having my wife hit the bolts with a hammer while I'm trying to loosen it with a socket. Just hope she has good aim! Thanks again.

[Alan F.]

And always remember to have someone sitting on the bike while you're struggling with the filter bolt....with enough torque to that bolt, you could potentially drop the bike on its right side.

By the way, my 750's filter bolt took a 2-foot breaker bar to crack loose after sitting for 2 years....I reassembled it with some anti-sieze on the threads.