Topic: 1976 Cb 550 broken oil bolt

[cpthacksaw]

I recently bought a 76 cb 550 that was running when I bought it.  I wanted to change the oil, oil filter and strainer in it because the oil was nasty black.  When I tried to take the bolt out of the oil filter the old rusted bolt sheared off.  Clean off. So I got on ebay and bought a new bolt and oil filter housing.  The problem is how do I get the old housing and bolt off?  I tried to use an extractor and I broke that off in it.  I am almost to the point of cutting the housing off with a hack saw and dealing with the bolt when I get the housing out of the way.  Please help.  I have no idea why this bolt is stuck in there so bad.

[burmashave]

I'm a bit fuzzy on what's on the bike and what's not. Did the bolt break off and leave the housing somehow stuck to the bike? If the housing is off, does any of the bolt show? How about a picture?

I'm sure other folks will chime in with actual suggestions, but I can say from experience that drilling out an extractor can be a serious pain. They're made of hardened steel and don't like to be drilled.

[tlbranth]

I also am unsure of what's on and what's not. If it's the same bolt as my 750K0, mine stuck back in the early 70's and I wound up grinding off the bolt head and washer and buying new. I figured the friction of the large washer surface was too much for the small bolt head and stopped tightening it so much. Post a picture if you can.

[cpthacksaw]

The part the socket goes on broke off but left enough of a rim that the housing will not slide off.  I will try to post a pic later.  When you grided it off did you replace the oil filter housing to or did you just grind the bolt off.

[tlbranth]

It was a long time ago but I'm pretty sure I managed to grind off the bolt head and washer without hitting the filter housing. If you concentrate grinding in the center of things, I think the washer part will separate and it'll all fall off. You might also try grinding a radial slot in the washer, squirt some penetrating oil under it and try turning it with a punch and hammer. I've loosened some pretty stubborn stuff that way. Good luck. Lessee them pics

[MickeyX]

We just went through this not long ago. The PO on one of our cb650s had rounded off the bolt and we tried a bunch of stuff to get it off but it just crumbled. I ended up grinding the end of the bolt and the washer part off. In doing so, I took off some of the fin material. I had to grind into the front of the housing just a touch too because the washer part just wouldn't let loose. We didn't have a spare housing and I didn't feel right leaving it looking like that, so the next day while Kit was at work, I got the grinder out. I used a standard grinding wheel to get the fins down and pretty even. Then I took a wire wheel and smoothed it out a bit. Then I took a hand file and made sure it was flat and even across and then feathered the edges into the fins that run down the sides so it looked like it was meant to be that way. I took the wire wheel to it again and then hand sanded it just a touch. I beveled the fins down the side a bit too for a cleaner look. Kit likes it a lot better this way and it's so easy to clean now. We also won't have to worry about chipping the fins the next time we change the filter.

[bryanj]

As you have another bolt and housing just hacksaw the end off, there should be a spring and a steel waser between the closed end of the housing and the replaceable filter---make sur you got them!!

[Queeg]

another idea is try welding a nut or bolt head. hell a flat piece of metal to whats left and see if you can get it loose..
  unless you dont have access to a welder. than the previous post would work better

[Chris Liston]

grind off as much as the remaining bolt head as possible then slid the filter housing off.  When that's done you should be able to put a screwdriver through the filtering holes in the bolt and turn it loose.  Had to do that a few years ago.  Just take your time with a dremel.  I only had some very small cutting wheel marks on the housing when done.  Just remember to not over tighten the bolt when you get a new one.

[cpthacksaw]

Thanks for all of the help.  I am glad to see that I am not the only one with this issue.  I got it off by taking a grinder to it and I found a new bolt and housing online for $20.  More time and money than I wanted to put into an oil change but  at least it is done.  Thanks again.

[mycb750k6]

MickyX - that looks really good. I think I'll put one under the mill and try that and then buff it up shiny. I suppose you could mount one in the lathe and make sand cast replicas as well.

[Bob Wessner]

Might be a candidate for the soda blasting technique mentioned in another thread.