Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

If it's broken or just needs tweaked

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tracejm
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:26 am

Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby tracejm » Sun Aug 11, 2013 3:22 pm

Hi all - first post after purchasing a 1982 Nighthawk CB650SC. It's my first motorcycle; I'm an "average" car mechanic and have a bit of aptitude with engines, though.

In doing all of the routine maintenance, I discovered a completely rounded off oil filter bolt. (Number 8 in this picture: http://i.imgur.com/sdUz6ke.png)

Smaller sockets don't work and vice grips made it worse. I've already broken off an EZ Out in there (yes, I know, dumb of me). I also can get one of those "bolt-out" sockets that have gripper teeth on the head but I can't turn it with my 3/8" drive breaker bar.

I saw a discussion on here from about 18 months ago of someone with the same problem. The advice was to either weld on a new nut as a bolt head or to grind it off. I don't have access to a welder so I'm at the point of grinding.

My question is if I do the grind off, how am I going to get the bolt/strainer assembly out of the block, especially since I can't turn it with a breaker bar on it now? I've never actually seen it; it looks like a hollow assembly of some kind that might collapse with pressure?

Thanks for any tips.

Jason

(PS - Loving the forums here after just getting this bike. Thanks to all, especially the moderators.)

saber
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Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 6:46 pm

Re: Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby saber » Sun Aug 11, 2013 4:20 pm

Good question. I have the same problem.

tracejm
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:26 am

Re: Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby tracejm » Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:40 pm

Just an FYI... I had a private email with one other person in this forum and he gave me a great reply (below). I might have the confidence to take the grinder to it now, but my plan is to stop by my favorite local classic bike mechanic and get one more opinion. I'll post anything I learn in this process...

-------

I had one stuck and rounded off. I ground off the rounded part, and welded a larger nut in its place. between the heat of the welding, and the ability to turn the larger nut, the bolt came right out.

The bolt looks like this: http://www.partsnmore.com/images/parts/480/15-3022.jpg

If you do not have access to a welder and can grind the bolt off past where the head is flared out without damaging your filter cover, you will then be able to slide the filter cover and filter off, and should be able to fairy easily get the remainder of the bolt out with pliers.

Usually where the bolt actually sticks is between the head and the filter cover due to corrosion, not because it is too tight.

MiGhost
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Location: South Central Mitten

Re: Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby MiGhost » Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:15 am

tracejm wrote:If you do not have access to a welder and can grind the bolt off past where the head is flared out without damaging your filter cover, you will then be able to slide the filter cover and filter off, and should be able to fairy easily get the remainder of the bolt out with pliers.

Usually where the bolt actually sticks is between the head and the filter cover due to corrosion, not because it is too tight.

The oil filter bolt is a hollow bolt. The easiest way to remove it once the head has been stripped off is to drill off the head in the same manner as drilling out a rivet. If you can get the broken piece of easy out removed. Continued drilling larger until the bolt head pops loose. This will leave the main tube of the bolt attached, and easily removed with vice grips, or pliers.

Try not to damage the filter housing when doing this, but if it does get damaged. They are available on ebay at decent prices.

When replacing the filter bolt. You will also probably need to replace the washer #6 in the pic. These often get tossed out with an old filter, but are needed to keep the spring from digging into the filter.

Correct assembly of the filter into the housing will be Spring, washer, filter, then spacer. This is necessary for the correct operation of the pressure relief valve that is part of the oil filter bolt.

Ghost
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my79650
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Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Gagetown, New Brunswick Canada

Re: Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby my79650 » Mon Aug 12, 2013 1:25 am

If you have a bike salvage yard handy to you; get another bolt and cover first; better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it. I had to do the same to mine a few years ago; but i had a parts bike on hand. When you reassemble it smear some axle grease on the washer side of the bolt so it don't seize up again.

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Folsoml
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Re: Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby Folsoml » Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:25 pm

The way I eventually got mine to come off was by soaking it in PB Blaster and tapping around the perimeter of the bolt (where it connects to the cover) with a small screw driver (tapping it with a hammer). This eventually broke it free.
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jagans
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:51 pm

Re: Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby jagans » Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:27 pm

How about Drilling and tapping with a left handed tap and bolt? I think ENCO has left handed taps. Once you get it out, you can get or fab a new bolt. Can you get a small, good pipe wrench on the rounded off bolt? Like a Rigid pipe wrench? I seem to remember having one that was stuck like this, they can be tough.

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Volker_P
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Re: Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby Volker_P » Tue Aug 13, 2013 2:05 am

Welcome here, Jason! :D

Good to hear you fixed your problem.

As you stated correctly:
tracejm wrote:Usually where the bolt actually sticks is between the head and the filter cover due to corrosion, not because it is too tight.

So no need to worry for the thread or the hollow part of the bolt.
Once freed from the housing, it will just turn out by hand.

Some grease between bolt head and housing during mounting is a good idea. :wink:
Cosky's great (free) online manual: http://cosky0.tripod.com

forum links to common technical issues

If you really like this site and you would not like to see it vanish soon, have a look there: Urgent: Future of HondaCB650.com Forum

tracejm
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:26 am

Re: Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby tracejm » Sun Aug 18, 2013 5:03 pm

Thanks for all of the tips, everyone.

I ordered the housing and bolt off of eBay for $18 USD and got it yesterday.

You were all correct. Once I ground off the head of my existing bolt to the point where I could chisel off the housing, I found the bolt was only hand tight in the engine. All of the seizing was due to corrosion between the bolt and housing. Amazing; this is not what I would have guessed.

Jagens - a pipe wrench probably would have worked if I had needed it at this point. Being this is both my first bike and my first oil change I had never seen the bolt before. It's a sturdy piece of metal that would likely have been well gripped by a pipe wrench.

canuck1sailor
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 2:41 pm
Location: Victoria, Canada

Re: Stuck & Rounded Oil Filter Bolt

Postby canuck1sailor » Fri Aug 23, 2013 4:02 pm

I took mine to a local back yard Honda mechanic. He simply hammered away on vice grips until broke loose.

I ordered a new one from a Honda dealer, for $20..00. They are common to many different models and easily available. The new bolt has a larger head 17mm.

I took sage advice from someone on this forum and now only use impact sockets.


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