Oil drain plug questions...

I searched the site before I went n did an oil change. Got all the info n parts I needed. Then started the oil change. Got the oil cover off. Went n tried 2 get the drain plug off. But I can't get anything on the bolt!?! I can't get a socket on it. I can barely get the closed-end of a wrench on it. N when I get the open part of the wrench on it. Theres no room 2 turn it!?!

Heres a pics. Let me know what I circled and have the arrow pointing at. Is in fact the drain plug!!!
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn15 ... 000752.jpg

Or is the drain plug the smaller bolt up top!?!(I didn't try that bolt yet)

Thanx

 

Thats the drain plug. You should be able to get a socket on a six inch extension and ratchet it off. Use a good socket(preferrably a six point) so you dont round it off.

 

I can't get a socket on that plug... Like the angle of it prevents me from doing so! I'll try again once it stops raining. Thanx

 

Make sure that it is clean. Mine had some grime built up on it and that prevented my socket from seating properly.

Good luck and don't strip.

The bolt that is. What you do in the privacy of your own home is up to you. (grin)

 

You need a good six-point 19mm socket, and take a wire brush to the bolt to clean it up before trying. Someone's probably cranked the thing right on there, so it'll be a bit of a bee-yotch to get loose. Likely means it's time for a new crush washer too, if you havne't bought some yet.

 

On the tough ones ... I place a 6-Point 1/2" Socket on a 6" extension and fit the extension to my Breaker Bar.

Then, I pre-load the Breaker Bar with un-doing directional torque ... followed by a few rather hard impacts to the end of the Breaker Bar handle with a wooden hammer handle.

The Impact generally loosens the Oil Drain Plug.

Key to this maneuver if the application of torque to the Breaker Bar while "Whacking" the end of it with the Hammer Handle.

 

Sweet! I'll go back at it in the morning. If its not raining... I'll let ya'll know how it goes...


Thanx
~KAOS

 

I had 2 buy a 6 point 19mm socket. N for some reason that socket went on the plug just fine :?

Anyway I now have a new problem! I put in just alittle over 2 quarts of oil. Until I saw the "bubble" just about 2 leave sight. I wasn't on totally flat ground. So I compensated 4 it. I started it up. Ran it 4 like 4-5 mins. I let the bike stand for 10 mins. Checked the oil level. N it's almost in the middle of the sight!?! I waited another 10 mins. N its still at the same "spot"...

Should I fill it up again? 'Cuz what I've read with a new oil filter. It should take 2.80 liters.

Thanx

 

Yes, add a bit more oil until your level in the sightglass is near the top.

 

Yup - top it up with a couple more cups of oil.
Probably just filled up the new filter & the transmission, so need a bit more.

 

Have somebody help you by holding the Bike level while you fill it with the oil.
It's important that the Bike be level when you fill it with the oil to get an accurate reading of how much you have actually put in the crankcase.

Too much and you'll have the likelihood of having Oil get past the rings and causing engine troubles.

Plus having the excess ges sucked through the PCV Baffle and wind-up in your airbox.

 

Cool guys! Got it all takin care of. Thanx

 

Yes like rick said check the level with a friend,wife, son holding the bike up right not when its on a stand.

My bike (82 maxim 400) took about 2.9 quarts of oil, be very carefull when replacing the filter not to over torque the filter cover bolt. use a torque wrench mine was 11 ft pounds and the drain plug was 31 ft pounds

if you don't have a manual yet you will find it a very important part of owning a bike.I am sure someone here can give the specs you need or they can point you to where you can find them

Best of luck .

 

Hello everyone. I've been browsing this forum for awhile and I'm hoping somebody here can help me out.

I recently purchased an 82 maxim 750 and so far I love it. I was getting ready to do the oil change myself and when I went to remove the oil filter element cover, i noticed the head of the bolt was rounded off. I can't get anything to clamp on it and hold it to remove it.

Has anybody else had this problem? When removing the cover, does the bolt by itself spin out and then the cover drops, or does the whole cover spin off like a conventional filter on a car would? Any help from the fellow XJ owners would be very greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

The Bolt comes out.
However, there's an O-ring in the front-end of the Bolt that's a tight fit.
This makes the Oil Filter Housing turn with the Bolt.

If you can't drive on a tight-fitting 6-Point Socket ... you'll have to resort to extreme measures.

You might have to remove the pipes and get-on the outer shoulder of the Bolt with a Pipe Wrench.

Order a new Bolt and treat it wit NeverSeize so you won't be in this pickle again down the road.

 

Craftsman sells a set of special sockets made for rounded bolts. I guess the best way to explain it is that the are eccentric so that the more torque you apply, the tighter they get. Got mine as a gift so don't know price but, as far as I am concerned, it's an excuse to get more cool tools, not to mention not having to pull the exhaust system!!

 

I used the Irwin sockets for rounded bolts and an impact wrench. Worked great. Get a new filter bolt first and replace it. As Rick said use the anti seize and a torque wrench.

Good luck. I tried the methods you have so far with no head way but it came right off with the extractor and impact wrench.

 

before I removed the pipes, I would definately try a tool called a basin wrench. It is a long shaft with a 90 degree pipe wrench on the end. I am not 100% sure it would fit but I would sure try before risking pipe removal.

 

Be advised that the replacement bolt can be sourced from our online parts guru Chacal for cheap (<$15) along with new exhaust gasket rings ($1 a pop as I recall).

 

All the above are good methods - as summary of methods to remove the rounded off oil filter bolt that worked:
- vice grips
- pipe/plumber's wrench
- cutting a slot in the head and using a big flat screwdriver
- grinding off the head entirely to take off the filter housing, then remove the bolt

 

Thank you all so much for your help. I've basically tried everything except for cutting a slot into the head of the bolt and/or shaving the head off and removiing it after the pressure has been relieved. I'm putting an order in for one of chacal's oil filter adapters so I don't have to be in this pickle in the future.

Just makes you wish more people could read the service manuals and properly operate a torque wrench. I'll keep you posted on the progress when I have a chance to dedicate a chunk of time to the bugger.

 

The craftsman bolt out set as mentioned above They have gotten me out of a few jams for sure. THey work awesome for round/damaged bolts. I bought the bigger set for $50. it covers most sizes metric and standard and have been worth every penny.

 

Well, i'll tell you one trick i use quite often at work. Wouldnt be my first choice in this instance, but i'd try it before you take off the pipes. When i get a situation like that, i take an old piece of scrap metal (in this case, a good piece of 3/8" cold roll would do nice) and if you have access to a wire welder, then put the end of the stock to the head of the bolt and a couple of seconds later you got a good weld on there you can cool off with some water and no harm done. Works every time, but if you dont have easy access to a MIG machine, this could be a little inconvenient.