Help! I screwed up ...

I needed to replace the oil filter and I had been unable to get the bolt out previously.

I now have an impact wrench that I didn't have before so tried to use it. Somehow, in getting it on the end of the bolt, I managed to switch it to forward from reverse. It then tightened the bolt further (if that was possible) and then rounded the bolt, and I mean rounded. How do I get the damned thing out now?!!

Obviously I'll have to get a new bolt, but I have to get this one out ...

 

Since its shot anyway, have you tried vice grips?

 

I always used a chisel and hammer to remove stripped bolts. It always worked for me. You just need to get ahold of the outer edge and a couple taps whould brake it lose. Your getting a new one anyways.

 

Thanks,
I'm not quite understanding though - by getting ahold of the outer edge, you mean something like vise grips? How are you "tapping" on the bolt? On the side, the top ...? To get something like vise grips on there I'd have to remove the pipes from the engine ... and cross my fingers that one of those didn't break too ...

 

When using a chisel and hammer, getting a hold of the outer edge means using the chisel to make a gouge so that you have a bite on the bolt and can start striking the chisel with the hammer to move the bolt.

 

You won't need to remove the header pipes.
Just don't get the chisel too close to the bottom or you'll screw of the seal surface. A good smack against the bolt with a hammer should jar it enough for the chisel to work for you. A vice grip will probably only make the bolt worse off than it is already, unless there is enough meat left to grab on to.

 

You could weld a nut to the bolt head and get it off that way. It should come out. If you have the $$ cut cut the housing and get a spin on kit from chacal. I'm seriously thinking about changing over to spin ons just for this reason.

 

I would use a pipe wrench. The bolt is toast anyway (Chacal has replacements) and with a pipe wrench the harder you pull down on the handle the tighter it grips. If you don't have one you can get one from Harbor Freight for not too much $. You can also get 'em up to 3 feet and longer! Bet that little stuck sucker would come out with a 3 footer. Be careful you don't turn the bike on it's side!

I use a 3/8" air ratchet to remove bolts all the time and I have NEVER tightenedf a bolt instead of loosening it. Yeah right! As if!

At least this one is out where you can reach it.

 

Ah yes, the old pipe wrench trick. That'll do the job, but you may have to remove the pipes to use that.

 

vise grips! though if its reeeeeeallly stuck i dont know if it will hold as much and theres also Sockets for rounded out bolt heads never tried them tho

 

Vice grips didn't work for me, so here's what I ended up doing. On mine, I think it was originally a 12 mm bolt holding it on and the head of the bolt was stripped out. I used a dremmel tool grinder attachment to shave it down and shape it for a 10mm sprocket and I used a set of sockets that are for stripped bolts that I picked up from Sears for around $12. You'll have to use those becaus after grinding the metal, it will be somewhat soft and a regular 10mm socket will likely just strip out again.

 

I remember reading one of the members just cut the head off the bolt, that let him take the oil filter cover off and then use a pipe wrench on the bolt. Its only threaded at the end.