Oil Drain Plug seized and rounded

Hi,

I've searched the forum but can't find a definitive answer to my problem.

I have an 02 curvy (only had less than 2 months) and am trying to remove the oil drain plug but this is proving to be an impossible task. The oil drain plug is seized completely on the bike and won't budge for anything. It was slightly rounded before I got to it and now is majorly rounded. I have tried a 14mm socket, spanner, adustable spanner and now have reverted to a pair of vise grips but nothing has worked. I called my local garage (scott murray in Dunfermline) but they can't book me in for a couple of weeks.

Any ideas? Cheers in advance

[Viney]

You are turning it the right way? Always try when warm(not Hot). Then vice grips.

Soak it in a penetrating lubricant, like WD-40 or AC-90?

or you can try heating it up a bit?

Matt

I hope I'm turning it the right way. If I'm on the ground, looking up at the bike I am turning it (or rather, not turning it) anti-clockwise.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by aliman2000

Hi,

I've searched the forum but can't find a definitive answer to my problem.

I have an 02 curvy (only had less than 2 months) and am trying to remove the oil drain plug but this is proving to be an impossible task. The oil drain plug is seized completely on the bike and won't budge for anything. It was slightly rounded before I got to it and now is majorly rounded. I have tried a 14mm socket, spanner, adustable spanner and now have reverted to a pair of vise grips but nothing has worked. I called my local garage (scott murray in Dunfermline) but they can't book me in for a couple of weeks.

Any ideas? Cheers in advance

In the meantime - drain what you can by removing the filter and replace filter with new and top up with new oil.

A partial change might be just the job till you can get the bolt looked at.

Rememeber its a steel bolt and an ally casing - can be a terrible combination due to the bolt being tougher than the engine.

Would leave to the profs to get the bolt out - if the thread is messed up it may need re-tapping or a helicoil to fix

Looking from on top of the bike pointing forwards you should be undoing the bolt clockwise.

Lying under the bike, looking up at the engine you should turn it Widdershins

Get a jar of crushed ice, full to the top , reay to hand.
Now, with a blow torch, get the smp plugg area real hot, so that spit will sizzle on it , concentrate the heat around the ally rather than the head of the bolt,

Now quickly immerse whats left of the plug head in the ice to chill, remove jar.
Put the vice grips on tight and skelp with a hammer.

You are loosening the correct way.

If this doesnt work, the next plan will.

Weld a nut to the stub of the plug, the welding heat helps to loosen the tight thread and the nut will give you something to wrench on.

Could be done with the bike on its side.

Cheers
Pod

There is a product I use at work called free-it it comes in an orange can, if you can get hold of some of that and give it a soaking in that then tap a smaller socket than the original size onto what is left of the bolt, should do the trick.

You Could also try 4WD spanners if there's still any flats left. They don't work on the edges of the hexagon, only in the centres.

Another option is to put a slot in it with a hacksaw (masking the areas you could damage in the area) and use and impact driver with the engine hot.

Finally, you can drill a hole in the centre of the bolt (making sure you don't hit the thread from the inside and use a stud extractor usually used for snapped bolts and studs.

Good Luck.

Cheers,

Carl