Stuck Fill Plug on 82 GS850

[Anonymous]

The fill plug for the gear oil on the back of the drive shaft by the rear wheel on my 82 GS850 is stuck. The PO managed to round off the bolt. I tried a 17mm end wrench and scocket and the plug is rounded off. Next I tried some vice grips and the darn fill plug will not budge. I have been spraying it with liquid Wrench for two days now. Yes I am trying to turn it counter clockwise please tell me that the fill plug is not reverse threaded. Anyone else experienced this problem or have any ideal on how to get the fill plug out. Got the bike running and am now tring to change all of the fluids in it.

[qslim]

Damn, that sounds fun. When I get stuck fill/drain plugs like that, I usually end up chiseling it off. Get a GOOD chisel (the dollar units will make even more of a mess, usually) and strike at a tangent to the direction you want the bolt to turn. This of course, will destroy the bolt, but it sounds like you need a new one anyway!
Oh, and how about a little torch? You can pick up a bernz-o-matic (what a cool name for a product) filled with MAP gas at Home Depot for around 30 bucks. It's really one of my most indespensable tools. But, I don't know what that heat will do to the finish of the final drive casing, so heating it might be a bad idea.

[SqDancerLynn1]

A big a## pipe wrench

[Anonymous]

The big $%^# pipe wrench wont fit. the case kind of curves out. I think I will try to cut a slot in it and try the big #$%6 impact wrench and torch.

[jimcor]

The big $%^# pipe wrench wont fit. the case kind of curves out. I think I will try to cut a slot in it and try the big #$%6 impact wrench and torch.

Cut a small slot or notch out at the edge of the bolt. Get an old worn out screwdriver jam it in the cut and whack that baby counterclockwise. I don't think an impact driver will help.

[Anonymous]

ok i have been beating the living daylights out of it and it is not moving. I think I will hit the lowes and get a torch and try a little heat with the beatings

[Guy]

Drill a hole in the centre of the bolt and screw it out with an easyout.

[Anonymous]

The easy out is on my list to try but at this point I think I may have to weld a rod to the drain plug and see if that works. I cut a slit in it with the dremel tool had have whacked the living daylights out of it with a impact wrench. I have also beat the #$%^ out of it with a screwdriver. It is stuck!!!

[LW_Icarus]

there are special pliers available on the snap on truck that are made to remove studs and rounded bolts easily, look like channel locks with a funky rounded jaw and sharp teeth. theyd do the trick I think.
unfortunately if you arent able to get snap on or mac tools, you probably wont find em.

if you drill on that bolt be prepared to take apart the final drive. there will be shavings in there and you'll want em out.

Id be inclined to use a hammer and a cold chisel to try to turn it, knowing I was gonna put a new plug in when Im done. or grind flats in it and hammer an impact socket over it, and hit it with the impact gun.

[argonsagas]

First recommendation........if you have a wonderfully hot torch, such as the MAPP gas type, which is meant for brazing, I would suggest taking it out to the bike and showing the torch to it as a threat....then put the torch back into the box.

Aluminum will not take that much heat, so the most probable thing you will do is damage the housing, and then you have to look for a new one.....along with a new bolt.

It is still summer, so there may be an ice cream truck in your neighbourhood and it just MAY have some dry ice on board.

First get a set of vice grips that have a suitable jaw for the job. try them out on the bolt and ensure they are set for a really good grip....enough that you can just barely squeeze them together. Set them aside for a minute.

Then place a cone...make it of plastic or cardboard, and make sure it will stand up on the bolt while leaving room for the dry ice to drop down.

Get yourself a decent hammer and be sure you can swing it sharply and accurately. You need to hit the bolt sharply....ONCE.

Note that sharply does not mean you have to mash the bolt...you want only enough impact to compress the threads just a tiny bit.

Now that you are armed with a small supply of dry ice, drop the dry ice in on top of the bolt, wait for at least a full minute, remove the ice, hit the bolt sharply with the hammer....ONCE.....then lock on and twist away.

[Anonymous]

ok I will try the extream cold instead of the heat the grocery store around the corner sells dry ice.

Are these the pliers you are talking about

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp?tool=all&Group_ID=593&store=snapon-store

[argonsagas]

I would not use the pliers at all.

The problem is that you usually cannot get the best angle for gripping, and then maintain enough gripping force while turning.

Vice grips solve that.


Since the bolt head is already rounded, you need similar shape jaw to take advantage of that fact. The round-jaw type of vice grips will allow
more area to be gripped, so adjust the knob until you need all the pressure you can manage to close them around that bolt. Then set them aside and use the cold.

If you can get sufficient grip that the vicegrips will not move, additional leverage may help. Try adding a large diameter pipe to the handle.

[argonsagas]

I am adding this as a second post, as I am second-guessing myself.


Aluminum is a very good heat conductor, so heating a steel bolt locked iinto a piece of aluminum generally is not a good idea..



Back to the high heat torch.

If you cannot remove the bolt with extreme cold, which I still recommend as a first option, you can try using two torches...one standard propane and the other a high heat source.

First you raisie the general temperature on the aluminum until it is too hot to touch. You use nothing hotter than a standard propane torch for this.

After that a second torch can be used, and you need to have it lighted and ready to use before the aluminum housing is heated.

A MAPP gas torch can be used on the bolt itself, provided the entire focus of the heat is on the bolt head and nowhere else.

You must not move the high heat flame onto the aluminum.

Note:

This would actually work better if you used an oxygen-acetylene torch, because you want the bolt to heat FAST.

(slowly heating the bolt is of no value as the aluminum will carry away the heat before it becomes useful to you)


The moment you think it is glowing red, you must pull the flame away, lock onto the bolt head, and turn it out ...FAST.

FAST is essential as you must use the heat to your advantage before the aluminum carries it away.




Consider this a last-ditch idea. I don't recommend this method because it requires good coordination, quick timing, and it leaves you open to error, but, if you are down to nothing else, give it a try.