couldn't get the crankcase nut loosened!

[Jimmy Hoffa]

I went to change the oil on my '82 850G this weekend, (thanks to BikeCliff for his awesome "instructables"!) and had everything set to go. I live in the city, so I pulled the bike up on the sidewalk next to my building, put down a towel to catch spills, had my tools all set up, catch pan ready, and when I put the socket wrench on the crankcase nut...

...it would. not. budge.

I am not a small guy, so I figured it was just full of grit. Sprayed some degreaser on it to loosen the collected muck, washed it out...still nothing. No movement at all.

Then I realized that when I bought the bike, the guy gave me all the service docs he had - and he'd had an oil change done at a garage, where they probably used the pneumatic gun to tighten the nut.

Any clever solutions for this besides taking to a shop and having them loosen it with a pneumatic gun?

[chuckycheese]

Nuts!

I doubt if anyone would be so dumb as to use a pneumatic gun but you never know. It's so irritating that so many people over tighten nuts and bolts; it's totally unnecessary and causes a lot more harm than good.

As long as you haven't stripped the nut, I believe you'll get it. I'd suggest you get a high quality 1/2 inch drive socket on there and use a pipe, or something similar, to get really good leverage. Rather than gradually trying to loosen it, give it a very sharp, all at once, pull. My guess is that you'll hear a 'crack' and it will be loose.

I had a very similar situation with my 1100 when I bought it and that worked for me. When you replace it, slightly more than finger tight will be just fine...and it will still be plenty tight when you take it off next time. Good luck...you'll get it!

[Jimmy Hoffa]

Nuts indeed!

Man, I was whacking away at that socket wrench with the hammer, too. OK, I'll give it a try with a piece of pipe. I would hate to have to take it to a shop just to loosen the nut...

[chuckycheese]

Hope so

For some reason, a sharp pull with really good leverage seems to be more helpful than banging on it. I don't know the physics behind it but I've found that to be the case on a number of jobs. As long as it's not stripped, I feel sure you'll get it. I hope so. Let us know!!

P.S. I really hate to say this but make sure you're pulling in the right direction. When stuff is upside down, confusion is possible. (Don't ask me how I know.)

[Archania]

funny, this is what happened to me also yesterday. I wanted to drain the oil out since there is a little too much and refill accordingly. Can't get the screw out...
Very helpful.. Thanks.

[buttonhook]

they might have used the green loctite on it.

[tkent02]

they might have used the green loctite on it.

Or red Loctite, or JB Weld, or anything else.

I would definitely look underneath to see if you can tell what the problem is, pull hard enough and you might pull the threads right out or even crack the oil pan. It's just a thin aluminum casting.

Can't imagine getting the plug tight enough that it wouldn't come out, without using some kind of glue.

And, if they glued it, there must be a reason, like maybe the threads were already stripped out?

Good luck.

[Sunburn]

My guess is that you'll hear a 'crack' and it will be loose.

LOL, that crack you hear might be the spider cracks around the pan screw opening. I can' think of how that could be on that tight without it failing.


I overtighted a valve cover bolt once. It broke off and cracked the valve cover. $100 error.

[Suzuki mad]

The sump plug is easy to strip so using an air gun would truely mess it up.

If you use a bar or a peice of pipe on the socket you increase the leaverage that your are using hence more pressure is applied.

There should be a cruch washer on the bolt and it common for people not to change these. It could be that somebodies tighten it up hard to seal it.

Suzuki mad

[SqDancerLynn1]

I have run into that proble, the only thing do do as sugested use more leverage. Longer ratchet, piece of pipe I have several lengths of 2" pipe from 1'-3' with couplers

[Jimmy Hoffa]

Nuts

I just hate spending cash on things that are NOT directly associate with the bike...ah well.

[chef1366]

Get a breaker bar from Sears or Harbor Freight. Also get a 1/2 inch type socket for the oil gallery nut.

[Sunburn]

I've alway used a short cut and used my largest socket wrench and used a large 1" boxed end wrench, put the hole of the wrench around the end of the socket wrench and gained about 14" at an angle. Enough to unstick most situations. Much more and somthing will bust.

[chuckycheese]

Come on!!

Don't leave us in suspense, Jimmy. You've got the best advice in the business and you've got to get it off..or run foul oil forever. Get it off!!!

[Clone]

Just to throw this out there, Hhhhmmmmm turning it the right way are we?
Whenever I am working on something I can't see, I always double check that the ratchet is turning the right way, just to be sure. Then I put tension on the plug/nut/bolt and give it a crack with a 1lb ballpeen. It will usually come loose.
Then when you reinstall that thing, put a new crush washer on it and make it just half a turn (I seem to remember but feel free to correct me) after it is snugged down on the crush washer.