EGAD!! Even more problems

[Anonymous]

Ok, so I may have tightened the oil filter cover bolt a little too tight, and I stripped at least the acorn nut, probably the bolt, or whatever you call it. I'm hoping I can just get it out(carefully of course) and put in a new bolt maybe, or acorn 'bolt' arrangement. Anyone ever done this? Any advice? When I got the bike running, oil literally spewed out from around the cover(on the front of the engine), I almost cried since everything else was fixed. Anyways, help please,

[Dink]

Yes you can just replace the nut , unless the thread on the stud is stripped, in which case of cause you replace the stud as well, however if you have damaged the thread in the case you are gonna need to repair that thread first, with a "heli-coil" or similar, then dont be so ham-fisted in future , those nuts dont need all that much torque on those nuts, about 8-15ft-lbs is enough the o-ring seals the oil filter housing not the nuts, over tightening will warp the cover and encourage leaks.
Dink

[argonsagas]

If an acorn nut is stripped, it generally means the bolt threads are damaged as well.

Since it is a serious place for any damage, and a failure when riding could cost you an engine, why not just replace the stud?

There are two ways to remove it.....IF there is enough thread left, turn one regular nut down to lightly touch the case, then turn another down to the firsy. Using two wrenches, turn the first nut back into the second one HARD. Now a socket placed over the second nut will remove the stud.

If the threads won't allow this (to use Dink's very descriptive word,) use the ham-handed approach.....grab it really solidly with vice-grips and twist it out. You may want to use a screwdriver between the jaws for additional torque.

When replacing the stud use blue (medium-strength) Loctite, or a similar thread locker.

[Anonymous]

use the ham-handed approach.....grab it really solidly with vice-grips and twist it out. You may want to use a screwdriver between the jaws for additional torque.

NO NO NO!

Do NOT use Vise grips, all that will accomplish is to really chew up the stud. The way to do this is with a small pipe wrench. The jaws bite much better than any vise grip can and they bite harder the harder you twist. Unless it is solidly corroded in there, the pipe wrench will get it out with minimal fuss. Using this technique, you can app;y enough torque to twist the stud off, all without slipping once on the threads. The vise grips will never do that.

Mark

[Anonymous]

an actual stud removal tool is best, craftsmen has one for about $25 U.S. and gets into tighter locations than any visegrip or pipewrench.

[Anonymous]

thanks all. I actually just stopped in at the suzi shop today after my chem lab exam and ordered the parts. I got a new gasket, three studs and three acorn nuts. Also I sprung for the rear axle bolt. Everything was of course ridiculously priced as it's original Suzuki, but it saves the hassle. I'll need to get two nuts and try dink's method first, then I'll go and spring for a stud removal tool or pipewrench if dink's way doesn't work.

I will lay off the ham-fistedness in the future. Thanks guys!

[joeadams]

I just had the same thing happen to me but the studs look fine. It happened last time I changed the oil too. I just went to the hardware store and found some acorn nuts that would work and put them on it. They were made of brass, with Nickel Plating. Last time I ruined 3 acorn nuts, this time only 1, so I'm getting better. I must have cross threaded the one today, I made sure not to over tighten. I'm just glad I'm not the only one to ruin those nuts.

[Anonymous]

Push the oil cover in by hand instead of squishing it in with the accorn nuts. Or is it you're just over tightening them?

Steve

[QuaiChangKane]

I stripped the top acorn nut on my filter cover during the last oil change.

It seems the nut stripped out from bottoming out on the stud at the "crown" of the acorn nut.


So I changed all of the acorn nuts to standard nuts and lock washers - no harm, no foul, no chance of future stripped acorn nuts....



-Q!

[joeadams]

I tried to push it in by hand but its in a terrible place and I have a lot of trouble getting my hands around and behind those exhaust pipes. But the squishing wasn't the problem, it was the last nut I had the others mostly tight and it just went loose and fell off and that was that.

I thought about regular nuts but decided against it. I figured that they wouldn't sheild the threading from the elements like rain water and stuff and get all coroded which would cause a much bigger problem. But they would make things super easy.

[Anonymous]

I went with acorn nuts because I didn't feel like driving past my house to go to the auto parts store. Plus I needed the new gasket and was in the shop. The orders for OEM parts is placed on saturdays, so rather than try NAPA and fail, and miss the order and have to wait until next saturday to place the order and then get the parts the following thursday, I just went for the OEM ones. I didn't order the washers(which mine has never had since I've changed filters) because what they wanted for a washer was ludicris, a washer's a washer's a washer. I suppose one could say the same for acorn nuts and maybe studs, but oh well.

The filter cover isn't in a great spot, I only have two pipes and I slightly notice it. My fender gets in the way if I have the long extension on my socket wrench(can't find the small one) and the pipes get in the way without an extension(should really find the shorter one). They used to put them on the bottom of the engine, but I guess something else changed so they needed to move it, maybe they saved half a cent on each bike shortening oil pump connections or something, but I'm not sure that would be a great place either, oh well, it's gotta go somewhere.