Animals With Tools

[TexasTigress]

so, I learned yesterday that evidently the person who "tightened" the oil drain plug on my new pony, a 2005 ABS Feejer, has earned a position in the subspecies known as "Animals with Tools."

My baby was on her center stand, oil tub at the ready underneath.

I had my sheet of aluminum foil all smartly torn and folded neatly as a cover for the body parts (and a spare one as a skull cap to keep the axis of evil from sending more dangerous microwaves to my brain).

I had my Jug O'Oil handy. I had my (uggh) yammie filter and two nuts to crush (sorry guys, it's a habit).

I had my new Craftsman wrench to measure how torqued I would get during the job ......

The oil filter came off easily with the cap wench, er... I mean wrench.

But the friggin drain plug would not budge, despite all the muskle I could collect.

I kept the oil collection tub in its spot under my baby, resisted the urge to drop a lighter into the gas tank, collected all my items, and went inside.

This morning I was able to calmly (okay, kind of) whack the wrench with my pinger (a.k.a. a "hammer") and the wrench finally moved! Tonight when I get home from work I will finish the job.

But geez, Thelma and Louise, is this the sort of experience I should expect on all the damned bolts and nuts and fruits with this machine ?

Does everyone at the factory use air tools ? :angry:

 

[Rogue]

and two nuts to crush (sorry guys, it's a habit

mg2: uke: :scare2:

is this the sort of experience I should expect on all the damned bolts and nuts and fruits with this machine ?

That seems fairly common with the drain plug. :angry03:

The rest are normal.

 

[ionbeam]

Seems to be a common discovery when first removing the oil and rear diff plugs. Factory torque specs does not seem to have reached the gorillas that installed the plugs. Did they cheat and use a thread sealer?

Alan

 

[TexasTigress]

:assasin:

a buddy suggested today when I commiserated the oil plug story, that perhaps it was installed with LocTite.

that makes no sense, so I have to consider that as a real possibility.

:blink:

 

[Thug]

Thanks for sharing i'm about to change my oil B)

 

[radman]

Make sure you use a socket wrench, that it is on loosen, not tighten (lefty loosie and all that). Position the wrench, and use a small hammer (plastic head mallet is best), and tap the wrench till the bolt is loose enough to take off. This method works instantly, and helps prevent tearing out the threads in the hole. On re-installment, cut the specified torque in half, it's a drain plug, not a head bolt. If familiar with drain plug installs, do it by feel.

 

[lawinter]

Mine was tighter than it should have been the first time

I went back with a tourqe wrench and has been fine scince. The rear drive plug was tight too. All is better now

Larry

 

[Longrider]

Both the oil drain plug and the oil filter on my 04 were put on at the factory at about triple the torque the shop manual shows. The tap with hammer with cheater bar on socket finally got them loose.

Longrider

 

[TexasTigress]

:clap:

well, I learned that a Hummer can be a GREAT bike tool.

I just set the socket wrench on the oil drain plug, got two braided titanium cables, tied one end of the first to the back bumper of a friend's Hummer and welded the other end to the socket wrench, wrapped the second line around the back wheel of my pony and connected that one to a 43" thick oak tree in the neighbor's yard, and stomped on the Hummer's gas pedal.

I didn't budge the drain plug but I have a nice pile of wood chips for the winter !

 

[exskibum]

I've had this happen on all sorts of vehicles, but fortunately, not on my FJR.

First time I changed the oil on my Ex's '01 Subaru, the drain plug was torqued in so hard by the monkey who had done the last oil change at the dealership that I had to jack the car up high enough that I could exert enough leverage on my 18" long half inch drive torque wrench. (It required a lot of cursing, as well.) It took more than twice the torque recommended in the shop manual to break it loose. My '02 'Baru had its first 30,000 miles worth of services free at the dealership, so I continued to have them perform the oil changes. But after the experience with my ex's car, I started telling the service dept. what the torque settings were supposed to be, and specifically requesting on the service order that proper torque settings be used.

This over-tightening disease seems mostly to afflicts young males (I usta be one), and those are the monkeys most likely to be changing oil, it seems.

 

[exskibum]

well, I learned that a Hummer can be a GREAT bike tool.

Wrong kinda hummer, though, TT. I'm surprised that a Texan wouldn't know this.

You can save yourself a LOT of work if you use the right kind of hummer, but you actually use it ON a good bike mechanic. That'll get the work done without even breaking a nail, rather than using the wrong kind of Hummer on the bike itself and getting only wood chips.

 

[Randy]

I had my sheet of aluminum foil all smartly torn and folded neatly as a cover for the body parts (and a spare one as a skull cap to keep the axis of evil from sending more dangerous microwaves to my brain).

I understand the skull cap, but, not sure what you were planning on doing with this aluminum foil. Are you talking about protecting the piece of bodywork right under the filter? If so, save the landfills and just remove the bolt that is right there and gently pull the bodywork out of the way. There's quite a bit of flex available. Works great and I never had a drip of oil on the bodywork after numerous oil changes.