Oil Change Break Down

[jdbutler13]

Hey Everyone,
   I was doing an oil change on the bike and when I was tighting the nuts to put back on the oil filter cap. The bolt was to brital and snapped on me.
After saying just about every fowl word I could think of I was able to unscrew the bolt (its a double sided screw with the threads on both sides).
I've looked all over Toronto to find this little screw and no one has it. A few places could order it, but it won't be in until Thursday/Friday and I was suppose to go on a big trip with the bike Thursday.
   I have an 02 GS500. If anyone in Toronto-Scarborough area has that bolt and would be willing to part with it I'm willing to pay.
Please contact me.
Thanks

[Paulcet]

Take the stud you pulled out to a hardware store.  Match the thread pitch, diameter and length (original length or longer) to any bolt.  Pick up some loctite while you're there. 

Be sure the threads in the motor are clean, apply some loctite to your new bolt and screw it in there.  Then cut off the bolt head.  There you have it:  A brand new stud!

[plurpimpin]

Take the stud you pulled out to a hardware store.  Match the thread pitch, diameter and length (original length or longer) to any bolt.  Pick up some loctite while you're there. 

Be sure the threads in the motor are clean, apply some loctite to your new bolt and screw it in there.  Then cut off the bolt head.  There you have it:  A brand new stud!

or just use the bolt in place of the stud. can work until you get the proper stud in

[Paulcet]

or just use the bolt in place of the stud. can work until you get the proper stud in

This is a very temporary solution!  The motor is aluminum, and will not stand up to the stresses of a bolt being inserted and torqued, then removed, then repeat....

[mister]

or just use the bolt in place of the stud. can work until you get the proper stud in

This is a very temporary solution!  The motor is aluminum, and will not stand up to the stresses of a bolt being inserted and torqued, then removed, then repeat....

If the engine cannot handle this undoing/redoing thing, how does it handle it during the maintenance? Maybe I'm missing something 

Michael

[Paulcet]

The stud is inserted at manufacture and the sliding/twisting forces happen then.  After that, the force is tension and shear.  If you were to continue sliding/twisting the hard steel bolt against the soft aluminum (aluminium?), it would wear out and deform. 

Anywhere that bolts need to be inserted/removed in an aluminum block, a thread insert should be used.  The hard steel insert can take the sliding wear much better than aluminum.

[jdbutler13]

I gotta thank everyone. I'm new to the site and the world of forums but it's great to see so many people willing to help and give tips.
Thanks for all the great suggestions.

[the mole]

The lesson to learn from this is that those little bolts do not need to be done up very tight! My guess is that there was nothing wrong with the bolt, you likely overtightened it, its easy to do. The oil seal is the O-ring, and overtightening the bolts does not help the seal, as once the metal faces come together, all you do is increase the pressure at the metal interface, not the O-ring.
I checked my Clymer and Haynes manuals, and they don't have a specific torque setting for these bolts, but the Clymer suggests 1.5 to 3 foot pounds for a 5mm bolt (which I think these are, but check!).
If you don't have a torque wrench, then 3 ft-lbs is the same as 36 inch-lbs, or a force of 6 lbs at the end of a 6 inch long spanner, or 9lbs at the end of a 4 inch spanner. If you pick up an appropriate weight and get the 'feel' for it, then pull the same amount on the end of your spanner, you'll be in the ballpark.
You'll probably be surprised at how little torque that is on the bolt!

[jeremy_nash]

I use a nutdriver to tighten mine, never had a stud break

[tucsondude]

I use a nutdriver to tighten mine, never had a stud break

Nutdriver FTW
best tool ever invented.

[mister]

Crazy Driver


Nut Driver


Easy to confuse. Now you know.

Michael

[Allen]

yeah, most bolts do not need to be that tight, I usually go finger tight +1/4 turn, or enough to not leak oil; including the drain bolt, oil pan bolts, valve cover bolts etc. Your stretching the stud til it breaks is not good. There is another post on here for the exact same thing, I think he is going to put a heli-coil in it.