Broken oil filter cap stud - just a right of passage?

[MichaelM3]

Hi Everybody,

On the weekend I gave my now 10 year old bike a birthday present.
Replaced fuel lines, checked valve clearances, cleaned grunge out of sprocket cover, pull the sprocket and greased the (worn) shaft splines, clutch cable adjustment, checked and adjusted chain tension/alignment, and a general clean-up.
Oh yes, I did an oil and filter change. This is a job I've done fifteen times on this bike. This time I broke a stud 
What went wrong? For the very first time I used a torque wrench to do them up.

A few weeks ago I had replaced the rear brake line with a stainless steel braided line. To get to it I had to remove the exhaust system. I bought a 1/4 inch (inch/pound) torque wrench to install the hex head header bolts.

In a moment of weirdness I decided to use said torque wrench on the oil filter cap studs. Normally I'd just snug them down and go for a quarter turn. Not this time. Even though my fingers were telling me I was using more force than usual I torqued away - BANG!
I said all of the 'magic' words. As I was alone there was no one else to blame. Had I incorrectly set the torque wrench? - Yes. Did I double check it before using it? - No.
"Well, there's your problem".

Is breaking a stud just a right of passage for GS500 owners? I read so many postings about it happening.
The temporary fix - I fashioned a stud out of a bolt using a Dremel to cut it to length and to shape the rounded head. So far so good, no oil leaks.

Next oil change (I do them every 4000 ks, so I won't have to wait too long) I'll fit a new stud.

Living and learning.

[ShowBizWolf]

Breaking one of those studs is something I've seen pretty often over the years on this forum. Someone in the history of my bike must have done the same thing to mine. They replaced it with a bolt but I then replaced it with another stud (and acorn nut).

Another common thing is the exhaust header bolts giving people grief. I replaced mine with studs and nuts.

Braided brake lines are awesome! I finally put some on my GS earlier this year. Galfer was doing a sale where if you bought the front they gave you the rear one for free

[yamahonkawazuki]

tbh ive not ever torqued the filter cover bolts. because of said  break issues. had been lucky to not have had a leak there  either. (luck i guess) that aside, was lb/in wrech a decennt quality? some are more precise vs others. whenn i replaced the derby cover bolts on my hd i had,. they were specced to 9 lb/ft. my wrench began at 10. so i picked up a used  mac (iirc) lb/in wrench and multiplied 9x12 (12" in a foot) which gave me a bit more grace. also another question, bolts whenn torqued are stressed. this may have caused the snap. anyways things seem to have worked out for you. a rite of passage? pretty close lol. many here (and elsewhere) have been through what you have..
Aaron

[J_Walker]

Every nut and bolt on the GS500 is made of mystery steel! softer than cheese, somehow holds things together! 

hopefully your stud didn't break too low [into the block?] and you can grip it with some vice grips.

if you got to drill it, use a center punch, and start out with the smallest drillbit you can.

[ajensen]

I really like my GS500f, but I wish Suzuki would have spent a few pennies more on their hardware. Why are Yamaha screws, nuts, and bolts so much better? I have heard of people using left-handed drill bits, hoping that the bit would bite and unscrew the broken screw, bolt, or stud.

[twocool]

No it is NOT a rite of passage...it is poor mechanic skills.  (sorry)....

I am in the process of restoring (3) 30+year old Honda scooters...by far, all the big issues on all three is the results of bad mechanics F-ing them up.....one has only 3000 miles, yet screws are stripped or replaced with wrong parts, or missing...plastics broken do to mechanics abuse, not due to normal use, riding or even falling..

Cookie

Hi Everybody,





Is breaking a stud just a right of passage for GS500 owners? I read so many postings about it happening.


Living and learning.

[HPP8140]

If you think it's bad, try working on modern sportsbike.

Just requires experience and feel to use the proper tools and know when it's enough.

[MichaelM3]

Even I have to agree when twocool said,

No it is NOT a rite of passage...it is poor mechanic skills.  (sorry)....

.

Also, as others have gently pointed out, my 'right' of passage should have been a 'rite' of passage.

However, (and this is my favorite excuse for klutzing up language) as the Cheshire Cat said to Alice, "Are you the master of your words or are they the master of you? I make words mean what I want them to mean!"

With hindsight the part of this experience I am most intrigued by is the fact that I put way too much faith in the tool. I 'believed' it rather than the feedback I was getting from my fingers. They were telling me it was way too much. Did I listen? No. Did I check the torque wrench? No. Did I simply pause to generate some thinking time? No.

When all is said and done, I think this episode has taught me that paying proper attention to the task including the feedback from tools are the crucial 'mechanical skills'.

[twocool]

but...on the other hand....We ALL make mistakes

If... nobody ever broke off a stud...they wouldn't sell so many "easy-outs", and "grab-bits") etc., would they?

What some may call a F-up....I might call a "learning experience"...



Cookie

Even I have to agree when twocool said,

No it is NOT a rite of passage...it is poor mechanic skills.  (sorry)....

.

Also, as others have gently pointed out, my 'right' of passage should have been a 'rite' of passage.

However, (and this is my favorite excuse for klutzing up language) as the Cheshire Cat said to Alice, "Are you the master of your words or are they the master of you? I make words mean what I want them to mean!"

With hindsight the part of this experience I am most intrigued by is the fact that I put way too much faith in the tool. I 'believed' it rather than the feedback I was getting from my fingers. They were telling me it was way too much. Did I listen? No. Did I check the torque wrench? No. Did I simply pause to generate some thinking time? No.

When all is said and done, I think this episode has taught me that paying proper attention to the task including the feedback from tools are the crucial 'mechanical skills'.

[J_Walker]

yup sounds about right, I've never torque wrenched those things down. trust me when I say, if that cap comes a little lose. enough for it to push the gasket out, You're gonna know, it makes a loud "Pop" more of a "bang" really! and hopefully it happened while you where priming your oil pump!. and not on the move, cause it pisses oil EVERYWHERE.

[user11235813]

Whatever doesn't snap your stud will only make it stronger.