Picked up a clean 07 YZ 250 to sit next to my DRZ...so tonight I'm going through the bike....you know...to find and fish out the bikes little gremlins....anyway...to my surprise all seemed good, so I fired her up, ran around the block and decided it would be a good time to change the tranny oil. Here's where my first Gremlin appeared....grabbed my 12pt combo wrench to crack the drain bolt loose and guess what....the friggin head started to round off...:banghead:

So I figured no problem...thinking back to the DRZ issue with the timing covers that don't ever want to come loose....just drill a small indent...give it a few good taps with a punch...awl...or whatever you call it...and she should crack loose....nope...:banghead: ....time to stop before I make matters worse.....

So here I am...I figured that I could post in the YZ forum, but I trust you DRZ guy's to give me practical and worthwhile ideas on how to deal with this situation!........I'm guessing the PO has the bolt overtightened....

Thx

The large flange with the small hex is a method of the manufacturer to prevent over tightening the plug. You use smaller tools with the smaller hex. But it also limits the torque you can apply to remove. Here to your present problem. You should always use 6 point sockets. Throw away all your 12 points. Seriously throw them away or give them to somebody you don't like.

First try a correct size 6 point socket. No joy? Go to Sears and buy their set of special sockets for rounded nuts and bolts.

Thx Noble....A little reading has me at the same conclusion about the 12 pts....out with the 12 and in with the 6!

apply a little heat to it and clamp a vise grip on it as tight as humanly possible.

Cripes... it ain't that bad... absolute worst case you put some vicegrips on it and take it out.

Probably ought to buy a new one though.

... and whats up with the 12 points???

If the head of the bold sticks out you can grind the edges, make it square, then use a wrench.

6-point'll have that puppy outta there faster than you can say "duh"

And make sure your sockets/wrenches are metric!

You wouldn't believe how many people at work don't even know what metric is:bonk:

And I live in a (supposedly) metric country:lol:

Chris

12 point sockets SUCK! If I were president of the USA, I would make 12 point sockets illegal to own. If you get caught with a 12 point socket, you spend 1 month riding a Harley chopper and must sing the Harley song in front of your DRZ peers.

PeteNfla said:

Thats a harsh punishemt! Making someone ride a harley is just wrong! I would make them wear a harley shirt with harley jeans, harley boxers, hat, socks, boots, wallet, watch etc etc and then post their picture here for us laugh at them.

Seriously though. It aint that bad. 6 point or vise grips and buy a new one and dont over tighen it.

Hammer a 6pt socket on there and get a ratchet with good leverage. Should come off without a problem.

Judging by the perfect alignment of the black stripe, I'd be a little concerned that the oil has never been changed.
Edited to ask if maybe you put the stripe there?

Pipe wrench.

06wrx said:

Hmmm. How do you plan on getting a pipe wrench on it?

Thx guy's...problem solved...quality 6pt, a slight tap to set it, and she came right off.....No more 12pts in my tool box!

smcdonn said:

Don't use a giant one. I have a little baby one that would be perfect for this. They bite into the bolt, just like a pipe.
That's what everyone in the shop I used to work at used on rounded bolts. It's worked almost every time on rounded bolts for me.

Glad you got this fixed though!

metric? what's that?




LOL

[quote name='Goebz']metric? what's that?




just what the rest of the world uses :smirk:

Ya OK so what does it ride like now that you've fixed the bolt???

shrubitup said:

Yea, how's the bike?