God, I HATE being a GIRL!

[Grandpagak]

maybe YOUhate being a girl, but those of us that know you, are glad that you are..lol:thumbsup2:

[Blusees]

Well, OK so sometimes I like being a girl... Just not when it comes to this kind of stuff!!!!!

[loehring]

Cheater pipe is the answer. I have a 3' section of conduit that slides perfectly over my socket wrench handle. It turns 6 inches of leverage into 3 feet of leverage and you'll be amazed at how easy it makes it. You don't have to force it. Just use steady pressure and it will pop loose. It's when you strain that you don't have control and start to strip heads. If you don't have something like that take your wrench to Lowes or Home depot and get a section of conduit that will slide over but ot too loose. It's cheap and it will work on anything where you need the extra leverage.

[N3FOL]

Yes...and remember to wear eye protection.

[Venturous Randy]

One thing that can help you when you are removing a bolt that is upside down and you can not see real good what you are doing is; Put a good six point socket on the ratchet and before you even put it on the bolt, set the direction of rachet, In other words, holding the socket in your hand, turn the wrench counter clock wise and it should not rachet and when you turn it clock wise, it should rachet. This way, you know you got it right before you put it on upside down where you can not see it good.

I suggest this because even though there are some real good "wrenchers" on here, I am sure that many have pulled the wrong way when doing something uoside down before they realized they were wrong.

RandyA

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Cheater pipe is the answer. I have a 3' section of conduit that slides perfectly over my socket wrench handle. It turns 6 inches of leverage into 3 feet of leverage and you'll be amazed at how easy it makes it. You don't have to force it. Just use steady pressure and it will pop loose. It's when you strain that you don't have control and start to strip heads. If you don't have something like that take your wrench to Lowes or Home depot and get a section of conduit that will slide over but ot too loose. It's cheap and it will work on anything where you need the extra leverage.

 

Respectfully, I disagree. For you and me, with upper body strength, and ability to steady the bike while we yank on it one handed with a 3 foot piece of pipe, this is do-able. Experience helps us get around some of the downfalls of using a cheater pipe.

 

But the question was posted by a 'girl' ( a lovely one at that!) and I dont want her hurting herself when that cheater pipe slips off, or the (probably cheap) ratchet or socket fails or slips, or she overshoots the arc and bangs a knuckle while trying to steady the socket on the drainplug.

 

I stand by my answer. A breaker bar and a GOOD quality 6 point socket. Perfect solution.

 

(Amost perfect, since the REAL perfect solution is to invite some brawny dude over to loosen the drainplug, then hand him a beer!!!)

 

 

Edited April 15, 2009 by tx2sturgis

[LilBeaver]

I'll Def. 2nd this... And it never hurts to have a good breaker bar laying around. This will also keep the fingers/hands further away from the warm/hot exhaust pipes (if I remember the exhaust routing on those correctly).

 

Also, a low profile jack to steady the end of the ratchet (or breaker bar, w.e. you are using) can be a handy way to keep that sucker on the bolt head (to break it loose at least).

 

The other caution about getting the bike to warm is that the aluminum parts, when heated, expand which will make everything fit tighter. So when you put it back together, and torque it to the proper specs, be sure to let the bike cool for a while and re-torque to ensure that the filter and plug are torqued properly - other wise you could develop a little drippage when the bike cools.

 

 

Respectfully, I disagree. For you and me, with upper body strength, and ability to steady the bike while we yank on it one handed with a 3 foot piece of pipe, this is do-able. Experience helps us get around some of the downfalls of using a cheater pipe.

 

But the question was posted by a 'girl' ( a lovely one at that!) and I dont want her hurting herself when that cheater pipe slips off, or the (probably cheap) ratchet or socket fails or slips, or she overshoots the arc and bangs a knuckle while trying to steady the socket on the drainplug.

 

I stand by my answer. A breaker bar and a GOOD quality 6 point socket. Perfect solution.

 

(Amost perfect, since the REAL perfect solution is to invite some brawny dude over to loosen the drainplug, then hand him a beer!!!)

 

 

[mountainhorsega]

Didja get it loose?

[Blusees]

Nope, haven't been successful yet... I tried the two wrench thing and it wouldn't budge. But I figure I may have some brawny dudes around this weekend. BIG WINK, and everybody can look at my handy work, because I do think I rounded the bolt a bit!!!!! I can get everyone's expert opinion!

 

So hopefully it's OK that I ride Saturday for the Meet and Eat on last years oil!!!!

[MidlifeVenture]

Might be a good idea to stop and pick up a new plug and seal before the brawn shows up and if your sure its rounded a nice new pair of vice grips may be in order.

[hig4s]

Nope, haven't been successful yet... I tried the two wrench thing and it wouldn't budge. But I figure I may have some brawny dudes around this weekend. BIG WINK, and everybody can look at my handy work, because I do think I rounded the bolt a bit!!!!! I can get everyone's expert opinion!

 

So hopefully it's OK that I ride Saturday for the Meet and Eat on last years oil!!!!

 

Most sockets are twelve point and only hits the corners of the bolts, on a very tight bolt you should get a six point socket so hits on the flats of the bolt too, much less chance of rounding a bolt.