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Try cutting a slot in it for a flat screwdriver, or just grind the head off entirely. The left over pipe will remove easily seeing as the tension is removed when the head is off.

OK folks, there is just no easy way to straighten this out. What I'm doing now is going through our paid member list and checking expiration dates. I've download all the paid members usernames from the old system, I'm checking it against the PayPal records, then checking that against the members on this system. The ones who have re-subscribed since the change are good, they just get removed from y check list. The ones who are expired get their status changed to "expired member". The ones who paid under the old system get their names added to a new excel spreadsheet with their expiration dates added. Once I get through all of this, then I'll just have to check the new spreadsheet every week and expire those who haven't re-joined. I still have about 500 to do all this checking for this first go around. Then I'll sort it by expiration date and check it weekly., What a mess. I only have time to go through about 20 or thirty a day so it will take a while to get through the remaining 500. This turned out to be an ordeal but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you log in and see that you have lost your ability to post, then that means your dues had expired. You were moved to "expired members". If you choose to renew, all your information will still be there. I figure it will take me at least 15 to 20 days to get through all in this first round. Then it will be fairly easy to keep up with it is all back to normal again,

What I did to my venture today.... Gave her a bath after finishing a 5- day, 1900 mile road trip! BTW, does anyone else ever think about selling all other worldly possessions and spending the rest of your life just seeing the country on your Venture???? Couldnt stop thinking how awesome this is! Photos from middle of nowhere(northeast corner of New Mexico, Hiway54). Small town with three buildings, one of which was this tired old service station. After snapping a few pics, curiosity got the better of me & I had to peer in the garage bay windows. I was floored by what was inside!

Paul I have had really good results staying with Dino for my 1st Gens, probably so because I prefer to change my oil as it discolors and/or the shifting gets notchy. For over 1 million miles I ran Walmart Supertech 10/40 in cooler climates and 20/50 in desert regions. One of the things often overlooked on Unit motorcycles (bikes whose clutch is bathed in the same oil that lubes the engine) is the contamination that takes place as clutches wear and tear and trannies shear the oil. My Hybrid car LOVES 0/20 full synthetic with a 10,000 mile oil change and the oil after all those miles, even after chasing triple digits across the desert comes out amazingly full bodied and clean but where the bike would show dirtied in just a couple thousand miles under the same conditions.. When Walmart stopped shelving Supertech a while back I switched over to Family Dollar dino and had the same results. Be reminded to stay far away from ANY "energy conserving" oils,, your clutch wont like you should you get into that stuff..

https://www.denniskirk.com/v-factor/air-shock-pump-20120.p284223.prd/284223.sku

Not anymore I bet. Although there will be more in the transmission side, and that stays there.

I went to the spin on adapter as well last year.. works perfect.

Yes. The whole purpose of removing it was to switch to a spin-on adapter. That bolt was looking far too tired to keep doing this for much longer. 😂

Try cutting a slot in the center of the bolt with a hacksaw or cutting wheel on a die grinder. Get a flat tip bit on an impact drill in the slot and go easy on the trigger. Good luck!

Years ago, I got one of those little Craftsman 12 piece socket sets with reverse rifling cut into the ID specifically for backing out rounded bolt heads. Those have saved my caboose more than a few times. Tap a snug one on with a hammer and your golden, probably. Craftsman are now China made and have plummeted to Harbor Freight levels of quality so bast case is you get a socket that works once before it is dulled or broken. If the vice grip trick fails you could try a small pipe wrench and two hands. Food for thought.

I had exactly the same problem with stock oil filter cover. My bolt looked just like yours. I bought this as a last ditch effort to get it off. Worked like a charm. The spiral edges inside the socket dig into the bolt head and don't let it go. Worth the money and saved a lot of aggravation.

Amazing the double edged sword. I’m getting new OEM gaskets. Covid had two orders of them cancelled on me over the past year because of warehouse and business shutdowns. Not sure what oil is in there, this is the first change of my ownership. After digging in there yesterday I think a good degreasing will go a long way first to then start seeing where the problem recurs.

Thanks all! These are great suggestions. And holy crap that bolt is at lease $50.!! I’m going to get a replacement bolt in hand before I go any further, that way I can still ride albeit with a dirty filter. For today I’m gonna move onto the progressive spring swap that was the goal of yesterday before getting derailed.

Here are a few more things you can try; A) rap the bolt head several times with a hammer like your driving a nail hard. You want give it several good firm hits but not overly hard. then grab with good vise grips and see if it will turn. B) if it still won't turn drill a hole in the end and drive a torx bit into it (the larger the bit the better). the hole needs to be smaller than the bit. grind the end of the bit flat so as to have sharp corners this way it will cut into the side of the hole better as you drive it in. then attempt to turn the bolt out. C) if B does not work than drill the hole bigger until the head snaps or falls off. Then remove the cover and remove the remainder of the bolt. Replace with new bolt

I can highly recommend going to the spin on adapter. I never put one on The Beast, but I installed one on my "86 the day I brought her home. I'll never go back to the cartridge and cover. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Oil-Filter-Adapter-plate-83-93-Yamaha-Venture-Clear-Anodized/261045385834?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Thanks Squidley! I just ordered one. The Giyo pump is nice but the 300 psi gauge was a pain.

My guess is an early life saving device for Lumber Jacks working more than 10 feet off the ground,, probably known back then as a Sky Hook. On the fast track down after the Jack mis-stepped one of his tree spurs he would simply unhook this from its scabbard found on his belt and toss, like an anchor, into the branches going by at warp speed. Of course,, most of those great American hero's were intelligent enough to attach a rope into that hoop above the hooking device before tossing it.. Noticing that your fathers specimen does not have said rope Orlin,, I am guessing that this one in particular was owned by a less intelligent Lumber Jack and that is also why your Dads Sky Hook is still in such very good condition. Probably spent its life stuck in the branches of 70 foot Douglas Fir tree while protected by the trees canopy above.

I would take my dremel tool with cut off discs attached and reform the hex to 11mm if I wanted to save the bolt/feed tube. My second choice would be a really good set of vice grips or even a pipe wrench and back it out. That particular "bolt" can be a son of gun if it was put in with dry O-rings (not everyone practices the art of lubing 0-rings before they install them,, ever tried to remove an Oil Filter on a car that was installed with the O-ring dry?).

That's exactly what I was thinking as well.

Nice work, especially if it works well.

Off chance thought. Is your oil level more than 1/2 the sight glass when bike is straight up? If the answer is yes, you may have oil leaking down from the breather. Another though would be that there might be a cover bolt that's not seated properly. These bolts are shoulder bolts and do not tighten onto the valve cover, they snug down on the shoulder which gives exact clearance needed for the valve cover gasket. If you added a washer or so to the bolt, it's done wrong and will leak.

You got a couple of options drilling it out or take a Mig Welder and weld a bigger nut on top of it and wrench it out.

Don't let that High pressure rating fool you. it only means that it is capable of reaching that high pressure because of a smaller piston put they often do not pump as fast as a lower rated pump which will usually pump faster because the piston is a tad larger. OR Go to a bicycle specialty store and pick up a quality hand pump. Some are two stage. the 1st stage allowing for faster pumping when pressure is low and then going the second stage when pressure is higher to make for easier although slightly slower pumping. These pumps are small and compact and easy to store in your saddle bag

Castrol is a top quality oil I have used it for years on most all my engines from trucks to bikes. It is actually one of my preferred oils.

I have a Giyo Air Supply, high pressure pump. The pump works well but the gauge is not perfect. The 300psi range makes the resolution too coarse for the front shocks. https://www.amazon.com/GIYO-Pressure-Shock-Suspension-Nozzle/dp/B07DZY529X/ref=asc_df_B07DZY529X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312111916046&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15185693200910321551&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9015433&hvtargid=pla-568443844980&psc=1

Center stand mod. I cut around 2 inches off the bottom of the center stand and welded some cross tube on the feet to make a “ride off” stand. It is very easy to pop on the stand (even in flip- flops) and rear wheel is on the ground when on the stand. I carry 2 small chunks of 2x4 to tip the center stand on to lift the rear wheel off the ground or stabilize on soft ground.

I remember now...! That little wire was put in there to help "direct and drive" the oil to come up thru that spinning bolt head as the center of the crankshaft is open and a bit pressurized with oil flow. IF that pesky memory serves me somewhat right...

Nice out of the box thinking 👍

Being 20 in the 70's was more fun than being 70 in the 20's

That could be your culprit right there. Seafoam will clean sludge out of an engine as well.