I haven't had my Savage long enough to quite need an oil change yet, but I was doing some work on it and thought I'd change the oil while I was at it.  When I tried to loosen the drain plug, I couldn't loosen it to save my life.  It's too restricted an area, it looks like, to get any kind of power tools in there, even though I don't like doing that.  I used an open face wrench and even hit the wrench with a hammer to try an loosen it.  All I accomplished was making marks on the drain plug that look like it would strip if I kept it up.

Any tips on loosening this?  I can't believe it would be a reverse thread plug.  I would take it to the mechanic who last changed the oil, and make him loosen it (and throw in a few choice words), but I bought this bike a good ways away from where I live, so that's not an option for me.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Thanks for the reply.  I used the longest 14mm that would fit under the bike, but to no avail.  I'll see if I can do anything to increase clearance under the bike.

Be careful doing that. The cheater can easily slip to the side & seriously scrape some knuckles. I do it, but Ive given blood from it. Its easier to put the wrench, carefully & completely on the drain plug & smack down on it with something hard & heavy. Then, dont tighten it like its what holds the bike together.

Sometimes the hex happens to line up so the cheeter trick won't work.  Then you have to use the brass bump hammer trick.



http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42000

I'm glad I bought mine years and years ago before brass became a semi-precious metal !!!

The real solution is not to tighten the durn thing down so much next time.  It has a crushable aluminum washer and just needs to be clinched down tight enough to give just a little bit on the first little grunt.  Washer "lasts" longer that way.

There really should never be a need to use a vicegrips on any bolt, plug, etc,.....unless someone else beat you to it. I myself will never buy a nice MC that has been vice gripped. There is a tool for everything,.....and if there ain't, you can make one ! If a straight box wrench won't go on it, and offset one will. I have several sae combo box end wrenches that I had to heat and bend to get into tight places on automotive. And if I need one, I will not hesitate to heat up a perfectly good metric box wrench to work on my motorcycle. But I don't remember having trouble w/ the drain plug on the s40.

Now, being as I said it, I'm sure that someone will find a way for it to be unsafe to heat a wrench and bend it, but I really don't care.

serenity3743 wrote on 11/25/09 at 05:18:40:

Use a closed wrench and tap it with a rubber mallet. This way you save your knuckles and save the kids in the daycare next door the joy of learning new words.

Lefty loosey, righty tighty.  Wear a rubber glove, the hot oil will hurt less.
If you are not doing it with the oil hot, you are not doing it right.
The oil will pour across your hand, wear a glove and have a paper towel in the other hand.

Phelonius

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 11/28/09 at 09:34:29:


Just shows that you are a techy.

Phelonius