SuzukiSavage.com - help with oil change for a nOOb

sarahkhas

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help with oil change for a nOOb
08/24/13 at 13:35:57

Hi all! First off BIG THANKS to EVERYONE on this forum- it helped a lot in my decision to buy my Savage! Here's my problem- I am trying to change the oil but the drain plug just keeps turning without coming out. At first a bit of dirt came off but now it just keeps turning and turning. Any ideas?

My bike is a 2003 Suzuki Savage LS650, the wrench I am using is 14mm, turning counter clockwise. I've probably cranked it 70 or so times with no result, no change on the pressure. I admit I am learning as I go...determined to work on my bike myself. I've referenced the oil change guide Savage_Greg posted, thanks for creating that!

Thanks in advance

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sarahkhas YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 26 colorado Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #1 - 08/24/13 at 13:37:04 I should add the bolt hasn't moved a bit outward- only round and round.
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jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #2 - 08/24/13 at 14:27:24 Can you see the head of the drain plug bolt. A worst case scenario is that a previous owner has rounded the hex head of the drain plug. If you can't see the bolt head easily put a mirror under the bike. Are you using an open end or ring spanner?
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babyhog Serious Thumper Offline Find a Cure for Breast Cancer! NOW!! Posts: 3802 WV Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #3 - 08/24/13 at 14:39:36 Also make sure you have the correct bolt. First time I changed mine, I unscrewed something and no oil came out. Oops wrong bolt!
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sarahkhas YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 26 colorado Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #4 - 08/24/13 at 14:46:18 Here's what I see. I am using a socket wrench. I hope I have the correct bolt!
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Toroso Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 120 Kingston, TN Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #5 - 08/24/13 at 14:49:35 sarahkhas wrote on 08/24/13 at 14:46:18: Here's what I see. I am using a socket wrench. I hope I have the correct bolt! No no no! It's inside of the frame tubes and goes directly into the engine case.
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jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #6 - 08/24/13 at 15:03:16 Sarakhas, best go to the tech section and click on table of contents with links, scroll to location of oil drain plug. there's two good photos.
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sarahkhas YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 26 colorado Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #7 - 08/24/13 at 15:06:02 Aaag!! So happy I just showed the whole internet what a newbie I am. Is this it? Any idea what I was cranking on? THANKS SO MUCH!
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sarahkhas YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 26 colorado Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #8 - 08/24/13 at 15:11:07 Thank you jcstokes for the directions to the tech section, looks like i found the right bolt now. Thanks everyone for your help. Any idea what I was cranking on? A bit nervous about that now...
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babyhog Serious Thumper Offline Find a Cure for Breast Cancer! NOW!! Posts: 3802 WV Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #9 - 08/24/13 at 15:41:46 sarahkhas wrote on 08/24/13 at 15:06:02: Aaag!! So happy I just showed the whole internet what a newbie I am. Is this it? Any idea what I was cranking on? THANKS SO MUCH! You aren't the first and certainly won't be the last! At least you were smart enough to come here to ask! Good luck!
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jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #10 - 08/24/13 at 15:43:10 Sarahkhas, you should be ok, but that drain plug has been slightly rounded use a ring spanner if possible.
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sarahkhas YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 26 colorado Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #11 - 08/24/13 at 15:51:30 Definitely will do on the ring spanner. THANKS EVERYONE SOOO MUCH!
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deejaysham

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Re: help with oil change for a nOOb
Reply #12 - 08/24/13 at 16:05:16

Just yesterday I tried to top up my oil for the first time. I overfilled it and wanted to drain some out and I couldn't find the bolt no matter how hard I looked. I ended up getting a siphon tube out and sticking it down the only hole I knew led to oil, which was the one I poured the oil IN.

So don't feel bad about showing the internet you're new. Some of us were so new that we had to avoid the bolt altogether and circumvent it!

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Toroso Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 120 Kingston, TN Gender:	Re: help with oil change for a nOOb Reply #13 - 08/24/13 at 17:12:25 sarahkhas wrote on 08/24/13 at 15:06:02: Aaag!! So happy I just showed the whole internet what a newbie I am. Is this it? Any idea what I was cranking on? THANKS SO MUCH! Das it girl! I think you had an engine mount bolt before. After you loosened it, the other side just went round n round
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Charon

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Re: help with oil change for a nOOb
Reply #14 - 08/24/13 at 17:20:00

You will need to find the nut on the other end of the bolt you turned, and tighten it. Not only is it an engine mount bolt, but it helps hold the engine cases together. If you don't tighten it, you will probably have an oil leak. You might need a helper, because you will probably need a wrench on both the nut and the bolt.

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Eschew obfuscation.

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