broke oil filter cover bolt off in engine, help

[brad_is_Special]

hello, can anybody help me, i have an 05 400ex and i was doing a routine oil change on my quad, and i had bought a new torque wrench i had thought set it for 7 pounds but i set it wrong, i ended up breaking the threads off of the longer of the 2 screws that hold your oil filter cover on. the threads and inside off the motor just passed theright side crank case cover. i never really worked on small engines too much but im thinking about taking the cover off and trying to get the threads out, i dont really know if theres gonna be bearings falling out or springs shooting out at me, i would also like to know what kinda of a gasket i'll have to replace if i even have to replace one... anybody with any suggestions or comments, please help.


brad 400 ex rider

[rooster300ex]

I don't think you have to take the case cover off to get the bolt out, if you want to go for it, and i'm not sure what your saying about it passed theright side crank case cover.

[boricua]

get an 'easy out' to remove the broken bolt. or something that will remove broken, striped or otherwise broken bolts. you shouldnt have to take anything else apart.

[300exOH]

You can use an easy out to remove the broken bolt. It's basically a screw with reversed threads. You can pick them up at many hardware/automotive shops.

[brad_is_Special]

i really dont think an easy out will work, the end off the bolt " broke off threads " are about 2inches or more into the case cover and the hole that i have to work with is onlike like 1/4 inch prb. im not saying it wont work because soo many ppl on here have already suggested it or said it would but i donno if it will... i might give it a shot i guess, i was gonna go out and pull the whole cover off of the case.

[rooster300ex]

Originally posted by brad_is_Special
i might give it a shot i guess, i was gonna go out and pull the whole cover off of the case.


It will make it easier to work on.

[brad_is_Special]

i was out looking at the quad and i donno if this will work, i dont think i really have anything to lose by trying it but i was thinking about putting like a threaded bolt in the hole that i broke the threads off in and reversing it so the threads will be coming out of the hole, i was thinking about jb welding that in there and then just putting a nut over that. i know it wont be the " proper" way of fixing it but i dont see any reason why i shouldnt try it. if then that doesn't work then i will remove the clutch cover. give some feedback please.

[250xridamatt]

I did the exact same thing last year. I ended up taking the case off, because the bolt was way in there. I then drilled the bolt a little bit. After that I could stick a small screw driver in there and get it out. It was definately a pain, but atleast I got it out without breaking anything else.

[brad_is_Special]

yeh, i dont think i will try the jb weld thing, i was just talking to a buddy of mine who's fairly good around small engines and he told me that it probably wasnt a good idea because the clutch cover wouldnt have anything holding it where that bolt originaly was and it might put pressure on the other bolt around it causing leakes or other probablems down the road, im gonna try a reverse drillbit or an easy out. so hopefully one of the two will work out alright for me. thanx

[boricua]

i gotta be a retard, but you keep saying the "broken threads"
is there a bolt in there or just the left over threads?

[1fst400]

take the whole sidecase cover off. the gasket is cheep, ( only one needed) and there isnt anything scary in there. Just a clutch, oil pump, some other cool stuf.


Only cuple things to watch out for is how the clutch linkage goes. Im only 16 and figured it out, now I can have the cover off and back on in 3 min. you have to take the clutch cable off to do this btw. when pulling the cover off let the linkage turn counter clockwise quite a ways. as if it where engageing the clutch. Real easy, you will laugh you dident to it sooner. just be careful tightening all the rest of the bolts. I use a 1/4 inch drive ratchet and just snug them.

[Resq]

I just did this very repair. Bought a 400ex, doing the usual checks and changes. Upon pulling the filter cover the long bolt would not come out. Its that "just a little more on the wrench" and snap!

Its easy, use the book. Drain the oil tank and plan on changing the oil while your in there.

Check the filter in the bottom of the case, and also watch the 3 o-rings that are connected together.

As mentioned above, its easy.

[ohsobad_chevy]

Yeah, those bolts that hold the oil filter cover are only supposed to take about 7ft. lbs. They are made of very soft metal and they break ever so easy. my tourque wrench only goes down to 10 ft. lbs. so i barely tighten em.

[brad_is_Special]

hey, sooo i finally got the broken bolt out of the engine, i ended up taking the clutch cover off and everything went smoothly however i did not replace the cluth cover gasket... it seemed to be in perfectly good condition.. does anybody know if its ok that i didnt change it... im gonna make sure it doesnt leak and if it eventually does i will then replace it. anyways.. feedback please.

[ohsobad_chevy]

No, your fine, If the gasket didn't have any defects that you could see and you looked it over really well, don't worry about it. I take it there wasn't any on the clutch cover case after you opened it up?