I've tried everything I can think of an nothing seems to work. Because of the dumb-ass design, the only thing that fits on the oil drain plug is a box wrench the problem is, the drain plug is on so tight, the standard 12 sided box wrench just slips off the edges, stripping the bolt. I've tried vise grips, but i cant get a good enough bite, due to the lack of space. Sockets won't work either and the open end of the box wrench is useless too. I even tried a six sided flat wench like the one shown below, but it wont even fit over the nut, due to the lack of space. So now what???? I've been screwin with this since last week and I'm at my wits end.

I'm trying to replace my clutch spring and I can't even start the job until I get the drain plug off! ... And yes, I do have a bike jack, so that ain't it either.

It must be the front plug! i had the same problem; i took an older 12point closed ed wrench and ground the out side of the wrench till it fit on the bolt the craftsmen wrench has a thick wall, so thin it down till it fits and now you have a wrench that will always work it took a lot of grinding! i will try to post a pic

Doc:

Don't you hate when a big project starts with a simple disaster?

Without using the jack, can you slip under the bike and get enough clearance to get the vise grips on it? You can pull either the front or rear up on a block to get a few more inches under there.

That's the only way I can think of to get that one off. And, thank yourself lucky that it's the head that's stripped, not the hole...


Rich

They make a pair of long (needle nose)vise grips the are thin and can be used there do like Tampa said and put the front on a black to get it higher. Once you have all the plugs out go to an auto parts store and buy the 14mm headed magnetic plugs to replace them with. WALA NO MORE PROBLEM. PS> don't use the plastic gasket that comes with the new plugs buy some copper washers like are on brake banjo fittings they have a pack with all different sizes.

still trying

Best i can do! see how thin the outside is? it will fit right up there; it is an 17mm

Here these are a Harbor Freight.

Them pointed noze vise grips won't do it..been there tried that. I went to Lowes and got one of their box wrenches and it fit fine. While I was there I bought one of those small butane tourches and heat the bolt up a bit, put the wrench on and hit it with a rubber mallet and off it came.

It helps if you jack the bike up....

The Craftsman wrench is too fat, but the Snap-On fits NO problem! Try a Snap-On wrench. Mine fit perfectly!

Questcap wrote:
The Craftsman wrench is too fat, but the Snap-On fits NO problem! Try a Snap-On wrench. Mine fit perfectly!
The bike is jacked up and the 12 point box is the first thing I tried, but the drain plug is on their so tight, that's what stripped it in the first place. In fact it's *so* tight, it's likely the needle-nose vice-grips would chew it up even worse. I was thinking about snap-on too, I have a feeling that may be my only choice, but it's not easy tracking those guys down. I was hoping I could find something easier before I tried that route. I like the idea of the torch, but if I just heat up the drain plug, wont that make matters worse since metal expands when hot? I'm thinking maybe it'd be better to run the bike until it gets good and hot so the case would expand... maybe even put some ice on the drain plug before I try to remove it.

I'm also thinking about trying something like those Craftsman tools designed specifically for stripped bolts. Has anyone ever tried the the Craftsman Bolt-Out Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set

Or maybe even one of these: Craftsman DOG BONE™ Metric Wrench

I'm just wondering if either would fit in the limited space around the drain plug or in between the plug head and the frame. If anyone has experience using either of these tools to remove the left side oil drain plug, please let me know because I'd hate to spend all that time and money, just to find out they don't work. As it is, I have a vice-grip and set of flat wrenches I'm hoping I can return.

Doc_V wrote:
Questcap lP wrote:
The Craftsman wrench is too fat, but the Snap-On fits NO problem! Try a Snap-On wrench. Mine fit perfectly!
The bike *is* jacked up and the 12 point box is the first thing I tried, but the drain plug is on their so tight, that's what stripped it. It's on their *so* tight I just don't think it's possible to get a good enough bite with the needle-nose vice-grips. It would likely just chew it up even worse.

I was thinking about snap-on too, I have a feeling that may be my only choice, but it's not easy tracking those guys down. I was hoping I could find something easier before I tried that route.

Im thinking something like those Craftsman tools designed specifically for stripped bolts. Anyone every try these: Bolt-Out Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set

I'm just wondering if they'd fit in the limited space around the drain plug or in between the plug head and the frame.

Or maybe even one of these: Craftsman DOG BONE™ Metric Wrench


Again, I'm wondering if they'd fit in the limited space. If anyone has experience using either of these tools to remove the left side oil drain plug, please let me know because I'd hate to spend all that time and money, just to find out they don't work. As it is, I have a vice-grip and set of flat wrenches I'm hoping I can return.

I dont think you would have the room to use the dogbones. You may be able to use the sockets you posted only cause you can use a boxend on them (nice tool to have around the house anyway) but like curt posted with the vise grips that should do it but I would get the shorter fat nosed kind they seem to have the cut outs in them for something round right in the jaw. Also if you can find one small enough I have used a pipe wrench to get rounded fubar bolts out.