KTM 530 Oil screen plug stuck... Advise needed

[Oracle 195]

It's one of those days. You know, the kind that start with a few simple maintenance items...Changing the oil, cleaning the air filter, installing a new spark plug, etc, that ends up turning into a PITA.

I spent an hour trying to get the oil drain screen bolt out of my KTM 530 and finally gave up just before I got the sawzall out and started hacking at the cases (just kidding, but I did drop a few f bombs).

It's frozen and now I've rounded it off a tad bit ... even though I was using a 6 point socket. I tried heating it up with a propane torch but that didn't help. I can't get vice grips in there so that's not an option. I don't want to drill it out...that would be a major pain and possibly cause bigger problems if I damage the case.

Any advise???

[Wierdrider 187]

More leverage?

[socalhodaka 104]

That happen to me, I use a chisel. Tapping it in the direction to loose with a little heat, maybe the tapping part helped break it loose. Mine came out ok then.

[Covered in Dust 162]

I cleaned these filters on my first 525 for the 1st year then never saw anything on them again so I quit worrying about them.

Your results may very.

CiD

[DustOff 0]

I used this Irwin tool kit when I over tightened my oil fill plug.

You are welcome to use it if the sizes work for you. I am at the bottom of Poway grade.

Taking off for Cabo tomorrow 10:00 am in the morning, so it's a small window.

[Oracle 195]

More leverage?

The 6 point socket is spinning on the bolt head. More leverage won't help that.

That happen to me, I use a chisel. Tapping it in the direction to loose with a little heat, maybe the tapping part helped break it loose. Mine came out ok then.

Good idea. Might help. But I put at least 50 pounds of torque on the socket wrench and it didn't budge.

I cleaned these filters on my first 525 for the 1st year then never saw anything on them again so I quit worrying about them.

Your results may very.

CiD

Just leaving it definitely crossed my mind...but then it would bug me and I'd never feel comfortable selling it to someone else without fixing.

I'm wondering how common it is for these to freeze up???

[Oracle 195]

I used this Irwin tool kit when I over tightened my oil fill plug.

You are welcome to use it if the sizes work for you. I am at the bottom of Poway grade.

Taking off for Cabo tomorrow 10:00 am in the morning, so it's a small window.

Thanks for the offer. It's a 13 (metric) bolt so maybe I'll look into picking up a metric set of those. That's kinda more along the lines of a the type of solution I am looking for. Have fun in Cabo!

[DustOff 0]

Got this set at AutoZone?

They worked perfectly for me, just need to hammer it on there good first. The bold will deffinetly need to be replaced though.

Good luck.

[jawhitmoyer 0]

First off, when's the last time you washed that thing?

Second, did you try some giant vicegrips? It looks like you have enough room to grab the head.

Third, try easy outs. Given that the nut is hollow, I would use a big one. The good news is the screen will catch any shavings from drilling the hole.

[vanjoosten 4]

I had the same problem with my old 525. I used a smaller socket (maybe standard) and hammered it on. Then I used a breaker bar to put a good amount of torque in it. Once it was out I replaced it with a stainless plug.

[cj54x 51]

Loren, we have the same bike and those things always seize. The trick to removing them is to use a wrench and a small hammer, The shock makes it easy.

When I striped mine I used my smallest vise grips and a hammer. The bottom line is, You will have to use a hammer and shock it loose.

Don't start drilling on your bike, If you don't get it, I would be glad to do it for you

Ken

[tntmo 887]

Time to cut your losses, sell the bike cheap now!

Lots of good advice, I would use several of them together. Heat and shock together would be my choice, the impact driver is a great tool.

[Bp619 104]

Heat patience and smaller socket or one of the stripped removal type sockets. Ive removed dozens of stripped bolts over the 10 years i was a mechanic and best advise i was given is try something once or twice if doesnt work walk away try once more then try another technique. Ive seen guys try same technique for hours making it worse and they walk away for hour try some other way and comes right off

[Bp619 104]

Also you might have to tighten it a tiny bit to loosen and break the tension. Going back and forward rather than just off works better

[PbdBlue 46]

I had this happen on the side screen on my '07' RFS motor. After reading a lot of suggestions on KTMTalk the one that worked was to strike the head inwards with a hammer. That shocked the plug enough to allow me to loosen it. In your case you're probably going to need one of those removal sockets since the head is already pretty damaged.

[paulmbowers 236]

Yes, give it a good smack with a hammer right on the head. It's often all of what's needed.

One of my favorite tools for stuck bolt removal (if space permits) is a small pipe wrench. The jaws are designed to clamp down as torque is applied with teeth that grab.

Works a treat!

[carguy 1]

When you do get it out, ANTI SEIZE the threads on the new plug. Smaller impact 6 point and impact driver works every time.

[Hayseed 0]

Once you source the removal socket, use an Impact driver and a universal. Not the air gun type of impact, use the type that you strike with a hammer. I'm down on Mussey Grade if you need to borrow one.

[Oracle 195]

I got it off today. Thanks to all my SDAR brothers for the info. This morning I went over to AAKTM to pick up a few things and spoke with RJ and Trevor about this. Like some of you have pointed out, it's pretty a common problem.

My solution, which incorporated several different suggestions here, was to heat it up with a propane torch (which I had already tried), and then I used a 24" long 3/4" drive socket extension, I placed one end up against the bolt and then I hit the other end nice and solid a few times with a hammer. I then hammered a 1/2" (which is slightly smaller than the 13mm bolt head) box end wrench onto the bolt head and it twisted off with very little effort. It came off so easy that hammering the 1/2" box end wrench on it turned out to be unnecessary.

On reassembly, I used polylube grease on the threads, and only tightened to 10 ft pounds (manual suggest 14, RJ recommended about 10).

Anyway, she is 10-8 (back in service) and I'm ready to ride.

BTW, I also installed a new battery as routine maintenance. I went with the Battery Tender lithium, based on a recommendation from my racing hero, The Boston Mangler. This battery is amazing (at least so far). It much smaller, and much lighter, than the old battery, and it has two positive and two negative terminals, making it much easier to hook up.