PROBLEM! need an answer ASAP!

[yamahamaniac]

I was going to change the oil onmy Ton and the drain bolt in the crank case on the bottom of the engine is seized in solid. Unfortunately the cursid allum key hole stripped out on it and there's no way I can get the bolt out. I am windering if the oil would still drain decently if I tipped her right up on her side and just opened the drain bolt in the oil tank??? Would the oil run across and into the oil tank then run out the the drain bolt there?? Please give me some answers fast as I am desperate to get the sled out of the shed for the upcomming snowstorm.

 

[givemeaboost]

Use a visegrip on it and then get a new one , something with a hex head on it .

 

[yamahamaniac]

Tried that already. I can't get a vice grip in around it for two reasons:
1. There's a little fin right next to the bolt that prevents me from getting the grips all the way around the bolt.
2. Because of the bottom of the sled it's practically impossible to get the vice grips closed around the bolt so they take grip effectively, and even when they are on half decent I can't get my hands around them to move them.

It's seized in there so bad I think the top will just twist off of it anyways.

 

[Grimm]

Drill a hole in the bolt and use a bolt extractor to get it out.

 

[RED]

1st its a crappy design, should have been 6pt headed bolt. I know this likely bad info, but most of the oil is in the tank, not the pan. So you could leave the oil thats in there & just change whats in the tank. It would be better than nothing. Or from tech side, snapon makes a bit for the airhammer that takes a socket, turns with a wrench. You cant go nuts with the airhammer or you will see the inside of the engine. Mite be able to use a torch to warm it up, then try hitting whats left of the allen bolt with a socket & reg hammer. It likely seizes cause of 2 different metals. When you get it out, put never seize on the threads.

 

[Rockmeister]

If you aren't very skilled in doing this type of work (Torch, hammer, drill, etc on your engine case),
Suggest simply draining & re-filling the oil tank.

You will change most of the oil this way without risking serious damage to your engine case.

(Have done many speed changes on mine this way.)

If it DOESN'T go well trying to get the bolt out, it will be major in a very bad way...

 

[yamahamaniac]

I agree with you RED. In the process of curing on the guy who invented allen keys I said numerous times how stupid these guys were for using this type of bolt in the first place. Whenever I see an allen bolt I start swearing on it before I even try it because I knowit's never going to work good. Anyways I asked my buddies dad (my buddy was helping me) and he said it should be good to just drain the tank. This is what we did and we got almost 2 and a half liters out of it so I guess that's good. Taking the filter off was a extreme pain in the @$$ too. Ended up using apipe wrench and it was on there so tight the end of the filt started to twist before it even came loose. Hopefully the other one is on tight enough. We didn't see any leaks after the test start so I'm praying that everything is fine.

 

[yamahamaniac]

cursing on the guy*

 

[RED]

The likely the best plan what you did. Dont recall, but think its way less than 1/2L in the pan. You will be okay with that little bit of oil not being changed out. Could always change it more often if it bothers you. I would leave the allen bolt till the season is over.

 

[Kachess]

Years ago we stripped the engine drain bolt on one of our Tons. Out of a total of 3 quarts, we measure about 3/4 of a quart coming out of the engine drain so we just drain and refill the oil tank and call it "good enough". We end up adding numerous quarts of oil during the season, so we figure we're getting a continuous oil change.

 

[yamahamaniac]

Yeah same here Kachess. I add a fair bit of oil to her throughout the winter. What's your guys opinion on taking out the undercarriage, picking all the wheels off, and taking the bearings apart to repack them? Good idea as something that should be done in the beginning of the season?

 

[Yamadog]

Yeah there is too much oil in the pan to just change the tank. Use the easy out it is not hard to drill the bolt and then use a bit of heat from propane plumbing torch in conjunction with the easy out. I have had this happen on 2 of mine over the yrs.

 

[wienerwater]

If you're going to put any heat from a torch near that thing, have a fire extinguisher handy, as I had a sled catch fire in a similar way, .There is residual oil, grease and crap that can be down there and doesn't take much to ruin your Christmas cheer. Just be careful!
I would personally drain the tank and call it good for this season, maybe drain it once or twice, but leave the headache for another day when it's warm out.

 

[AKrider]

Yeah same here Kachess. I add a fair bit of oil to her throughout the winter. What's your guys opinion on taking out the undercarriage, picking all the wheels off, and taking the bearings apart to repack them? Good idea as something that should be done in the beginning of the season?

I just did this to my Nytro. It has the stupid, non replaceable bearing style wheels. While I had the skid out I removed the wheels, used a small flat nose screw driver to pry out the seals and just packed them with fresh grease. I'm pretty confident I'll get another season out of them.

As far as the drain plug, if you already started the oil change than just drain the oil out of the tank and change it later in the season when you have more time. I'd want to get the drain plug out as it doesn't make a lot of sense to me to only be changing 3/4 of the oil at a time. Synthetic oil isn't cheap and you are not doing your motor any favors by leaving dirty oil in it.

 

[yamahamaniac]

So as you guys have noticed I have been getting mixed remarks to this question. I just drained the tank and tipped the sled on her side as far as possibly to get as much oil as I could out of her and like Keachess said "good enough." The guy who had her before me always had the shop do everything and seeing how much the bolt is seized in there I don't think they ever took it out...... if they even ever changed the oil for him. Where I stand now as just some new guy to this thing I don't really think iot matters seein what the shop did by not taking it out. I mean it's in there solid, like its welded to the base pan, it's not even fit.