it's only a 5mm hex, so it's not going to stand up to much. you could try a torx fitting about the same size, that's where i often go, but i've not had to worry with a little plug. certainly had to with big ones.

i'd be more inclined to drill the head off it. that way, you won't take out all the hex and it's more likely to be friction between head and washer and case that is the issue. even if it has been gooped in as the current fashion is, the actual threaded section shouldn't be the issue. unless some moron has loctited it in. get a big left hand drill so as to go into the hex as little as possible. the washer should insulate the case from the drill as it goes through the steel.

or pull the plate off the bottom of the sump, but those screws are often far less likely to want to come out than the sump plug.

 

Hell No---Dont use an impact wrench----get the engine hot then try to remove the drain plug ----also you could try to hit the drain plug with a brass drift--(Not a steel drift ) Brass only--- put the brass drift on the drain plug and hit the drift with a hammer---Dont hit it with a sledge hammer but give it a firm hit but dont beat the shit out of it. --The Brass drift will many times jolt the bolt enough to make it far easier to remove.

 

Hell No---Dont use an impact wrench--

OK thanks. Won't do that. I was thinking the little 5mm thing can't be all that strong.
I thought left hand bit drilling it out was for when you already buggered the thing. I have a set of those drill bits. LOL.

I did idle the engine on the stand up to about 175F, then took 5 minutes after shutoff before I got on there with the wrench. So it was not cold. Don't think I own a drift. What about improvising one from scrap wood? Call it drift wood. Groan.

Last place to work on it is a Ducati dealer.

 

Probably a silly question, but are you sure you're loosening the bolt, and not tightening it? Righty tighty, lefty loosey?

Loosening an upside down bolt can sometimes be disorienting.

I use a 1/2" breaker bar to loosen stubborn bolts.

 

Probably a silly question, but are you sure you're loosening the bolt, and not tightening it? Righty tighty, lefty loosey?

Loosening an upside down bolt can sometimes be disorienting.

Very true. Yes I have noticed this, it can be confusing, and I am sure. I only do stuff like this now and then, so always double think this when I am working on something upside down. Like this bolt. Using a ratchet you can set it to loosen while you hold it right side up, the turn it over to try and undo the bolt. Easy.

I think I could break the 5mm hex with a normal size ratchet or wrench. I do have a breaker bar. I have too many tools for a guy who does not use them for a living. LOL.

 

True. The N + 1 rule again.
The problem remains the same.
Tools take up space, and the things you own end up owning you.

 

A drift made of wood is not going to have the same effect--you use the brass drift ONLY to deliver a sharp shock to the bolt ---But again do not use a drift made from anything except brass. --This does work I have tried it many times on a bolt that will not break loose--If you dont have a brass drift --go to harbor freight & purchase it--

 

Short Sharp Shock. Got it.

 

well, it's an m12 thread from memory, so i'd be using a 14 - 16mm drill bit on it. if you can't make the tool thing work. hit it with a heat gun just in case.

 

Use what you got...A last ditch effort is to get a small sharp chisel and wack a v groove into the edge of the head, then bang the silly offending fastener in the off direction... the fastener is buggered anyway. So have a new one on standby.
Use lots of construction talk some say it helps. S@#¥ f€@%%! Stuff like that

 

Use what you got...A last ditch effort is to get a small sharp chisel and wack a v groove into the edge of the head, then bang the silly offending fastener in the off direction

this is what I did with my bike when the PO had cranked the drain plug too tight.I assume you have a lamenting chair in your garage? It might come in handy. Mine did, I started a thread about it. Be careful with the chisel but it does work well.

 

Don't use an impact ! Those drain plugs are soft as butter. If the tool has started to spin in the plug you probably need a new plug. I was able to get a standard size in my mostly buggered up plug and that got it out so that may be a possibility for you......someone once suggested to me to add a little plumbers tape and the sand to the proper hex key to make it very snug on the fastener.

good luck.

 

Never! You can use an impact driver with the proper bit. I have done that before on plugs that were seriously over tightened. More importantly though is using a good quality set of hex drivers. I have thrown away several moderately priced sets because they just werent up to the job. My rule of thumb has become if you can insert the driver into an undamaged plug without concentrating on what you are doing then it doesnt fit properly.

 

If it's all ready to bugger out I would get a good quality Torx socket that will tap in, tap it in as far as possible then put my impact on it and rattle the shit out of it. It will either come out or it won't, and if it won't then you can resort to drilling, cutting, chopping, hacking, explosives, etc.

 

When faced with this situation I resort to cutting a slot in the bolt with a dremel tool. Then fit a large blade screw driver in the slot to unscrew it. I would ride the bike and get the engine good and hot before trying to remove the bolt; that will loosen any thread sealant that someone may have previously applied. Good luck!!

 

LOL. Should have known I'd get conflicting ideas.
Impact! No Impact!

For sure no explosives. Thanks for the other ideas, I'll need to find time to try give it another go.
And not after work when it's 90 some degrees out there.

 

LOL. Should have known I'd get conflicting ideas.
Impact! No Impact!

For sure no explosives. Thanks for the other ideas, I'll need to find time to try give it another go.
And not after work when it's 90 some degrees out there.

An impact driver is different from an impact wrench! Look it up

 

it's a 5mm hex. it won't stand up to much impact, and more importantly it won't transfer the impact through to the issue, which is almost certainly the friction between the head of the plug, the washer and the engine cases. it'll just fuck the 5mm bit.

it is was an older 10mm hex, sure, it'll handle a massive amount more impact and transfer it as it's got 4 times the material in the hex. i still probably wouldn't hit it with an impact though. last one i did i drilled a 12mm hole into the damaged hex and hammered the slightly bigger torx into it. came out easy as.

 

I agree about no impact. In this sort of case all that does is get you to the "broken bolt" stage that much quicker.

You said you warmed the engine up. That's not nearly enough.
First, clean the whole area of all flammable crud and then have a fire extinguisher handy, just in case.
Now, counterintuitively, you are going to use a fire lighter (or some other heat source you can focus on the head) to heat the hell out of the head; NOT the surrounding area. It's too much of a heat sink to do what you need.
Once you have the head heated up thoroughly, cold-shock it with ice water from a spray bottle or even slap a piece of dry ice on it.
The theory of operation is that the heated bolt will fractionally swell the surrounding metal and the cold water will shrink the shank. That will loosen the thread and break loose any binding corrosion.
Good luck.

Pilgrim

 

OK first I am no Ducati expert--But I am a BMW Motorcycle Master Certified Tech---& a motorcycle is a motorcycle in many aspects. ----I am not saying this is your issue--But you never know----I have seen cases where a bolt is being held by what we call Florida LocTite--aka rust or corrosion . When this happens you can put enough pressure on bolt that the corrosion has locked it in place. --You can pull / damage, the threads in your case.
This is where I suggest a brass drift--It will shock the bolt & threads & many times break this corrosion / seal that that bolt has right now. The thing is the Brass also absorbs much of the impact so what you get is a quick, sharp sudden blow to that bolt.--( Again do not use anything but a brass drift)--The ideal way to proceed --I would use a good heat gun-( not a hair dryer--it will not get hot enough) you want around 250 deg. F --Heat it---Then use the brass drift to shock it ---with the heat still on it---try to break it loose with a pull handle.
If this does not work then you may have to resort to the chisel & hammer method---But thats a last resort to me.

 

Thanks Renn. And everyone.
I'll give this another go later in the week.

Meanwhile maybe my brain can stop playing Kenny Rogers.
You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em.
Know when to walk away, and take it it a pro.

I can do this.

 

if it's been to a dealer it should have 1215 or 1207 on the threads. it's only sealer, but that and tight might be enough to stop it moving. 1207 goes off in the presence of oil afaik, and they both do stick like crazy.

 

If the hex in the plug isn't completely buggered try using a short [ just longer than the depth of the hex in the drain plug] socket. The short length reduces the tendency to pull the socket sideways when trying to loosen the plug. I've made a couple out of longer allen sockets using an abrasive cutoff wheel and kept the edges of the cut sharp to provide a little extra bite inside the stubborn fastener. They're really needed if trying to unscrew those 4mm hex countersunk head screws they use.

 

The hex is always a loose fit on the drain plug. Dip the hex tool in oil then put it in sand. Makes a tight fit.

 

For stripped hex heads what has always worked for me is to take the next
larger size triple square bit and hammer it into the hex head it will lock into
the bolt and should come right out.

 

THEN.. fit a new plug !!!

 

 

Maybe dumb but is there enough head exposed to grab with a vise grips?

 

That's not dumb - smacking it with a plastic head mallet or a brass drift, like mentioned above and then getting a vice grip (with nice new jaws, preferably) is a great thing to try.

I had the same issue as above on the oil screen screws on my 1098s. I had to use a small file to create flat spots on the screws large enough to grab with my long, needle nose style vice grips. After smacking them a few times to loosen the corrosion, I got them out. It took nearly an hour for each one, but I got them out finally. -Gordo

 

There are a thousand ways to do it, and they all include a hammer at some stage.

 

Old Roman chariot makers saying. "If it first it doesn't move, get a bigger hammer!"

 

I don't think there is enough to get a vice grip on. The bolt head is pretty thin and flat. There is all of about 7 1/2" between the floor and the bolt, so that does not help getting in there with tools. I had not even thought to get a good look at it by putting my head on the floor. Tried the camera. Here's the little offender. Looks like there is no way a hex is going to work now. AFU before I started. 104 degrees EFF! outside now so staying in the AC.
Happy happy joy joy.

 

I have to wonder why they use goop on it. I’d hate that and take it as being the sign of a coward.

can you find a thin copper gasket for your new plug?