Broken oil filter cap. Can I still ride it?

**Adriaan** · 24th February 2012, 17:42

So I did my oil change before the ride on Sunday. I loosened the bolts on the oil filter cap, but I couldn't get it off. So I stuck a flat screwdriver in and tried to wedge it off.

It broke.

Just the part that holds the bolt snapped off. It was still wedged in too tight to get it off. So I replaced the bolt.

I started it up and went for a spin around the yard...no leak.

So do I risk taking it out on Sunday ? And what could happen if it fails ??

**paturoa** · 24th February 2012, 18:00

Photos may help us to make uneducated guesses without technical or logical reason.

**Crisis management** · 24th February 2012, 18:25

Bloody cockies, it's a bike (as much as a honda can be called that) not a tractor!

Your decision: if it leaks oil in a small amount that might be ok, if it leaks oil in a big amount you may not notice until it buggers your motor.

You can either get a new part and fix it properly tomorrow morning or take a chance on it not leaking and see what happens.

Me, I wouldn't enjoy the ride worrying about something that serious.

**neels** · 24th February 2012, 18:26

What could possibly go wrong?

**scott411** · 24th February 2012, 19:29

Originally Posted by Crisis management

Bloody cockies, it's a bike (as much as a honda can be called that) not a tractor!

Your decision: if it leaks oil in a small amount that might be ok, if it leaks oil in a big amount you may not notice until it buggers your motor.

You can either get a new part and fix it properly tomorrow morning or take a chance on it not leaking and see what happens.

Me, I wouldn't enjoy the ride worrying about something that serious.

what he says, if you are friends with your local honda dealer they may be able to sort you out with something,

**hayd3n** · 24th February 2012, 19:34

replace with a wine cork and have a few glasses

**motor_mayhem** · 25th February 2012, 16:00

What could happen? seized bike I imagine.

It's not fun or cheap.

**Adriaan** · 25th February 2012, 18:01

Went to the Honda shop today. The soonest they can get one is two weeks.

**Crisis management** · 25th February 2012, 18:27

I feel for you Adrian but shit does happen and you need to learn from it (you can tell I've had kids like you can't you?).

Good on you doing your own maintenance, but learn how to do it properly as most of todays machinery is fragile and needs the proper approach to ensure you don't fuck up. To remove an O-ring cover like that you tap it around the side with a soft faced mallet.

You're on site anyway, there must be some demo bikes you can scrounge a ride on (be nice to Scott or Noobi and you never know) so turn up and make the best of the situation. I'm at Woodhill tomorrow otherwise you could have a thrash on the 200.

Two weeks isn't that long.

**green machine** · 25th February 2012, 18:40

If it's just the bolt tab that's broken....it still is held on by the other bolt,could you not put a bigger flat washer over the broken part to hold it together...........if it looks like this one the seal is quite deep?....for one ride?....

**Crabby** · 25th February 2012, 19:10

can you not get an aftermarket zeta one from somewhere ?

**Crabby** · 25th February 2012, 19:14

http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/fitment...5-crf250r.aspx

Cycletreads appear to have them for $80

**noobi** · 25th February 2012, 19:18

Originally Posted by Crabby

http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/fitment...5-crf250r.aspx

Cycletreads appear to have them for $80

If you look closely, you will see that is neither his model bike nor from that vintage. Also, that cycletreads is over an hours drive from Huntly and the OP is only really concerned about the Naike ride tomorrow.

**Crabby** · 25th February 2012, 20:09

Originally Posted by noobi

If you look closely, you will see that is neither his model bike nor from that vintage. Also, that cycletreads is over an hours drive from Huntly and the OP is only really concerned about the Naike ride tomorrow.

Was referring to a post a couple up where the OP was going to have to wait two weeks (which personally I couldn't), thus couriering it from somewhere in aucks would be much quicker than waiting for the local dealer to get something in, obviously not by sunday.

But yes, my bad, they don't seem to list one for the OP's exact model, However I was under the impression the oil filter cover was the same from 02-08 on the crf450, I could be wrong though.