A few days back I picked up a 2017 Ultra Limited that only had 155 miles on the clock. The bike is stock, with no modifications. Today I tried to remove the factory air cleaner cover, but when I went to remove the center bolt (part number 8 in the picture below) it would spin freely but the bolt would not back out. I could feel light resistance / dragging as the bolt rotates.
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It's possible that the threaded portion of the air cleaner element (part 9) is stripped, but even when I pull at the chrome air cleaner cover (part 10) while spinning the center bolt the cover remains in place and wont come off.

Has anybody else ran in to this? Am I missing something here? I'd love to not have to drill out a bolt on my brand new bike....

 

part number 8 appears to be the vent assembly ? part number 3? Yes possible.

 

part #8 is the breather tube, you mean #3 right, that bolts into the air filter? I'm guessing the threaded bronze bushing in the air cleaner lost its grip and that's what's turning...see if you can use a flat head screwdriver to apply outward pressure on the bolt while turning with the allen wrench or if there's enough room, better yet, use small vise grips on the bolt while pulling and turning..or let the dealer fix it under warranty..then you're only going to need a $20 replacement filter..I serviced both of ours many times before going with the SE ACs and never had that happen..good luck

 

Yup, part number 3. Don't know how I managed to fat-finger that one.

I tried slipping a small screwdriver under the head of the bolt to apply pressure / lever as I turned with my wrench and only managed to put a (small) scratch in the air cleaner cover in the process. I think you're spot on that the bushing is spinning inside the plastic of the air cleaner. If I could get the damn thing off I'd jbweld the bushing in place. I hate to take the bike to the dealer within the first week of owning it, but I guess that's what warranties are for.

 

yeah, bummer..maybe squirt some wd 40 in the threads..probably can't get channel locks on the bolt without scratching the chrome.....going forward just a drop of blue loctite on the tip of the bolt threads and don't over tighten is all it needs..they must have put that sucker on really tight at the factory..that's a tough one, out of ideas

 

 

digging deep here..but is there enough space to wrap some bailing wire around the bolt twice and have the loose ends meet, twist them and pull and twist with pliers? I think if you could somehow get some outward pressure towards you it might just break loose enough in the threads to come out, but probably a long shot.

 

Why screw with it... its under warranty. Take it in. Let them demolish the assembly to get it apart and replace everything. Because as soon as YOU demolish the assembly to get it apart, YOU will be replacing it as the dealer will wash their hands of it.

 

Take in, they will have plenty of take-offs from new bikes from people who dumped that goats *** ugly air box before they took delivery of the bike.

 

If you're determined to get it out yourself, try this. Chuck up a bolt with a 5/16 hex head in a drill. Some high speed clockwise/counterclockwise rotation, while pulling on the cover "might" free it up. The high speed rotation should allow the brass insert to grind away the remaining plastic that's holding it in place.

If it pops off, I wouldn't mess with the JB Weld, when a new element can be had for $20.