So the 6mm wellnut in the gas tank/fairing is torn (wasn't me, I swear!). Do I have to take the tank off, or can I pull it from the outside, and shove in a replacement? This has to be one of the worst designs I've ever seen!

I learned my lesson early on. Do NOT tighten that well nut. The rubber swells up under compression and splits against the edge of the hole it is set in. Screw the bolt in almost loose and leave it. That one never comes out. None of the fasteners that go into rubber wellnuts come out and none of them should be tighter than it takes to compress the rubber just a bit. It's the ones that screw into steel that you have to watch.

Now al, don't sweat, I had the same thing happen and it was not hard to fix. Just took a little time. If half of the wellnut falls in, it cannot fall into your motor as long as you do not start it. The flies are closed now and they would stop it if it fell in. If your flies are pulled, the secondaries would stop it. It probably would just roll to the bottom of the airbox. "Probably" was not good enough for me either. If you had to go into the airbox to remove a wellnut, the way in is the two covers under your gas tank. 4 bolts and two little rubber hoses and lift away. You can prop up the tank without even removing it. I have pics that will help you if you need to do this.

You will need to remove the side covers (the ones with the knurled surface). You will need to take your tank fairing off and your formans. Fairings are a PITA the first time you take them off. After removing fairings, you will see the problem wellnut.

here's excellent instructions on removing the tank cover, side covers (they call them dash covers) and formans. Scroll to step 4 and below.

http://members.cox.net/allengeo/ZX-14/Installation%20Of%20Brock%20Gen%203%20StreetSmart%20Exhaust.pdf  

blue's soap recommendation is the key. I swabbed silicone spray on mine before and while pulling it out. The rubber was cut half way through and the threads were turned sideways so no way to thread the screw in. I just had to pull the outside half with a pliers and hope the inside did not tear off. It didn't that rubber is tougher than you might think - but use some slippery stuff. I think silicone is about as inert of a substance as you can get to do this job.

It probably will pull out but if it breaks off, I check the forums at least once a day and i can give you a step by step and tips. I also have pics and there is probabley a lot of visual aid for getting into the airbox in the flies out thread. It just takes a little patience and being careful.

If the rubber is retrieved in one piece, all you do is stick a large piece of duct tape over the hole in the airbox and ride until your new wellnut comes in to the stealership. I think they are about $6 for a little rubber plug with threaded brass nut.

* Last updated by: Rook on 9/8/2009 @ 10:10 PM *

blue must have forearms like Pop-eye if they don't fit through those airbox holes. Hagagaga!

They're roughly 6" triagular holes I think. Never had to reach in too deep. Part grabber seems like it could be handy but i bet he will get the whole thing from the outside.

Thanks guys. There's about half the rubber still hanging on, so I'll try a little lube and needlenose. Can't thread the bolt in. For some reason it won't grab the threads, it just spins. First time I've ever had it out, and it wasn't tight. Couldn't figure out why the bolt wouldn't thread back in, then saw the outside rubber hanging to one side. WTF! I found a website with 6mm wellnuts for 70 cents ea., but I won't know if they're exact match till I get the old one out. Someone else said HomeDepot or Napa, but neither of those around here.
http://desmoparts.com/ducati/wellnut/wellnut.htm

^^That was exactly what happened to me. The rubber plug is split and the tension in the rubber has pulled the inside portion of the plug ~90 degrees to the side. The threaded part on the inside is now facing the wrong way to get a screw in there.

I replaced mine immediately when I found it broken after 2 months of ownership. It did pull out without breaking. No more problems because I just thread the screw in now maybe one turn past where the head contacts the fairing.

Rook; Mine isn't that bad. It looks normal till you try tto thread in a bolt. Just pushing the bolt in forces the rubber about 10 degrees off. Just enough to keep it from starting. I'm just glad I didn't try pushing the bolt harder. We wouldn't be having this conversation because I'd be tearing the bike down.

Maybe not. It might have just tore half way through like mine did. Good chance you would have still been able to pull it out from outside.

You might try tilting the bolt 10 degrees in the same direction to try to thread it in if you haven't done that already. I don't think you need to worry about tearing the rubber because you will be applying a lot more force than that to pull it out with pliers.

Wellnuts? I thought those were those bowls of nasty peanuts the bartender brings you when you go cheap and start ordering well drinks.

Kruz

I got the wellnut out, and the ones I bought online are different. Now I have to decide if I buy online ($9 shipping) or a 2 hr roundtrip to a dealer.

Stick some tape on there and ride to the stealer. Just make sure it's stuck good so it cant get sucked in.

blue07; I was buying parts online amd they had 6mm wellnuts for 70 cents ea. so I grabbed a few. They might work, but they have a thinner flange, and not as long. So the answer is no.

Rook, pulled it out with needlenose and silicone spray. Called every dealer within 2 hrs of me and nobody has the wellnuts. I have to special order, so I'll just order online. From a Kawi OEM parts supplier this time.