Stuck Oil Drain Plug

[chiwawadan]

I purchased an SUV which had always been serviced at the dealership and upon purchasing decided to go ahead and do my own oil changes. The dealership must have bodybuilders for employees, because I can NOT get the oil drain plug out.

I have a couple more tricks I'm going to try - I have limited tools though. Just curious, anyone experience this and have any additional tips from those below?

Various tips I've read:
-Always use 6-sided socket
-Use longer socket wrench for more torque
-Use breaker bar for more torque (don't have...haven't tried)
-Penetrating oil
-Heat
-Cold
-Put a hydraulic car lift underneath the socket wrench and use the car lift to push the socket wrench up toward the car (using the car's weight to unstuck the bolt) **This one's next on my list to try

If my last attempt doesn't work, I'll probably go get an alignment done and ask the shop to try to loosen it for me while they're doing the alignment work!

Or anyone nearby have a breaker bar and a pipe? 

[Rainier10]

Lefty loosey. 

[chiwawadan]

Lefty loosey. 

Yeah yeah yeah. No issue there. 

[blackpowderhunter]

it was probably installed with an impact.. 
where are you located?
just go pick up a breaker bar, sounds like itll come in handy for you at times.  this harbor freight one will do the trick for not much money
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-25-in-breaker-bar-67933.html

[jackelope]

it was probably installed with an impact.. 
where are you located?
just go pick up a breaker bar, sounds like itll come in handy for you at times.  this harbor freight one will do the trick for not much money
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-25-in-breaker-bar-67933.html

Any shop where a technician installs an oil pan drain plug with an impact should be shut down by the BBB.


If it was me, and you know where the car was serviced, I'd be taking it back there. Let them fix it.

[Jake Dogfish]

I’ve slipped the jack handle that came with my Saturn on the end of the wrench to get a few tough ones loose.

[Woodchuck]

it was probably installed with an impact.. 
where are you located?
just go pick up a breaker bar, sounds like itll come in handy for you at times.  this harbor freight one will do the trick for not much money
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-25-in-breaker-bar-67933.html

Any shop where a technician installs an oil pan drain plug with an impact should be shut down by the a surgical air strike.


If it was me, and you know where the car was serviced, I'd be taking it back there. Let them fix it.

fixed it

[RockChuck]

Lefty loosey. 

  this was going to be my advice 😂

[HikerHunter]

My wife took her car to Jiffy Lube once without me knowing. She surprised me because I was super busy with other things at the time (probably hunting season...). The next time I tried to change her oil, I broke my socket wrench trying to get it off...

You don't need an actual breaker bar, as Jake Dogfish mentioned. A short section of PVC or steel pipe will do as well. That's what finally got mine off.

[huntnfmly]

As mentioned in another thread on this same subject and in my experience you need to cuss at the drain plug a couple times and throw your socket wrench across the garage at least once and then try it again and it will come loose😆😆

[chiwawadan]

As mentioned in another thread on this same subject and in my experience you need to cuss at the drain plug a couple times and throw your socket wrench across the garage at least once and then try it again and it will come loose😆😆

Certainly already tried this!

[Westside88]

This may be a dumb question, but have you warmed the vehicle up prior to trying to remove the drain plug?

[jackelope]

As mentioned in another thread on this same subject and in my experience you need to cuss at the drain plug a couple times and throw your socket wrench across the garage at least once and then try it again and it will come loose😆😆

Certainly already tried this!

Knucklebuster yet?

[Stein]

I would use an impact.  Before I had one a 2.5# sledge on the wrench would often work well.



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[RockChuck]

I would say impact as a last resort because if it goes wrong your hosed, IMO best bet is pipe on a heavy duty ratchet with a good 6pt socket (impact socket would be my choice due to thickness)

[andersonjk4]

My wife took her car to Jiffy Lube once without me knowing. She surprised me because I was super busy with other things at the time (probably hunting season...). The next time I tried to change her oil, I broke my socket wrench trying to get it off...

You don't need an actual breaker bar, as Jake Dogfish mentioned. A short section of PVC or steel pipe will do as well. That's what finally got mine off.

  or if you have combination end wrenches you can use the two wrench trick to gain some leverage.  I end up using this trick all the time.

[timberghost72]

The last guy to change the oil cross-threaded the drain plug and stripped out the the threads in the pan. To "fix" it he coated the drain plugs' boogered up threads with JB weld and loc-tight. Just to be thourough he also added high strength epoxy to it. Since tight is good he figgured tighter is better.

Of course this is best case scenario 

[hunter399]

Put your wrench or socket on there and hit it with hammer .You need to break it loose .Breaker bars are nice and work most times .But you don't want to strip your bolt.
It needs a swift hit to break it loose.rachet socket and keep hitting the end of rachet with the palm of hand or hammer and hope it breaks loose .If you do strip it .I would use a small pipe wrench with a breaker bar.

[Crunchy]

Well don't leave us hanging.  Did you get the drain plug out?

[Stein]

Well don't leave us hanging.  Did you get the drain plug out?

 :yeah

[jackelope]

Well don't leave us hanging.  Did you get the drain plug out?

And is there video??!?!

[KFhunter]

I use the neck of a metal necked hammer, or the neck of a crecent wrench turned around backwards, on the end of the 6pt box wrench to unstuck them.



If it's rounded or mangled I'll tap on a slightly smaller box wrench (I don't like sockets as they'll roll off) if your bolt is a 3/4 inch wrench, I'll try a 19mm or 18mm and tap it on.
If it's bad I'll file new shoulders with a flat file, really bad I heat it, really really bad I drill it.

[Axle]

I had this problem on an Audi once. I warmed it up nice and hot. Probably risky but it did work. I was nervous with the amount of heat it took. With an Audi, you need to change the metal seal too. The previous guy probably over-tightened it to make up for not replacing the seal.

[Jpmiller]

I would chime in that I've broken alot of cheap and expensive ratchets smacking them with a hammer. I now only hit wrenches as ive yet to break one of them.

[chiwawadan]

Well, the update is that I found a place that changed my oil for $20, I asked them very kindly to make sure they hand tighten the oil drain plug for me.

So, I'll update this thread when I change my oil again in 5000 miles. 

Maybe I'll get to work on upper body strength in the mean time?

[Rainier10]

Well, the update is that I found a place that changed my oil for $20, I asked them very kindly to make sure they hand tighten the oil drain plug for me.

So, I'll update this thread when I change my oil again in 5000 miles. 

Maybe I'll get to work on upper body strength in the mean time?

Did they have any issue getting the plug out to change your oil?

[BDildine]

Well, the update is that I found a place that changed my oil for $20, I asked them very kindly to make sure they hand tighten the oil drain plug for me.

So, I'll update this thread when I change my oil again in 5000 miles. 

Maybe I'll get to work on upper body strength in the mean time?

I hope that place doesnt start with a "jiffy" and end with "lube"

[chiwawadan]

Well, the update is that I found a place that changed my oil for $20, I asked them very kindly to make sure they hand tighten the oil drain plug for me.

So, I'll update this thread when I change my oil again in 5000 miles. 

Maybe I'll get to work on upper body strength in the mean time?

Did they have any issue getting the plug out to change your oil?

They had a lot better access to the underside than I did and I believe they just used a large breaker bar.

And no, not jiffy lube.

[Rainier10]

Well, the update is that I found a place that changed my oil for $20, I asked them very kindly to make sure they hand tighten the oil drain plug for me.

So, I'll update this thread when I change my oil again in 5000 miles. 

Maybe I'll get to work on upper body strength in the mean time?

Did they have any issue getting the plug out to change your oil?

They had a lot better access to the underside than I did and I believe they just used a large breaker bar.

And no, not jiffy lube.

Thanks for the update and glad you got it fixed.