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Stuck oil drain plug

Greg Arehart

Greg Arehart

Well Known Member
So, it looks like I have a tiny oil leak in one of my drain plugs. I have previously pulled this drain, put some teflon lube on it, and reinserted, so I know that it CAN come out. Still leaking a tiny bit at last look, so I decided to pull it and try again. Wouldn't come out. Now it seems pretty stuck, and I have been unwilling to really force it. I do not really need this drain port at all for my setup. I would really like to stop the leak.

I figure there are a couple options:

1) get a bigger wrench and pull (force) the plug. My concern with this option is that the threads are galled or something and I might make a tiny problem much worse, maybe even causing case damage. Any suggestions on how to coax the plug out? Heat? WD-40 or similar? I should mention that the plug is steel, not aluminum.

2) clean the plug and environs and then put a "bandaid" of RTV over the plug to effectively seal it off. Since it is not under pressure, I would think that the RTV would do the job, and it would not permanently damage anything. In my mind not the perfect solution, but better than causing major damage by turning too hard on a stuck plug.

Suggestions?

greg
 
With the oil drained, use a pen torch (used for soldering) and heat a circle around the plug out about 1/2 inch from the plug. You should be able to do this without burning the paint. Get it really worm to the touch................ that should do it.

ps. keep the area CLEAN!!
 
Bigger wrench

Bigger wrench works for me. I actually have used an open end wrench on the plug and extended the lever with a interlinked box end wrench to smoothly back it out.

Bob Axsom
 
Heat, heat, heat. You may need more then what the previous poster suggested. If you reinstall the plug with the sump warm or hot after an oil change, and you tighten it up pretty good to prevent a previously known oil leak/ seep, it will be very tight with cold oil and sump. It is a tapered pipe plug. Big wrench may work but heat and lots of it will work better.
Good Luck,
Mahlon
"The opinions and information provided in this and all of my posts are hopefully helpful to you. Please use the information provided responsibly and at your own risk."
 
Aluminum, magnesium and their alloys expand more rapidly than steel does when heated. A hot air gun may work also if you're reluctant to use a small torch.

Gluing it shut with RTV is just going to end up leaking again someday.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. Just closing this thread. Turns out that I didn't need to remove the plug as it was a leak coming from the oil filler tube, which was a much easier fix. But I'll certainly remember some of these tricks if/when I need to pull that drain plug.

cheers and thanks,
greg
 
Incidentally.....

...when you're trying to remove ANY stuck bolt or nut, use a 6 point wrench or socket. The usual 12 point will round the bolt or nut.

Best,
 
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