Urgent help needed! Drain plug stuck!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Yeah, so karma is a bitch. Trying to sell my car, so now it's trying to get back at me. When I last reinstalled my drain plug, I noticed that it wouldn't tighten down. Unfortunately, it wouldn't come out either. It didn't leak, so I just kept an eye on it until I was due for another change. Now, the damn thing still won't come out. I've managed to get it about halfway by prying on the plug with a screwdriver and turning it out, but now it seems to be at a standstill. Any suggestions? I have a new plug, I just need to get the old one out.

[Bill R.]

.
Yeah, so karma is a bitch. Trying to sell my car, so now it's trying to get back at me. When I last reinstalled my drain plug, I noticed that it wouldn't tighten down. Unfortunately, it wouldn't come out either. It didn't leak, so I just kept an eye on it until I was due for another change. Now, the damn thing still won't come out. I've managed to get it about halfway by prying on the plug with a screwdriver and turning it out, but now it seems to be at a standstill. Any suggestions? I have a new plug, I just need to get the old one out.

[SharkmanBMW]

either way, it sounds stripped,
won't you need a new pan as well, or to rethread it?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Sorry, oil drain plug. I had been told that the plug itself stripping is quite common, and often just replacing the plug is all you have to do. That's why I have a new plug on hand. If that doesn't work, I could always go with an oversized plug. That is, if I get the old one out.

[winfred]

12x1.5 heli coil for the oil drain plug, do not use one of those oversize self tapping drain plugs as most of the time they crack the pan, if drilled straight a heli coil repair is better then the orignal threads as you are no longer wearing on the aluminum

[onewhippedpuppy]

Ok, I'll go that route instead if necessary. Of course, I need the old one out first.

[Chris'91'525i]

I've used Time-sert for sparkplug repairs with great results.
Here's their drain plug kits.

http://www.timesert.com/html/drainplug.html

Kind of costly for the DIY'er though....
May have to find a shop that does them....

[nuclearfusion]

When you get the drain plug out (however you manage that) I'd recommend you go to your dealer and get a *longer* drain plug (NOT oversized in diameter, but rather longer in length). I don't remember which models use these but they do exist. This way you have a chance to engage undamaged threads in the oilpan.

Worked a charm in an E28 I encountered with damaged threads in the oilpan.

Enjoy!

Fusion

[BillionPa]

WD40, wait 10 mins, WD40 again, wait an hour, use a bigger wrench!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Success! Vise grips allowed me to keep constant downward pressure on the plug, and turn it out at the same time. Now I'm off to find a helicoil insert, I started my new plug just enough to tell that the pan threads are bad.

[joshua43214]

Ditto on the oversized and the longer plug. Oversized plugs are meant for steel pans and will often break aluminum ones.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Thanks for the tips guys, problem solved. A 12x1.5 tap was all I needed. A quick chase of the threads and the new plug went in perfectly.

[nuclearfusion]

Thanks for the tips guys, problem solved. A 12x1.5 tap was all I needed. A quick chase of the threads and the new plug went in perfectly.

Just one more touch on the longer drain bolt concept - if the threads in your oilpan are damaged at all a longer drain bolt will have more chance to engage undamaged threads further up the bore and thus help preclude further damage.

The longer bolt is just a couple of dollars at the dealer, and well worth it in my opinion.

Enjoy!

Fusion