smonster0516

I rounded my drain plug, the car was cold when I tryed to remove it, that is what I assume did it. If I warm the car up will this help? Can I dremel the head so that it is a size smaller? HELP!!!! It's been 10k!

UnsanePyro

It would probably be easier to dremel a slot into it for a slotted screwdriver, make sure you go to the dealership and buy a plug to use befroe you drain the oil though.

TexasHonda

There are several possibilities:

1) Go to Sears and get a set of "Rounded nut sockets". These have a reverse spiral on the inside and bind up on the rounded bolt head or nut, allowing torque to be applied CCW to the bolt for removal. They are < $25 as I remember. Check ebay if you have time for lower price.

2) Take a good file and dress the corners and flats to regain hex shape. This takes a bit of time, but you should be able to install a slightly smaller socket over the improved bolt head.

3) If you have access to a welder, weld a reasonable size nut to the bolt head, and engage socket on the attached nut.

One of these should get the job done. Replace bolt w/ new.

good luck

Altitude

Needle nosed Vise-Grips??

pzero23

vise grips should help but you have plenty of suggestion to try from already

smonster0516

Thanks, this forum is priceless. I tried the vice grips and they nearly broke, again the car was cold (motor), so that probably would have worked otherwise!

Altitude

Yeah right You nearly broke Vise -Grips?
Man your drain plug must be welded or molecularly bonded to the oil pan.

Looks like now you'll have to spend the day carving and forming a bolt head....

Are you certain youre turning on a drain plug and not a casting piece of your engine block?

Ysidro

I'd say f*** it, and bring it to a proffesional like Midas who's specialized in handling round headed screws like that before you do any worst to it, and it becomes a bigger problem.

Just remember next time not to tighten it too tight.
goodluck.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Yep...they only need snugged up and turned about 1\4 to 1/2 a turn after contact. Dont man handle it so much on the wrench when you put it on.

As for getting it off....years ago worked at an Oil change place.....popular prob. We ALWAYS got it off with vice grips or in rare occasions a pipe wrench, but the plug has to be BIG for that! Vice grips should work. I would do what the the other guy said and run it though a shop otherwise....they wont likely even mention it...other than charging you for a plug.

smonster0516

"Professionals" like midas? HA. I refuse to take my car to "professionals" after the last 7 times I have it has been screwed up, les shwabb even f...ed up an alignment then when correcting it they messed it up worse and then rotated one side of tires and not the other then told me that I did that to spite them and when I went to rotate them back my wheel locks where gone and then I broke the damn lug wrench removing the first one THATS RIGHT THE LUG WRENCH BROKE because somebody was to lazy to use a torque bar only to be told that "we always use torque bars its our policy". They are professional con artists. I bet that when I warm the car up and try with vice grips it will work, when cold there is probably NO way to get it out if it was even slightly over tightened. BTW I have changed oil @ a dealership so I guess I would be a professional oilchanger with more than 100 under my belt..... bonnafied grease monkey.

Sorry about the longwinded bitching session, just frustrated. This car is being problematic this year (3.5 transmissions, two radiators one of which was just for fun because the tranny shop was mad they screwed up in the first place and mysteriously didn't have the new one that they "needed" to replace for the tranny cooler even though the tranny didn't even last 24 hours, now the tranny smokes and pukes out of the breather and I found 2 out of 6 MAIN bolts almost falling off the damn thing) Damn, I complain to much.

Thanks for the input, I'll take a whack at it when the rain clears!

smonster0516

Oh, and I could car less about the oil pan, I have a spare from the motor I recently replaced, shes high maintenance but worth the money.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Oh....I never said Midas of any of those places are "pros". I know....was a manager of one of those quicklube places many many many moons ago (at 18) and there was shops around (not mine) that if you had somebody that worked on your car that worked there for more than 4 hours....you were lucky. My shop didnt have help turnover probs....but I can tell you that the propensity for your car to get duped in one of those places is a direct function of the store managers villegence at training their employees. A LOT of shops totally suck....very hard to find an acceptable one. BUT....if you got a drainplug prob....and you have a good one around you....that is no big deal at all for one of the quicklube places. Now paying $50 for an oil change by the time you get out is another thing (at least thats what it was with airfilter for my caddy about 4 years ago....I also dont routinely go to those places for the aforementioned reasons. Good help is impossible to find at that level.