Hello, first off thank you for all the valuable information you have posted already!

So I have an issue specifically with my Oil Drain Plug. It is stripped and stuck in the pan. When I attempt to remove it it will only spin with a feeling of tightening and then loosening.

Previous searches suggested to pull out and try turning. I used some gripping pliers and a screwdriver to try this but with no success, the bolt refused to budge enough to get the screwdriver between the pan and the bolt.

There is a very small leak, only slight wetness around the bolt, with zero dripping. I was pretty fearful of driving but after some tests and checks I don't think the bolt is going to fall out.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Do I need to try harder in getting the bolt out or think about changing the pan?

Changing the pan, does anyone have instructions on how to do this? I have a service manual but it does not have this in it. Shop near me are quoting $500 or more to do this

I am mechanicaly compentent but not a trained mechanic so I am not scared of labor just need the how-to, materials needed.

If I have to remove the pan to do a repair I will probably just replace the pan.

Thanks for your time.

 

Page 7-11 of Service Manual "Oil Pan Removal"...21 easy steps and an engine hoist...problem is scraps in oil...should be OK at bottom of pan, but...

If you pull the plug hard enough while rotating it will probably come out (think vice grip pulled by a gorilla) but levering with a screwdriver is asking for trouble...but you need a replacement that will work. That means either a slightly bigger plug or a tap kit to re-thread the pan, at which point you are putting shavings into the oil pan.

I'm saying, who stripped it:

Shop...they have insurance, if you can prove it (good luck).

You...looks like a $500+ mechanical lesson (been there, done that)

 

Lol yes Duck lesson on me. Luckily it is not the end of the world.

Thanks for the page #. I have the means to re-tap just getting the sucker out of there is proving difficult. I guess I did not pull hard enough if I need a gorilla will give it a 2nd attempt before calling it quits.

Thank you for the reply.

 

Just remember, if you decide to try, I'd consider draining as much oil as possible from dipstick tube (they make pumps for that) so as to minimize debris dispersal. the pull the plug and tap it...then flush a quart or two of oil through to wash out the debris.

 

dame i gotta be careful when im doing my oils changes

 

Well I managed to successfully remove the old drain plug. Luckily the plug stripped and the threads on the pan are still ok with no sign of stripping.

When I got the bolt out there were fragments so I used a magnet, my finger, and some spare oil to flush out the filings. When I went to install the replacement bolt it looked like some of the sharp edge was being shaved. The replacement came with a plastic(?) washer and it is leaking oil very very slowly.

Any thoughts? Get a new newer drain plug? Bad washer? Did I miss a step in the cleaning process?

Also for my tsx there is no chance of DIY oil pan removal, it is blocked by the transmission and lower subframe.

 

The replacement was, I assume, not Honda/Acura.

The Acura bolt uses an aluminium crush washer that is replaced after every change. I suspect the hole is now larger than it was, possibly causing the leak. Also, you can't feel very good tightening the new bolt, so it is probably not tight enough to seal with a plastic washer. Oil gets hot, plastics deform under heat.

Try it with a good aluminium washer...that's the best shot. I know that means another oil change...I wouldn't try to capture and reuse.

 

Also, if you think the threaded hole has been slightly enlarged, try wrapping the drain bolt with teflon plumber's tape before you install it (after you've put the new washer on the bolt. The washer may stop the leak, but the tape can't hurt, and it should stop any oil weeping through the threads.

 

Very hesitent about the teflon tape idea...perhaps a small wrap, folded over, directly above the washer...but I'm still concerned about little pieces of teflon tape floating in the oil system. The temperature shouldn't be an issue, since the melting point is 600+ degrees F, but...

 

I've been using nylon washers instead of aluminum because they have a little more flexibility/crushibility. Got the last ones at Advance Auto - 14 mm. YRMV