TR2/3/3A Oil drain plug stuck

[joshsibille]

I've been breaking down my engine ('61 TR3A)to pull it, but for the life of me, I can't get the oil drain plug out. I've soaked it with PB blaster, tried a breaker bar, even to some extent an impact wrench with a universal joint(only way I could get it to reach). Anybody have any thoughts as to how to to get the d*** thing out? Would like to drain the engine before pulling it, but its looking like it may have to come out full of oil then get taken out when its in the open. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[STeve 1958]

My first impulse was to say " Righty righty, lefty loose " but that would be cruel.
You might try heat. use a 1200 degree heat gun, not a torch. Then a breaker bar.
Someone must have thought they could stop an oil leak if they got it tight enough.

 

[NutmegCT]

I had a similar experience on an old Jaguar saloon. My dad taught me something a zillion years ago: put a wrench on the bolt head, but lightly tap the wrench with a hammer *the direction you'd normally tighten it."

That light "backwards" tapping usually breaks the bolt out of the rust or whatever is holding it, so you can then turn it normally to loosen it.

Not always - but worked for me many many times on various cars.
Tom M.

 

[TomMull]

Put a breaker bar with a 3 foot pipe "cheater" on it. If that doesn't do it, increase the length of the cheater. Oh, and you can tap it too.
Tom

 

[Geo Hahn]

You could always remove the oil pan and work on it on the bench... of course that would 'drain' the oil too.

 

[TR3driver]

This puzzles me; I've never had any trouble at all twisting off those dang pipe plugs without using a cheater bar at all. Seems like they're made of stale cheese that has gone soft again (no doubt from exposure to hot oil).

IMO, if an 8 point socket and breaker bar doesn't get it, it's time to start drilling for oil.

Some teflon pipe dope on the replacement will help ensure it doesn't happen again.

Put a breaker bar with a 3 foot pipe "cheater" on it. If that doesn't do it, increase the length of the cheater. Oh, and you can tap it too.
Tom

 

[sp53]

The bolt is probably shot by now and I am wondering if it a square plug or a bolt someone put in its place. I actually think the treads in the pan are angle pipe treads. Sometimes a good bite with vise grips and a 4 to 6 pound hammer to bump it with lets the mass of the big hammer do the work, but again vise grips can backfire and take all the sides off. I have had to weld a nut on what was left of plug before and the heat from the welder and a new clean nut it made it so popped right off.

Welding the nut was a lot easier than I thought it would be and I had wished I had done it sooner.

 

[CJD]

In the short term: "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." (Archemedes 250BC).

In the Long term: Don't let anyone else touch your ride!

 

[TR3driver]

The later pans were pipe threads, the factory used common square head pipe plugs. (Which I like to replace with hex socket plugs.)

Tr2 and early TR3 took a different, hex head plug with straight threads. I don't recall the thread offhand, but I believe it was SAE. There should be a fiber sealing washer, too.

The pans are interchangeable, of course, so its never quite certain what you will find on any given car. But the pipe threads are much more common, just because they made so many (same pan for TR4 and 4A as well).

 

[titanic]

Amended version: "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall break anything and/or maim myself." (Berry 2019 AD)
Berry

In the short term: "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." (Archemedes 250BC).

In the Long term: Don't let anyone else touch your ride!

 

[Dr_Mike]

"Give me a lever long enough..." and oi shallop one the whole b####y car