• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

oil pan bolt

Share this page

S

sp53

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
I have an oil pan bolt that is really stuck. I tried some heat to melt the nylon washer, but no luck. The bolt head was shot before I got to it and the vise grips keep walking off. Is another way? Perhaps I can file a flat spot and get a better grip. The oil pan is aluminum and what is left of the bolt is steel, perhaps it started as 13mm
Steve

Steve
 
Grind / file/ cut the head off. remove the pan. Many many times the remaining stud will twist out with ease.
 
What car and engine?
Pipe wrench.
NOT vise grips.
I have a set of stud pliers that work pretty good.
You might get uner it with a cut off wheel, and re-cut the flats to a slightly smaller socket size, and ONLY use a six-point.
If steel pan, you can heat up the area around the bolt.....but not red hot or you'll have an issue with oil.

Make, model, engine, and type of oil pan material.
 
You might try this, Craftsman universal wrench set-7 piece, $20 or so.
Had this same type of problem with a rounded off trans pipe plug. Bought the wrench set (only way to buy it, not available as singles), plug came right out.

part number is 9 14018
 
Get a good impact wrench with a socket that fits the plug or make it fit, and have at it. Then when replacing the plug don't use anything larger than a 3/8" drive and one hand. You can also use a 'Cold Shot' that you can get at any auto supply store and use it just on the plug. That might snap the threads loose. Any heat on the pan, except a slight warming with a heat gun will just end in tears.
 
Thanks for your suggestions. The vehicle is a Saab 9000 turbo. The pan would come off if I removed the exhaust and lifted the engine. The pan is a heavy aluminum alloy. I bought this yard art for something to do other than watch Opra and I cannot even get the oil out. It has not been tagged since 06 and rumor has it the tranny is shot. It has 125,000 on the ticker so I thought I would give it some love. These Saabs are lying around cheap just like the British stuff was forty years ago when you could not find anyone to work on them because of the carbs. They are a little more complicated however. The oil in it is not that bad and I am thinking I will change just filter and wait until I can get this thing in a better position. Like maybe one of those oil change specialists that perhaps created the problem. I really only what to test the compression to see if thing is worth it.
Steve
 
They make kits to suck oil out the dipstick tube, if I remember. Knew a guy who only did it that way.
Steel plug, aluminium pan, water goes to the bottom, oil to the top, and you've got corrosion that may not allow it to come out without removing the pan.
 
Do you have access to a compressed air and a cut off wheel? Cut a slit in the top and use a large screw driver to remove the plug. Use a adjustable wrench on the tip for extra torque.
Did this on a 89 BMW with an aluminum pan. Worked like a charm.
 
KSIS said:
Do you have access to a compressed air and a cut off wheel? Cut a slit in the top and use a large screw driver to remove the plug. Use a adjustable wrench on the tip for extra torque.
Did this on a 89 BMW with an aluminum pan. Worked like a charm.
Click to expand...

+1.

Or after creating your slit use an impact screwdriver and give it a whack.

Worst case, many modern drain plugs are hollow, so if you twist the head off, there's a ready made hole for your extractor.

I got a set of extractor sockets as a gift a while ago. They're hardened and have cutting flutes ground into them. Haven't used them yet.
 
Back
Top