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Rounded Oil Plug

mchilese

Member
Joined
June 30, 2007
Messages
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City, State
Tucson, Arizona
Year, Model & Trim Level
1998 XLT 5.0
Hey guys.
Well, like most things, this started out as just an average oil change. This is the first one that I was doing myself. So I got under my truck, and went to put the socket on the drain plug only to find that it's been rounded off. I let it slip twice, and since I didn't want to make a bad sit. worse, called it stopped pulling on it.
Does anyone know how to remove a rounded off bolt? I found this and am thinking about trying it.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4516975_remove-bolt-rounded-head.html
Does anyone have any experience with this problem?

I called Pepboys to see if they would do it. But they said that they would have me sign an authorization form for them to REPLACE my oil pan because he said that 60-80% of the time getting an oil plug out messes up the pan and they have to replace it. I think that's a high enough percentage that they are bullshitting me and would say it got jacked just for the $600-$800 he quoted to replace it.

I don't doubt that they may mess up a bunch of pans getting the plug out, but I figure there might be better ways than apparently trying with a hack-saw.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! :salute:
 



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Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply. I'll be making a trip over to Sears in just a little bit.
 






Use a pair of vice grips
 


















This reminds me of when I accidentally stripped the tranny fill plug on my old BMW. Except it was reverse hex with about 1" of clearance in front of the bolt. That was fun.
 






its a nut, use a pipe wrench on it.

make sure you pick up a new drain plug first.

also lefty loosey and righty tighty!
 






I like all the ideas. But would vice-grips or a pipe-wrench fit in that little recess?
 






I second the vice grips or pipe wrench with a new one for re-installation.
 












worst case senario i have tack welded a nut to the plug in order to get it out then reinstall a new one and be sure not to over torque it.
 






On the 5.0 the plug is right there in the open...you should be able to get it off with vice grips or an easy out. No reason to go beating or welding on the paper thin oil pan.
 






ive used vice grips for stripped plugs before, works great, doesn't hurt the pan, and then replace the bolt/nut/plug after your done with a new one.
 


















I totally agree with vice gripes. If you put vice gripes on properly and you can't get the bolt out, then you have a problem
 






The Vise Grips below are designed to grip nuts/bolts to give rock solid contact on 3 sides. Unlike most Vise Grips this one won't mess up the nut/bolt (no teeth to destroy stuff). I keep one at home and one in my Truck.

18205Vice_grip_too_.jpg



Vise Grip part # 7LW
 






The Vice Grips below are designed to grip nuts/bolts to give rock solid contact on 3 sides. Unlike most Vice Grips this one won't mess up the nut/bolt (no teeth to destroy stuff). I keep one at home and one in my Truck.

18205Vice_grip_too_.jpg

Those look AWESOME! Where can you get them? Never seen any like that before.
 



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