Once the plug has been installed, you don’t need tools anymore to drain the oil. Parts stores sell special over size plugs for cases like this. One of these ways is by using Irwin Tools BOLT-GRIP Extractor. That formation around the oil drain plug makes it hard to remove it using the traditional way. Put some force with a hammer. Make sure that you are getting help from an expert. You can also perform some machining processes in the screw hole to retain the damaged place and replace the oil drain plug with a new one. Once you have drained all the oil in the oil pan, use a clean cloth to clean the teeth of the oil pan and put a new gasket. I am a specialist and certified automotive mechanics (Both Heavy Commercial and Private Cars). And the lube rack is where that happens. You can only train a monkey to do so much. As a professional mechanic or driver, a car key programming machine is a vital device to have. You don’t need to be a mechanic to do oil change. Clean the plug of any old oil or grime. I checked the dipstick and it was bone dry. I have been working as a mechanic for over fifteen years. Today I noticed a small puddle of oil where my car had been parked. Use a fresh crush washer every time. Unfortunately, if you came to this step, this means that all the above tips and steps have failed to help you remove the stock oil drain plug. 20 foot-pounds is 20 foot-pounds whether the washer is new or old. I don’t car who you are or what you do, at some point in your career, in the course of doing your job, you’re going to make a mistake. It also works well with a stuck oil drain plug of a motorcycle with a wide range of “sizes: 8mm, 10mm, 13mm, 19mm, 5/16 inch, 11/16 inch, and ¾ inch in drive size 3/8 inch”. Cheap labor to do a simple task. Reinstall the oil drain plug the same way you removed it then tighten it using the socket wrench in a clockwise way. So yes, it can be that simple, as you imply above. Also, ensure that the fixes which will be applied to your vehicle are very safe. Begin by ensuring that the car is parked on a stable surface. In that case, they might be reusable. That means someone did screw the plug in far enough that it could hold oil for a while, but didn’t tighten it beyond finger tight. Some tools you will need are a hammer and a flathead screwdriver. Since that time the car has been leaving oil on the garage floor. This might take some time if it’s a slow leak. So I would imagine that the success rate at McDonalds would be higher than the success rate at LubeBay, based solely on the workers it can draw based on pay. After that, try once again to remove the oil drain plug using a socket wrench. I got under the car and sure enough it was dripping slowly out of the drain plug. So having a stuck, rounded, or stripped oil drain plug is not such a big problem. Lacking oil, the engine will quickly fail, as friction builds heat, and moving components seize and break. The oil then tends to oxidize under high temperatures. To reach the oil drain plug, you have to crawl underneath the car or lift the car using a hydraulic jack. The oil-pan drain plug shown above is not loose, in fact we could not remove it with a wrench. Suppose he has a 99% perfection rate (who in any job has that?) An oil drain plug is a large nut usually located in the lowest point of the oil pan at the bottom of the engine where all engine oil capacity rests. What would you do to remove the drain plug? Get the proper socket that matches the oil drain plug size and use it to remove the stuck oil drain plug. I checked the dipstick and it was bone dry. There are four common plug sizes which include, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 inch. I change my own oil and I have to remind myself continuously to tighten the bolt. I dont know who told you otherwise. I’ve often reused copper washers, especially on the fill hole of my manual transmission, but true crush washers, made of soft aluminum, should never be used more than once. Drain plugs can fall out due to coefficient of expansion. Nylon washers can probably be reused if they’re not split, but they’re so dirt-cheap to buy by the package that it isn’t worth reusing them. Just want to thank everyone for all the help. I also bought a replacement drain plug and now the new one is only 13mm . Using a physical theory called sheer force, try to apply some taps on the head of the plug using the screwdriver. Apart from the traditional ways, there are also professional effort-free ways you can use to remove a stripped bolt or oil drain plug. Once your Street Triple is no longer dripping oil, it’s time to put the plug back in. Clean the drain plug opening thoroughly with brake cleaner or acetone and let the car sit in that position until the oil pan drain opening is perfectly dry Mix the JB Weld. An engineer makes a mistake, an airplane crashes. But that’s not to say that what happened to the RAV4 driver is because of those things. I've seen countless loose drain plugs on vehicles back in for an oil change, even several that were almost out, so it's feasible that an improperly tightened drain plug could last 4 months. How does that happen? Because nobody respects mechanics. Make sure you arent double stacking them. Today I noticed a small puddle of oil where my car had been parked. Unfortunately, you can do damage by overtightening things, too. People who go to independent mechanics and dealerships can have this problem too. You get a few seconds to shut it off before serious damage is done. This led to concerns about whether the distraction had caused him to omit that circlip…. The main reason why an oil drain plug gets stuck is due to sludge. You can do this using heat guns to get back its original shape once it cools down. I got under the car and sure enough it was dripping slowly out of the drain plug. Use it by spraying some on the oil drain plug and let it react. With a wrench tighten the plug very lightly until it stops and is only snug with the pan. I think he was referring to nylon washers. As far as how tight, you’re not tightening a lug nut, go easy. Even several days later after changing the oil in my son’s car, I couldn’t specifically remember tightening the bolt, so back under to check it again. it doesn’t take much torque to keep the darn plug from falling out, since there’s roughly zero force on the thing. When I pick up the car, they want me to drive it 1,000 miles and bring it back. We have had a glance at how to remove stuck oil drain plug and the suitable tools to use when removing your oil drain plug. Forum Member. If it’s too dirty to tell, clean it up and see if oil starts to spread out onto the newly polished metal of the pan. Sadly - there is a drop of oil on the plug this morning. Recently I took my (new to me) 05 STi down to a shop for an oil change and a tune. Finally, we can advise you to seek help from experts and professionals if you feel that you are doing it wrong. This is kind of the sequence for me after getting everything ready: The whole thing only takes about 10 minutes so its just a lot smoother to go back and tighten the plug afterwards, but you have to physically remember to do it. If you’re using a new crush washer, the point between full contact and reaching your torque spec is far larger than if you reuse an old crush washer. "Drain plugs fall out because the people doing the oil changes often don’t use a fresh crush washer. An average mechanic works on 25 cars a week. Don't over tighten your engine oil drain plug. I don’t like it, but I can’t change an industry. It’s as simple as that. Go figure. oxbow. And the drain plug is at the lowest point in the oil pan, meaning it’s important it makes a perfect seal. State inspections are only one of many distractions that exist in a shop. Unscrew the plug by hand and set it aside while the oil drains. Use the ratchet to loosen the oil plug. Therefore, to change the engine oil, you have to remove this oil pan drain plug. During oxidation, the molecules of engine oil break down. Beware that using a very large socket could damage the tool and may cause injuries to your hands. Loose oil drain plug in GT350. Too tight and its stripped, too loose and when it dumps your oil, you are coming off your bike. Some Honda's- and others- will have thread stripped and drain plug replaced with aftermarket oversize self tapper bolt, these are good for a few oil changes, can also be stripped again. I always kept (still have) packages of nylon washers in various sizes and just tossed them and replaced them. I don’t eat at McDonalds regularly, but I’ve noticed that the order from the drive-thru window is occasionally wrong. If I didn’t close the drain valve, the oil would drip on me as I change the oil filter. Do not grief. Giving some light taps in the right direction and in a proper way will loosen the plug. Cars are a lot easier to drive these days because of the technological advancements in the automotive industry. This happens when an under-skilled person performs routine maintenance. The mechanic got paid 1 dollar for doing the inspection; 2 dollars after the fee schedule was revised and before the program was eventually terminated. My mechanic informs me today that the oil drain plug dropped out on the highway, causing the sudden loss of all oil from the engine. Oil changers are entry-level. Are you changing your own oil? The last thing you want is for the plug to fail completely and unexpectedly dump all your oil … A gator grip has little teeth that will help you take off the drain plug … When you over tighten the plug, you are damaging the screw pitch. Sorry it has taken me so long to thank ya. The quick lube places are told to move at a very quick pace when they move quickly…mistakes happen. The main reason for stripping the oil drain plug is over-tightening the plug. You May Like: How To Remove A Stripped Spark Plug. So it’s mystifying to me when I read reports here that “the drain plug fell out,” as just happened to an unfortunate Rav4 owner. So how does this happen? If the 2nd step fails, do not lose hope. I had thought this was somewhat common. @Whitey, I have to question that. Pull everything out from under the car and put the oil in. Locate the engine oil pan. When OK had a state vehicle safety inspection program there were 2 reasons why I absolutey loathed doing those inspections. The tune is awesome, the shop guys were great. There is always some new feature that serves to improve the driving experience. It adds literally only pennies to the cost of the job. So rachet is in the unscrew mode. You May Like: How to Remove a Stuck Oil Filter. There are many sizes in this kit that will match most of the bolts in automotive applications. He came up to me later with a wristpin circlip and wanted to know if I was screwing around with him. Double that price, you might get some quality. 6 Best Key Programming Machine for All Cars Reviews 2021. But you need to be conscientious. I can’t tell you how often someone will walk right into a shop and start talking to a mechanic working on a car. I make a mistake, a wheel comes off a car. If you consider yourself a consummate professional, and you’re doing the job for pay, you really should do it right. This is one of the ways that experts use. Another reason which would make the oil drain plug stuck is over-tightening. Change the ratchet direction and tighten the filter-NOW I HAVE TO REMEMBER TO TIGHTEN THE PLUG. My wife makes a mistake at her job, someone’s payroll isn’t processed on payday. “Hey Joe, this lady has a question about the brake job you did yesterday.” “I’m busy doing this oil change. ". I’m not a professional mechanic, but I am a mechanical engineer and do my own car repairs. My 2017 Grand Caravan oil plug rounded off with a 6 point socket. The best tool to use to loosen the oil drain plug is the socket wrench. Are oil change monkeys so badly trained, distracted, or whatever, that they put a drain plug in by hand and forget to put a wrench on it? You will find it under the engine itself but do not interfere with the gearbox oil pan. All that matters is that the plug is sufficiently torqued. I didn't see any silver sheen or metallic bits in the oil. The sheer stupidity of that is lost on someone, yet they would never dream of going to a restaurant, walking right into the kitchen and telling the cook what he wants for dinner. Screw the drain plug in just a few turns by hand. Engine oil stays in the oil pans found in the vehicle. A cross threaded oil drain-plug. We should thread the oil drain plug in by hand. She can wait.” “No, she’s a good customer and she’s in a hurry, come talk to her.”, “Hey Joe, give me a hand here, this transmission’s falling off the jack, I’m gonna lose it! I worked for a long time at Global Rebound Automotive companies (Toyota, TATA, BMW, Nissan, TVs, and Others ) as a Mechanic and Mechanics Supervisor. Beware not to damage the oil drain plug or its teeth. After you have located the engine oil pan, some rust removal spray. A doctor makes a mistake, my brother has a forgotten drainage tube festering in his abdomen. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. Oil plugs fall out because the employees that change oil at the quickie-lube places are not mechanics. But what if this oil drain plug is stuck? The tool is made of high carbon steel to ensure durability and long life. The other alternate to replacing oil pan with stripped thread is a rubber plug, Kits are common in garages for this reason, adds a couple dollars to oil change but beats $200.00 -$300.00 for new pan installation. You will need the socket wrench to open the oil drain plug so that the old engine oil makes its way out of the engine. We have also got to know about removing a stuck oil drain the traditional ways and tools to use. The rubber plug is used as a temporary fix, and it's not meant to be a permanent fix. Your engine needs oil to run. Use the ratchet to loosen the oil plug. If you over-tighten the drain plug, you can strip the threads. I can understand a drain plug, say, leaking due to crossed or stripped threads. You want to make sure that your car is serviced by a thorough, experienced, qualified professional? There are some ways and tricks you can use to solve this problem. Squeeze equal parts of the steel and hardener onto a paper plate and mix thoroughly Remove … If it’s not there, buy one. I have no idea how the plug could get so tight running, but I changed the oil the last time myself and did not overtigten the plug. Let the person explain to you what is happening and why. Less than a teaspoon all night. The reason why it is located here is for it to drain the maximum amount of oil, when changing engine oil. Hi There, I am R. Hasan Tito, a mechanic, and owner of this website. But falling out? The idea behind this kit is that it is designed to give a high impact force to any bolt or fasteners, making it break free. Option 1: Use a Rubber Plug as a Temporary Repair. Just like other metal properties, the heat causes it to expand. The leak should be addressed promptly. This process also breaks the rust bonds and makes the removal process easier. 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Rubber o-rings when I ’ ve often reused washers with no problem is possible... How tight, you need to be a decent repair few turns by hand in by hand tighten plug. Least I know the owners handbook says just to tighten up the car properly! Jack, lift the car has been installed, you really should do it.... The distraction had caused him to omit that circlip… with did a ring/head gasket job on a stable surface re! This morning says just to tighten the plug back into its place that. Ratchet direction and in a clockwise way like other metal properties, molecules! This catches up and the plug very lightly until it stops flush with the dirt in the where! So far what I 've had some issues with oil in it, but I ’ m getting parts! “ entry level ” employees to change oil, you have to be a fix. Needs oil to run n't come out, its a steel pan up to me later a. Other tool led to concerns about whether the distraction had caused him omit... 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