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Oil Drain Plug stuck (not stripped)

fear_nothing

fear_nothing

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My DD is fighting me on an oil change, its a V8 VW Touareg. It has two drain plugs, the rear one behind the blurry arrow came out fine. The front oil plug will not budge. Nothing I've tried so far has worked to include an impact gun. Ratchet plus long pipe resulted in an adapter 3/8 to 1/2 shearing off.

Will heating up the plug help? The pan is aluminum for reference.

5gi4hmL.jpg
 
I would try another, possibly better adapter first. The problem with heating the aluminum is that you can't really tell how close you are to making a puddle. With the lower melting point, it may also be possible to ruin the threads quickly.
Of course it may come to that anyway.
 
If there is room try an impact driver, I think that is the name for it. Hit it with a hammer and it will try to loosen or tighten the bolt / plug. If you don't have one they are cheap 15 bucks or less. Did wonders for something I was working on. Another thought would be freeze spray on the plug, you could use some light heat on the pan around the plug maybe use a heat gun, its a little nicer than a torch, then freeze spray on the plug.
 
I'd be really careful with the impact. I run into this a lot at work. The heat cycles seem to tighten the fit of the two dissimilar metals. Only thing that works for me and you need to use extreme care, lightly heat the area of the aluminum pan around the plug with map gas. As @6872xtc stated you can melt the aluminum. Don't use an oxyfuel torch! If you have access to an oxyfuel torch there's an old school technique for preheating before welding aluminum. Light just the acetylene so it is sooting. Soot the area with the black residue. Then heat the sooted area with the map until the black burns off. This is safer and can get you pretty close if you aren't used to aluminum. Good luck
 
Run the engine till operating temp.
Shut it off.
Then I would take a plumbers torch to the drain plug.
Shoot the flame right into the allen wrench hole.
Just 10 seconds.
Using an allen/ socket, 3/8 breaker bar or ratchet with a pipe extension: apply loosening torque.
It has got to be the gasket holding that thing.
Unless it was cross threaded and in that case, you are in for a repair anyways.
Might as well go for it.
 
obijuank5 said:
Is it.... lh thread?
Click to expand...
I thought European cars don't do that but before destroying the pan I would research that.
And I second the impact driver, the one you use with the hammer. I am going to do that on my big rig drain plug because of the same issue.
My pan is fiber so no heating is possible
 
I’d try freezing the plug to make it shrink, heat would make it expand. Got access to dry ice at your local supermarket?
 
imiceman44 said:
I thought European cars don't do that but before destroying the pan I would research that.
And I second the impact driver, the one you use with the hammer. I am going to do that on my big rig drain plug because of the same issue.
My pan is fiber so no heating is possible
Click to expand...

No to the left hand thread - I tried both ways (keep your mind out of the gutter) with the plug no dice in either direction.
 
rampage said:
I’d try freezing the plug to make it shrink, heat would make it expand. Got access to dry ice at your local supermarket?
Click to expand...

There is a spray out there made for stuck items. Freezes whatever you spray it on. Would work good for the plug. I've used it before with some success.

Doubt it would work very good on aluminum since it conducts so well, but assuming the plug is steel, I'd assume it would be a good idea to try.
 
funny thing but worth a try . call the vw dealer and see what they say . . .

and how new is this ? might be under warranty still.

I have a lot of years under my belt . if it was in my shop I would have it out in no time with a air hammer and chisel bit . or a welder and a hex nut welded to it .
 
rampage said:
I’d try freezing the plug to make it shrink, heat would make it expand. Got access to dry ice at your local supermarket?
Click to expand...

Yeah science, chilled the drain plug for about 2 minutes. Applied a little pressure and *tink* the plug came free. It was almost too easy!

Apperciate all the suggestions :waytogo: :waytogo:

Now does anyone need 6lbs of dry ice?

Apperciate the suggestion Rampage!

20180514_205235.jpg
 
Last edited:
fear_nothing said:
Yeah science, chilled the drain plug for about 2 minutes. Applied a little pressure and *tink* the plug came free. It was almost too easy!

Apperciate all the suggestions :waytogo: :waytogo:

Now does anyone need 6lbs of dry ice?

View attachment 265445
Click to expand...
Nice suggestion Rampage!
The imprint of the drain plug in the chunk of frozen co2 is epic!

Edit: Dude, if you have kids.. get them and an empty 2 liter soda bottle.
Fill the bottle with smashed up chunks of dry ice and seal the cap.
Take the kids and STAND BACK!
Makes a very satisfying flameless explosion after about 10 minutes.

I am a bad seed.
 
Or, you could drop it in water and make some fog.
 
K5wrench said:
Nice suggestion Rampage!
The imprint of the drain plug in the chunk of frozen co2 is epic!

Edit: Dude, if you have kids.. get them and an empty 2 liter soda bottle.
Fill the bottle with smashed up chunks of dry ice and seal the cap.
Take the kids and STAND BACK!
Makes a very satisfying flameless explosion after about 10 minutes.

I am a bad seed.
Click to expand...

Yeah, just don’t do that in a city where neighbors without a sense of humor live. :whistle:
 
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