# Continued Drain Plug Problems



## Roy Warren (Jul 30, 2006)

I still can't get the oil drain plug out.

I bought a new drain plug today at Just 8ns, and was surprised to find out that it has a square drive.

Whoever put the old one in tightened it so tight that all the corners are worn off the square. It's almost round.

So I began again to try to get the drain plug out.

I tried the "driving the sharp screwdriver" Nothing.

Tried bigger vise grips. Gripped the plug but won't budge it.

the pipe wrench. Slips off the plug

the pipe wrench with a long cheater bar. still slips off the plug

Drilled a hole vertically through the plug and used an EZ Out screw extractor. Just ate out the soft cast iron.

Drilled a 1/4" hole horizontally through the plug and insert a long steel rod. Bent the rod

Used a drill bit which is harder. Broke the bit.

Drove an impact wrench socket on the plug. It held tight becase the plug was so rounded, but after repeated tries with the impact wrench, the socket didn't slip, but it wouldn't budge.

I'm a wits end. I don't relish having to pull the pan and chiseling this thing out.

I'd be willing to bet that if I ever do get it off, there won't be a gasket under it.

Other than this, I've had a great day.


Roy


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## DEERE180 (Jun 20, 2006)

Roy:
Obviously the problem is with some caked on oil that acts as a great glue. So what you need to do is take some KROIL and spray it on the thread and let it soak for a day. Then try using your power tools to budge it.

If you cant find Kroil go to www.kanolabs.com and get some. It creeps into small crevices and most likely it will work w/o futher damaging the tractor parts.


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## Fordfarm (Dec 27, 2005)

Also, if you soak it THEN use a breaker bar and a cheater pipe instead of the power tools.


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## Roy Warren (Jul 30, 2006)

*Kroil*

Thanks for the info.

I'll see if I can find some and try it.

I might be able to pump some up through the hole I made in the plug so it will get to the threads.

Roy


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## Roy Warren (Jul 30, 2006)

*Drain Plug Alternative*

I guess if all fails and I can't get the plug out, I could always enlarge the 1/4" hole I drilled in it and tap it for a pipe plug.

I would then be able to change the oil, but there's no telling what that screen looks like in there.


Roy


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Roy,

The worst case scenario and it sounds like you are not far from it with respect to removing the plug is to drill the plug out as much as possible but just short of drilling into the threads of the oil pan. (that is if you have drill bits this large) Once you have drilled out the plug as much as you dare; you can try collapsing the plug inward with a chisel or a machinist scribe. Once you get the remanants of the plug collapsed; you just keep working your way around that collapsing the plug at various places around its circumference. The idea is to get the plug separated from the pan threads and loose enough to pull out with a set of needle nose pliers. Then you can go back and clean of the threads on the oil pan if you dinged them any. 

Depending upon how much metal material is around the oil pan plug recepitcal; you can heli-coil repair the plug hole if by accident you damage the thread badly. 

Worst, worst case is removing the pan. Not an option at this point judging from your posting.


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## Fordfarm (Dec 27, 2005)

It would be a LOT of drilling, though, Chief! The plug is about 2 1/2" round!


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

It would indeed! :duh: :dazed: The other option that came to mind would be if possible to weld a nut on the plug and try removing it with a breaker bar and cheater pipe, but Roy already has tried this to no avail. Can you get a larger....... say 3/4 or 1 inch drive impact wrench gun and give them a try?


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

The more I think about this problem; I think I would try the pipe wrench and a LONG cheater pipe after heating the plug up with a heat gun and applying a liberal amount of Kroil or PB Blaster thread penatrant. I had to remove a threaded plug that was factor installed from my Yanmar engine block. It was in TIGHT! I used the above method to remove the plug. I used a 6 foot length of cheater pipe and a breaker bar. I thought the breaker bar was going to snap but the threaded plug let loose at the last bit of umph I put on the pipe.


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## Roy Warren (Jul 30, 2006)

*Drain Plug*

Yes!!!

Finally got that sucker out of there.

The screw extractor I used yesterday was square and just reamed out the hole so I got the kind that has the left hand tapered spiral. The more you twist it the deeper it digs in.

Didn't work either. I busted out the bottom of the plug. Cast Iron is brittle. duh.

So I drilled another 1/4" hole. This time closer to the outside of the plug. Took a punch and a hammer and started banging. After a little while it broke free.

After almost banging my head on the bottom of the tractor from excitement it screwed right out with almost no finger pressure. There was no gasket as I suspected.

I'm no Jiffy Lube. Three days for an oil change! haha.

Thanks all you guys for your help and suggestions.


Roy


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Glad to hear the you finally got that sucker broke loose Roy! Problems like that can be VERY frustrating. :argh:


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## Fordfarm (Dec 27, 2005)

Great news! BFH works every time (almost)!:thumbsup:


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