Sump Plug

I have a sump plug which has a square head which I am trying to remove. I have managed to snap a drop forged spanner already can anyone suggest what I could use. I cannot start the engine at present so have not tried a hot removal as yet. Its what type of spanner would be best ?

The size of square head would be helpful?

I would suggest one of the specific sump plug wrenches that has a square hole in the end of the casting. There is usually two different sizes moulded in (one each side). The wrenches are heavy enough to be able to apply an amount of judicious hammer force to free the sump plug. Is it a steel or aluminium sump. If steel be careful the threaded part in the sump does not tear out.

Colin

Agree with last post, if it is so tight it may very well rip the sump pan before becoming loose.

Proceed with care.

.

+1 for that ^^^

Did you fit the sump plug ?

... If not, do beware that someone may have done something silly !!

MichaelG.

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[ pleasantly surprised to see no snide comments about relevance ]

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 01/05/2019 12:54:44

Rather than remove a hard to remove sump plug buy one of thos 'Sucker' type oil removers, not expensive.

Stick the probe down the oil dipstick hole to pull the oil.

Snap a spanner, wow!

If it was drop forged or made by any other method, snapping a spanner is not an easy thing to do. Without knowing details I would speculate that it must have fitted the sump plug very firmly and that you used an extension to the spanner length (or be very strong).

Ian P

Ian

I have in the past in a similar case gripped the square in the jaws of a small vice with a short bar for leverage and used that combination to work it out of the sump.

Try a touch of tightening first to break the grip of the thread and then quickly follow up with the normal unscrewing. Soaking the thread joint with easing oil is a good prerequisite

I hope that helps

Brian

Depends on the size of square, but a Bi Hex socket of the correct size should be OK.

Probably a Snap-on spanner!

Make sure your turning it the right way. A friend once tore the threads out of a motorbike sump because he didn't think about which way he needed to turn it to loosen the plug...….

I would suggest the spanner was already damaged, those square head bolts are not normally that tough.

If this engine has not run for many years it's possible mineral oil has set like glue on the threads, or some fool used a Loctite product that he shouldn't have.

Either way heat may be the answer, that means a blowtorch and not oxy.

Assuming you have no fuel leaks I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't apply local heat to it. Even if the oil starts to boil locally, it would take an awful lot of heat to cause any danger of ignition.

George

It’s not that difficult to snap a spanner, recently snapped an 8 mm open end spanner whilst undoing a very tight drawbar, the drawbar had been in place for a long time so was well and truly stuck. The spanner wasn’t a cheapie but definitely went with a bang when it went and I did have some force applied at the time.

Dave W

I managed to get a very stuck square sump plug out with a large Stillson pipe wrench (about 30" long). On the big ones they have quite deep teeth to grip a pipe, set it across the diagonal (not on the flats) so that the corners of the plug fall between the teeth of the jaws. As you apply pressure they grip even tighter and the length gives loads of leverage. As others have said, apply some heat first to help break the accumulated crud.

Further info on what the sump plug is screwed into, size etc is really needed before any specific plan could be made.

But generally speaking, if the plug is in that tight there is a good chance it could do some damage to the thread in the sump when removed, so I would avoid removing it if at all possible. EG, if it's screwed into the aluminium crankcase of an old motorbike, leave well alone. They are notorious for bringing the alloy thread out with them and can't easily be repaired without stripping the whole engine.

If it simply must be removed, heating the female threaded boss with a propane torch would be my next step. then a good box wrench with a bit of impact applied to it, or even better an impact gun, to jar it loose. Giving the plug a couple of good whacks with a hammer and drift beforehand might help jar it loose too.

dont worry for £20 squids u can get a vacumn oil drainer kit from the bay of FLEAS.......

I use it for draining engines in boats, (mostley unable to get at the sump plug, even if u can get a catch tray under the engine)....

and for the same job on some mower's where the sump plug is underneath the tray in amogst all the crap ......

it will take out cold engine oil but it's easier if the oil is warm.....

clogs

Oooh, pinched my idea you did!

Clive

I watched a salesman demonstrate a "sump sucker" whilst working in my retirement job as a workshop technician at a local FE college. He emptied the sump, via the dipstick hole, on one of our practice cars, a Maestro, the following day I removed the sump plug and drained a further half litre of very dirty oil. It all depends where the dipstick is in relation to the sump lowest point I suppose. Buy a recent Beemer and you won't even get a dipstick now.

Is it an alloy or CI sump?