Oil drain plug stuck good

[Biffer5]

I checked bruce's tips, and I'll tell ya, nothing can move this plug. Sockets don't work, adjustable wrenches don't work and pipe wrenches don't work. On top of that the nut is starting to round off. A mechanic friend came by and HE couldn't do it. He suggested welding a bigger nut to the nut already on there so we would have better purchase. Any suggestions from the gallery?

 

[Bruce (VA)]

Yep. Weld a bigger nut on it.

And make sure to use a gasket and NeverSieze on it.
75 Tips

 

[Farmer Dan]

Use the correct size good quality wrench. Put a floor jack under it and raise it high enough to put pressure on the wrench so it can not twist and spin off. Don't worry about putting to much pressure on the wrench, you are just breaking the plug loose not removing it. Get a 3' breaker bar or pipe and pull. Pet gorilla might be handy and make sure you are pulling in the right direction.

 

[Jim L WA]

Set it up like Farmer Dan said, then with plenty of pressure applied, whack the end of the wrench or cheater bar with a large hammer to shock the plug. You can order new drain plugs too.

 

[ed will]

Hi, I had that problem on my big GD air compressor. I
welded a short piece of flat bar to the plug. Now I just
wack the bar and it loosens it. I think the initil weld
loosened it. Ed Will Oliver BC

 

[WayneIA]

Use a jack big enough to hold a pie wrench on the plug, from the ground up, and get a "5 foot" pipe and pull!!!

 

[Biffer5]

(quoted from post at 12:52:11 11/01/19) Use a jack big enough to hold a pie wrench on the plug, from the ground up, and get a "5 foot" pipe and pull!!!

That's a thought. The biggest problem is that the nut is starting to round off and the wrench won't stay on.

 

[grizz02]

I like EDS idea welding a piece of 1/4 or 3/8 flat to it about a foot long then hit it with a 4lb hammer , iuse to use a thing called a wheel knocker to loosen 1-1/2 nuts same idea good luck

 

[John in Mich]

Having fought a few 8N/9N drain plugs that were "worn" by POs by various means, my son and I have made
two special wrenches (2 because we live 23 miles apart). We have pieces of flat steel 2" by 24" with a
square hole to fit the plug cut near one end. We place that on the plug and put a block of wood under it
sitting on top of a jack. Has always worked so far.
I do remember years ago (teen years) using the plow wrench to pull the oil plug.

 

[RogerinIowa]

You are aware since the plug is upside
down, you have to think which way to turn
to loosen.

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 19:31:16 11/01/19) You are aware since the plug is upside
down, you have to think which way to turn
to loosen.

Now wouldn't that be a real DOH!!! moment :roll:

TOH

 

[Dick W. Pirkey, Jr.]

Weld a big nut on top of the other...be careful not to have welder too hot and burn through and ignite the oil.
Worked for me...but I did ignite the oil...will do better next time..

 

[PatrickB]

(quoted from post at 00:09:06 11/02/19) Having fought a few 8N/9N drain plugs that were "worn" by POs by various means, my son and I have made
two special wrenches (2 because we live 23 miles apart). We have pieces of flat steel 2" by 24" with a
square hole to fit the plug cut near one end. We place that on the plug and put a block of wood under it
sitting on top of a jack. Has always worked so far.
I do remember years ago (teen years) using the plow wrench to pull the oil plug.

Like John says, when you buy a new drain plug make a wrench to fit it. This is my "break the plug loose" kit for ages 6 and above.

 

[504]

FYI, I just bought a new plug for my Super C from Carquest and their Dorman catalog for $4.50,everyone else was $22.00 and up. I gave them the size and the book did the rest.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I guess you don't own a air hammer/chisel nor does yer mechanic friend...

Too bad it will knock it lose rat not...

The line up just wait'N for chit that don't want to move..

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

Farmer Dan hit the nail on the head. Use a 3' cheater bar, a good 1-1/16" 6-POINT socket with a breaker arm, not a socket wrench, and plenty of elbow grease. I think Sears and K-mart had elbow grease on sale before they closed... ; > ) Keep a jack handy in case and apply a lot hours prepping with PB BLASTER. Avoid pipe wrenches, box wrenches, open end wrenches, channel locks, Vise Grips, Adjustable/Crescent Wrenches, and pliers -they will only round off the hex nut. Once you round off the hex, you will have a bugger of a time removing the nut. Some say to use a torch but I've never had to resort to that myself. I don't like using flames on or near my tractor. The key is torque. By using a long pipe to break the bind free, you are using physics, the pipe, to do the work. Pull in slow, equal moves - don't try to pull it free in one move -use short pulling moves and it will come free. BTW it is the old RIGHTY TIGHTY/LEFTY LOOSEY method. Looking at the plug from underneath or from above -it's the same either way. A lot of times fellas try to 'fix' their plug oil leaks by applying Permatex or double gaskets on them. That only makes removal all the more harder. Also, be sure that you get all of the old gasket material off of the plug AND off of the oil pan or housing if doing the hydraulic system, the machined mounting surface, when it's time to reinstall. Apply a dab of Anti-Seize or grease on the threads, but only use small amount. Take a popsicle stick and spread evenly the first few threads on the male end only. As you screw the plug in it will make contact with the entire female end. Apply some fresh oil on the gasket face before final tightening sequence. This method has always worked for me and I have had customers with plugs that had never been removed or not in 40-60 years anyway and BOTH oil drain plug and hydraulic oil drain plugs are 1-1/16" hex heads.

[i:654c4848f0][b:654c4848f0]<font size="4">Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)</font>[/b:654c4848f0][/i:654c4848f0]<table width="100" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#000000"><tr><td height="25" colspan="2" bgcolor="#CC0000">

<font color="#FFFFFF" size="3">*9N653I* & *8NI55I3*</font>​

</td></tr><tr><td>

</td><td>

</td></tr></table>

 

[Jim in Western MI]

Just wondering..., if anyone can suggest what was going through Henry's mind when he did the square nut on the drain plug? Was it considered to be of some advantage to be square, but the other drains are hex and hex was then and is pretty standard. The worst parts of changing oil on my tractors was the drain plug and the oil filter assembly. I got tired of all that by adapting to the spin-on/off filter and solved the drain plug difficulty by using moderate amounts of copper never seize on the threads and between the plug and gasket. No difficulty at all now with removing the plug. (I did get new drain plugs since the originals had been buggered up so bad.) I did consider getting a new plug and welding a big hex nut over the square and then drilling out the square, filling it in with weld and tapping it for a 1/2" or so plug to avoid the tsunami of oil when you take the big plug out. I think it would be a good aftermarket seller!

 

[Biffer5]

(quoted from post at 18:39:48 11/01/19)

(quoted from post at 00:09:06 11/02/19) Having fought a few 8N/9N drain plugs that were "worn" by POs by various means, my son and I have made
two special wrenches (2 because we live 23 miles apart). We have pieces of flat steel 2" by 24" with a
square hole to fit the plug cut near one end. We place that on the plug and put a block of wood under it
sitting on top of a jack. Has always worked so far.
I do remember years ago (teen years) using the plow wrench to pull the oil plug.

Like John says, when you buy a new drain plug make a wrench to fit it. This is my "break the plug loose" kit for ages 6 and above.

That is awesome. Can I borrow it...

 

[PatrickB]

That is awesome, can I borrow it...

No, lol but you can easily make a wrench like that.
It's 1/2" flatbar 2" wide. Originally about 16"? long.
I cut the end off and put it on a pinwrench handle.
Drilled the hole with a 1" hole saw and made it square
to fit the plug with a big course square file.

 

[Bob Harvey]

I'm with you 100%.

 

[showcrop]

Well we know that no socket or combination wrench is going to work, LOL. I have gotten two of them off with the jack, pipe wrench, wood block and pipe method. But don't even think of putting that plug back in, and when you order the new one order five extra gaskets so you won't have to tighten it like the last guy did.

 

[HFJ]

[i:96b970bd56]"a good 1-1/16" 6-POINT socket"[/i:96b970bd56]

could someone explain to me how to put a 6 point socket on a square fitting?

 

[Biffer5]

(quoted from post at 03:55:10 11/02/19) Farmer Dan hit the nail on the head. Use a 3' cheater bar, a good 1-1/16" 6-POINT socket with a breaker arm, not a socket wrench, and plenty of elbow grease. I think Sears and K-mart had elbow grease on sale before they closed... ; &gt; ) Keep a jack handy in case and apply a lot hours prepping with PB BLASTER. Avoid pipe wrenches, box wrenches, open end wrenches, channel locks, Vise Grips, Adjustable/Crescent Wrenches, and pliers -they will only round off the hex nut. Once you round off the hex, you will have a bugger of a time removing the nut. Some say to use a torch but I've never had to resort to that myself. I don't like using flames on or near my tractor. The key is torque. By using a long pipe to break the bind free, you are using physics, the pipe, to do the work. Pull in slow, equal moves - don't try to pull it free in one move -use short pulling moves and it will come free. BTW it is the old RIGHTY TIGHTY/LEFTY LOOSEY method. Looking at the plug from underneath or from above -it's the same either way. A lot of times fellas try to 'fix' their plug oil leaks by applying Permatex or double gaskets on them. That only makes removal all the more harder. Also, be sure that you get all of the old gasket material off of the plug AND off of the oil pan or housing if doing the hydraulic system, the machined mounting surface, when it's time to reinstall. Apply a dab of Anti-Seize or grease on the threads, but only use small amount. Take a popsicle stick and spread evenly the first few threads on the male end only. As you screw the plug in it will make contact with the entire female end. Apply some fresh oil on the gasket face before final tightening sequence. This method has always worked for me and I have had customers with plugs that had never been removed or not in 40-60 years anyway and BOTH oil drain plug and hydraulic oil drain plugs are 1-1/16" hex heads.

I tried the socket early on but I couldn't keep it on the nut. Had I known about using a jack I may have saved myself some grief. But after failing with the socket I went to the cresent wrench and then a pipe wrench and, as you and others have said, I have rounded off the corners pretty bad. I'm not going to try again until I get a new plug and gasket but then I'm trying the jack and pipe method. I may try a socket if it will still fit. If not, and if a cresent won't fit either I may have to try and get someone with a welder to come and do the welding a nut on top of the nut thing.

 

[John in Mich]

Along with all of the other methods tried here with varying success, I have removed drain plugs that
someone used a chisel and hammer on the edge in the lefty-loosy direction.