I have a drain plug that does not want to loosten. I got the pass side drain plug out with no trouble but the drivers side won't budge. I would really like to get this thing off so I can get the rest of the old coolant out of the block before I refill with fresh. In my attempts to get this plug out I have rounded the corners of the plug a bit. Not sure what to try next. I was thinking of getting one of those sockets that have spiral teeth on the inside and trying that. My other idea was to just grind the head and flange off of the bolt in order to release the clamping tension and then spin the threaded part out with pliers. I suppose the other option is to just leave it alone, but I would prefer not to do that. So what have others done to get these stubborn plugs out of the block?

 

have you been using a 6 point socket?
if not try it on the end of a breaker bar, use a snap on or craftsmen socket
I would say use heat but with coolant in the block it will take forever to transfer the heat

 

I don't have any metric 6 point sockets. I'll see if I can get a 6 point 1/2" socket on the bolt head and try that.

 

I have a funny feeling that if you don't get the right tool for the job, this job could get very frustrating.

 

Yep ... if you haven't got it then it's worth buying the right tool.

Flywheel bolts, fuel line nuts, axle nuts and seat bolts are a few of the many other fixings that spring to mind, where you need the correct tools to avoid spending ten times as much fixing what you +^#*ed up.

 

I rounded the passenger side on mine and then tried vice grips, etc. Nothing worked. Then bought the Craftsman bolt-out/extractor kit at Sears for ~$25 and bam - came right out. Good luck! Here's the URL: http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_101...2&blockType=L2

 

Touch it with some dry ice for a minute. It will come out like butter.

Then get some Williams metric impact sockets (or Craftsman). Made in USA and you can pass them on to your grand kids.

David

 

you will need a 3/8 drive 6 point socket,
the 1/2 with a breaker bay be too big to fit

 

Be careful, you don't want this to happen.

 

I've done this a couple of times now. I used hammer and a centre punch on the rounded bolt head, initially to make an indent, then angled so the force was in the undo direction.

Once the head has gone about 1 turn with the punch, you can pretty much unscrew the bolt with your fingers, or at least some pliers.

 

I would leave it in there in order to avoid the possibility of the problem shown in post #9.

 

I may just leave it as suggested. I don't want to be in a "fixed it till it's broke" situation!

 

I had a similar problem, it came out once a bought a suitable socket, but it had been so long in there it damaged the thread coming out.

I think someone said it is possible to replace the plug with a longer bolt + sealant, as the threads are formed much further into the black than where the plug fits ? ANyone ?

 

The threads do go deeper than the bolt goes. FWIW, I put drain plugs and bolts in with Teflon thread sealing paste on the threads and the 'sealing' washer, both sides. Then just snug the bolt in there with maybe 15 lbs/ft, Enough to keep it from falling out, and let the sealant do its job in the threads rather than trying to compress the aluminum washer. The thread sealing paste comes from the plumbing aisle at Home Depot, and gets used on all the drain plug threads on the car except the auto trans.

Getting them out the first time was a bit of a chore until, as others have suggested, I grabbed a 6-pt socket and a long handle. Once it moved a bit it came out easily, but the first pull was pretty stiff to break it loose. All of my impact sockets are 6-pt so no trouble finding one to use on these.

 

Thanks Dr Bob. Do you know the thread size ?