HELP! Sump plug is stuck.

[boyce]

Got my new car a couple of days ago and thought I would attempt my first ever oil change so bought all the bits i needed yesterday then got to work this morning only to find my sump plug is well and truly stuck in place. I have the correct 8mm key and even tried adding an extender to the handle for more force (and yes, I am turning anti-clockwise).

Help please! i've already put engine flush into the engine so dont want to drive it until i get it sorted.

 

[Nick_P]

You need to man up by the sound of it, Nothing you can do apart from try harder tbh. Breaker bar is your friend

 

[Oldskoolbaby]

Dodgy i know being that its a sump but have you tried an impact driver?

 

[Sheila’s’ Wheels’]

Get a longer breaker bar.

 

[Fred@BTM]

erm, is the car on the floor?

 

[rich_1989]

You need to man up by the sound of it, Nothing you can do apart from try harder tbh. Breaker bar is your friend

+1 f**k you cant drive it, worse you can do is f**k it up and replace the sump, which is better than running it with engine flush

 

[boyce]

You need to man up by the sound of it, Nothing you can do apart from try harder tbh. Breaker bar is your friend

well the bar was a 3ft metal pipe that i put over the handle
Might have to go to halford to get a real one.

erm, is the car on the floor?

no, i rolled the front wheels onto some bricks (yea, sounds pikey) as i didnt have axel stands.
does it make a difference?

 

[Henry]

if you've not a longer bar, trying thumping the ratchet with a decent mallet; should knock it free

as said, worst case scenario is a new sump. presumably it's steel (?), so should be OK

 

[Fred@BTM]

are you sure you're undoing it and not trying to tighten it?

 

[Nick_P]

are you sure you're undoing it and not trying to tighten it?

Deffo +1

Maybe you did it the wrong way, f**king tight. ha

 

[CMR]

are you sure you're undoing it and not trying to tighten it?

+2

Lol at not being able to undo a sump plug..

 

[Fred@BTM]

you maybe turning it anti clockwise with the clock back-to-front

 

[pip.]

Mistake 1- Engine flush. Horrid stuff.
Mistake 2- Should always loosen and retighten the plug before adding it if you must use it.
Is the oil warm? It will help.
Try tapping (not hitting) the end of the plug with a hammer. It can sometimes help.

Try tightening it a little before loosening it to help break the sealant.

Finally, as already said, make sure you're turning it the right way.

RIGHTY TIGHTY, LEFTY LOOSEY

 

[boyce]

Deffo +1

Maybe you did it the wrong way, f**king tight. ha

yea cheers but i know my righty tighty lefty loosey.

 

[pip.]

Is it out yet?

 

[Fred@BTM]

ok so with the tool in the sump plug, and with the end of the rachet pointing towards the passenger wheel, are you pulling it towards you or pushing it away? this is with you at the front of the car obviously

 

[pip.]

ok so with the tool in the sump plug, and with the end of the rachet pointing towards the passenger wheel, are you pulling it towards you or pushing it away? this is with you at the front of the car obviously

How much would you charge for popping up and doing it for him Fred?

 

[Fred@BTM]

i ain't driving to notts!

 

[CMR]

Hes over an hour away isnt he? Long way just to undo a fecking sump plug LOL

 

[Paddy_g46]

i ain't driving to notts!

Good shout!

 

[mikey_172]

get a long bar and use your foot to turn it if your not strong enouh with ur arms

 

[pip.]

I was joking ofcourse gentlemen.

 

[Paddy_g46]

drive it to your nearest garage? There must be 1 within a few miles of your house so it wont damage your engine (i think!)

 

[pip.]

Do you have any scaffolding tubes handy?

 

[boyce]

i ain't driving to notts!

I hear the M42 makes a cracking sunday drive

Do you have any scaffolding tubes handy?

strangely enough i do. I CAN DO THIS YEAH!!!

 

[dajones]

get your G/F to do it

 

[Nickharding]

get your G/F to do it

FLOL!

Breakbar is your friend

 

[pip.]

No news yet?

How long is it before flushing oil starts to melt your big end bearings?

 

[guysy]

I started off by trying to tighten it when i did mine, Then i remebered i was doing it the wrong way.

From the front of the car i put the ratchet at 1 oclock so to speak and pulled from the right down.

Got it out no problem.

 

[DannyR]

If you don't have a bird, could always get your mum or nan to help you out

 

[dajones]

or that vegtable state bloke down the nursing home

 

[rich_1989]

this thread is legend, wtf, at this rate i would have stabbed a screwdriver though the f**king oil filter and sucked it out with a vacum cleaner!!!
although ther is another option, using the scaffolding, make a ramp down your street. then drive your car at it at 60mph then handbrake it at the last second, this flipping your car on its roof, then CARFULLY remove the oil filler cap..... and drain!

 

[dajones]

this thread is legend, wtf, at this rate i would have stabbed a screwdriver though the f**king oil filter and sucked it out with a vacum cleaner!!!
although ther is another option, using the scaffolding, make a ramp down your street. then drive your car at it at 60mph then handbrake it at the last second, this flipping your car on its roof, then CARFULLY remove the oil filler cap..... and drain!

i think that could be flawed :rasp:

 

[boyce]

this thread is legend, wtf, at this rate i would have stabbed a screwdriver though the f**king oil filter and sucked it out with a vacum cleaner!!!
although ther is another option, using the scaffolding, make a ramp down your street. then drive your car at it at 60mph then handbrake it at the last second, this flipping your car on its roof, then CARFULLY remove the oil filler cap..... and drain!

This is a great plan Rich and was all going well. infact i managed to roll it a full 540 which pleased the now growing crowd which had come to see man and machine locked in battle as the sump plug war continued. The only problem came once I had her sat nicely sat on her back gravity was now working against me to drain the oil out and i got a mouthful of oil as i siphoned it into a bucket...

Well i'm pleased to have provided some sunday entertainment for those of you not washing you cars but my work here is now done. :rasp: A quick trip to halfords to get the propper tools and the plug literally dropped off. I now get the joke.
So adding an oil change and replacing the oil filter to the list of fixing a broken horn, adjusting the bonnet catch to now work, a new pollen filter and securing a loose heat deflector near the exhaust i'm now feeling rather pleased with myself.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

A quick trip to halfords to get the propper tools and the plug literally dropped off. I now get the joke.
So adding an oil change and replacing the oil filter to the list of fixing a broken horn, adjusting the bonnet catch to now work, a new pollen filter and securing a loose heat deflector near the exhaust i'm now feeling rather pleased with myself.

Glad you can see the funny side

Sounds like a successful afternoon ! Will be 1000x easier next time :boring:

 

[rich_1989]

yep, good reply too made me chuckle, the biggest c**t in mechanics is not having the right tools, if i had the whole of snap-on's range at my desposal any job would be easy, but you have had to buy that tool, which seems expensive for a sump plug, but next time you have to use it for a task, you will feel so good. and a power bar is one of the best, i remember not having one when i started out, hanging of t-bars etc, when i finally maned up and got one, i remember laughing at bolds as i took them with my mighty POWER bar. anyway. was a laugh, a few people of here would have dived into defencive mode without battering a eye lid.

 

[dajones]

yep, good reply too made me chuckle, the biggest c**t in mechanics is not having the right tools, if i had the whole of snap-on's range at my desposal any job would be easy, but you have had to buy that tool, which seems expensive for a sump plug, but next time you have to use it for a task, you will feel so good. and a power bar is one of the best, i remember not having one when i started out, hanging of t-bars etc, when i finally maned up and got one, i remember laughing at bolds as i took them with my mighty POWER bar. anyway. was a laugh, a few people of here would have dived into defencive mode without battering a eye lid.

i took mine back afterwards :rasp: wrong size honest

 

[pip.]

Good thread!