I DIY as much as I can on my cars ever since my first beater car needed a new head gasket 20 years ago. Today's project was an oil change, real simple, I've done it too many times to count.

But.....the magnetic drain plug stripped and was stuck in the oil pan! It's aluminum with a hex socket for a large Allen key. Vice grips just don't do a thing. I'm sunk! Calm done, walk away, mow the lawn, come back.

I could drill it out but no way am I messing with getting metal fragments in the engine. Drop the oil pan? Messy but it will work. Minor cost adder for gaskets but a time suck. Upgrade to an oil pan spacer while the oil pan is out to help with starvation in high-g turns (another ~$300)? Upgrade to a motorsport deep sump oil pan with better baffling and pickup (another ~$600)? Do the AOS as a preventative measure at the same time since I'm tearing apart the oil system (~$200)? Go all out with a motorsport cup AOS ($850)? This oil change suddenly turned into a $1400 upgrade!!!

If I could only get the plug out...quick internet search, PIPE WRENCH, of course! There's just enough metal below the oil pan on the plug to fit a pipe wrench on it. Bingo, plug out. Thank you Internet.

 

Don t you just love coming up with a simple solution like this and doing it yourself? LOL.

 

Happened to me twice on the Lambo! Some plugs are just super soft to protect the alum block (in my case).

 

Another trick is to put valve grinding compound on a stripped bolt. The grit will help the socket grip.

 

Last option is to cut a notch with a dremel or angle grinder and then use a flathead to screw it out. Glad all crisis and wallet impact were averted.

 

This or grind a couple of flat spots on the edge of the plug lip to get a wrench to bite.

 

+1 !!!

great info