Steve Cureton Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Anyone got any tips for removing an over-tightened sump plug? Nothing seems to touch it and now the corners are rounding off. As a last resort I've even tried a pipe wrench but that wont touch it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6DavidMK1 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Weld a big nut over the sump plug this is a last resort by the way!! :)David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Cureton Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Thanks David, I did think of that possibilty after I posted the query, job for tomorrow probably. Mind you I'll have to be careful as there's a fair bit of accumulated oil on the sump!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6DavidMK1 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 If you clean all round the sump plug area with white spirit or turbs, mig welding it, should be ok having done it before on many a Triumph sump plugs ;)David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 It's the heat that will loosen the plug!.You could try using a butane torch on it first, after cleaning excess oil off.Jhn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valencia1 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 or one of those ring spanners that contact the flats of the nut for force rather than the corners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilesdive Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 The only thing I have that REALLY fits it well is a 7/16 square socket. Using an open ender or anything else always rounds it. Big long bar on the end of that and so far (touch wood) I have not been beaten.The only place I could get a 7/16 square socket (rather than designed for a hex bolt) was SnapOn - not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieB Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Moss do a square ring spanner, bit of a rip off at £11.30 though :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil866 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 The only thing that removed mine was a bloody great pair of stilsons. I replaced it with a nut type and copper washer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJM Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Yeah, go for the stilsons - my son used to call them the big bad boys. Works a treat and the grip just gets tighter and tighter, bit of heat to help it along its way without shearing and then fit a new plug. Mind you dont set fire to it and have an extinguisher handy just in case! Machine mart sell them for about £1 per inch e.g. 14"" approx £14 I have a set of 24" for the really bothersome stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Cureton Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Isn't a Stiltson another name for a pipe wrench or are they better in some way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6boy Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Stilson's/pipe wrench: one and the same. Used to use 36" ones on 4" iron pipe work, not much argues with that much leverage. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted User Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Stilsons solved many a problem for me! Essential item in your tool kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Cureton Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 I did try a pipe wrench but it's got a wide jaw and kept twisting sideways and slipping off the plug, it was still exerting a lot of pressure but not enough before it slipped. I'll give it another go and if that fails I think I'll weld a nut on, at least that way I'll never have the problem again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisspe Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I always try a ring spanner, if that fails then a big pair of molegrips hasnt failed yet (you can apply far more pressure with mole grips then a pipe wrench> This is how i got some seized calipers apart at christmas (just needed new bolts afterwards) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Cureton Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 Chris, already tried that too. That method had never failed me before either but this time I'm beaten. I was going to have another go today but forgot I have a christening to go to - now where would I rather be?!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Setting fire to it - I think I've had this conversation before.If the sump is full of oil, then you won't heat the metal more than the boiling point of the oil. Sure, that will release a lot of oil vapour in the crankcase that could catch fire, but is way, way below the flash point, and will condense on the cooler sump before it escapes from the rocker cover. So no risk of 'setting fire to the engine'. A lot of old oil and muck on the outside could catch fire, but clean and wsh that off first(Gunk/Jizer?), and you're safe - but always have an extinguisher in your garage!JOhn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolf Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I had the same problem, opened a 'professional' spanner trying to get it off. I found I Irwin sockets worked first time, Was very surprised that they did what they said on the tin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil866 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 If your going down the 'heating' route please be very very careful! The thread is only braized into the sump pan for one, also chip pans spring to mind! Very hot oil plus you with a spanner/stilsons may equal a visit to A+E. The sump plug is not seized through rust or neglect therefore heat should not really help. The plug is a taper design (its the same plug as the gearbox filler plug) and had been overtightend. I would still go for stilsons/mole grips first but don't forget to have a new plug ready to save having this problem again. Again I would recommend the nut type with copper washer as fitted to US export cars, or a gearbox drain nut type which is the same but has a magnet in it. Both are availiable from the traders.I don't do Christenings either but sometimes it's worth it for harmony's sake :-)Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil866 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Just a quicky cos' I did not see Wolf's post. Irwin sockets are like a reverse taper grip socket and are availiable from Machine mart. As Wolf say's they are brilliant bits of kit! The more you undo the tighter the socket grips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Various tool Co.s including Draper who are cheap and plentiful make extractor sockets of this type. They mostly work on a left hand thread/self tightening principle and will either remove the thing or snap it in half! (unlikely with a sump plug). I had one recently which resisted the usual Snap-on square socket and 2 foot bar, self locking grips and 3 foot stilsons! The extractor did the job though - Good Luck. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyb Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 weld a nut on! My recon Stag diff had a filler plug that had been screwed in too tight and had had the corners rounded off - didin't notice until it was bolted back on the car and I went to fill it up! Got it off with a little tool I bought from an autojumble about 15 years ago - designed for removing rounded off nuts. Was the first time I used it, but boy is it worth the £15 I paid for it now. It is basically a socket full of spring loaded hardened needles that grip around whatever shape it has too. Go down the automotive tool shop and see what they have got! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted User Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 This may sound silly BUT I find tighten it a very little and then it comes undone?No I am not joking!Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Cureton Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 Well loads of different things to try, I'll let you know how I get on - probably leave it until next weekend now. Thanks all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Cureton Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 Wolf, are these the Irwin sockets you refer to? http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/5-piece-bolt-grip-set Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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