# Oil pan drain plug over-torqued and stripped



## izzone2000 (Dec 25, 2013)

Hey everyone, so I was out in Montana this summer and needed an oil change. I usually do it myself but was 2000 miles from home so had the GM dealer in Bozeman do it for me. Now that I'm back home I went to change the oil before a long road trip for Thanksgiving and find out the technician WAY over-torqued the drain plug past the recommended 14nM and stripped it pretty good too. Has anyone found an easy way to get it out once stripped. I don't own any kind of impact tools, and nearly broke my socket wrench trying to get it out. Thanks


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## mkohan (Dec 19, 2015)

Before you do anything, get a replacement plug. Then I'd try vise-grips. good luck


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## Philb (Jun 18, 2016)

I had the same problem. Large pair of Vise-grips did the trick.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Similar issue, had them do the next oil change and they almost tired to charge me for it.


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## KENSTV123 (Sep 21, 2014)

Known weak point, the oil change guys use air chisel to get a striped one off, got to hold it just right in direction to loosen, napa best source for a steel one-$1.50 in the napa part in back, out front hanging on the pegs $5--same part, ask for the boxed one


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## izzone2000 (Dec 25, 2013)

Thanks guys, vice grips worked wonders with a few good hits from a hammer! Manager of the dealership is supposed to call tomorrow, maybe they'll pay for the new one but not hopeful ha.


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## 63falcondriver (Nov 26, 2016)

This thread is a good example of why no one touches my vehicle with wrenches but me. There's lots of skilled mechanics out there but not being sure of who will actually be messing with my car when at a shop keeps me determined to just do my own stuff... I understand that when on the road one doesn't always have a choice but if it was me, I'd have driven the extra mileage and done the servicing upon return. I had a tire put on at a Walmart in MI a while back and they stripped out all the plastic retainer nuts on my HHR wheel covers. So while the tire was fine, I had to get a new set of wheel covers as that was cheaper than replacing the one that fell off plus the nuts for all the others. The new Cruze I just purchased has two free servicing and oil change events that comes with it. I won't be availing myself of those...


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Even at 10 ft-lbs will break off, my good dealer had a stock room full of these for around 20 bucks, some kind of pot metal casting. No longer recall the size, but found a Dorman made out of solid steel for a couple of bucks, solved this problem. 

Since I felt I won WW III with GM to keep my full sized under engine cover, had to remove that first, but maybe I didn't, was a chore to remove it after four years of road salt, but at least it protected that AC compressor and other engine components. And at least that drain plug had a thick wide lip on it, was effortless using a small pipe wrench to get it loose. But it turned out to be slightly more than a 15 minute oil change, least I had another vehicle to get the part I needed.

Did think about drilling a hole and using an easy out, but these only work when working with real metal. And if I drilled a tad too far, would have gotten a shower.


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## izzone2000 (Dec 25, 2013)

Yes I hate bringing this thing to the dealer for anything that I'd be able to do myself. Just last month my sister who lives in Baltimore and also owns a Cruze went to the dealer for an oil change and tire rotation. Well, they forgot to replace her coolant tank cap and her engine overheated and started smoking on the highway. Thankfully the manager of this dealership in Montana where I had my oil changed called me and offered to send me a check for the new drain plug. Apparently they'd fired two people recently for this exact issue.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

izzone2000 said:


> Apparently they'd fired two people recently for this exact issue.


The problem with dealer oil changes is they're going to be done by the new hire on probation. In effect, the dealership is using your car to figure out if the FNG is going to work out.


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