I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: Replacement of sump drain plug
I got my self into a bit of a pickle when a simple oil change went south. The sump drain plug’s head was damaged/rounded. I guess this is simply due to wear and age as I am pretty sure it was torqued up right as I have a white marker on the drain plug for indicating the right level of torque needed. I am planning to buy bolt extractor socket set in a hope that it can grip the rounded head properly.
I am planning to buy TOPEC 18-Piece Bolt Extractor Set, Rounded Bolt Remover Tool, Impact Bolt & Nut Extractor Set, 3/8" Drive Bolt Extractor Kit, for Removing Stripped, Damaged, Frozen, Rusted, Rounded-Off Bolts & Nuts : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools this or similar for getting the rounded drain plug off. Has anyone experienced similar problem and does the bolt extractor work for getting you out of this spot? Some videos online suggest a use of blow torch, DIYing that is sort of not possible for me. And of course I have ordered the replacement drain plug Sump Plug | GSF Car Parts and hope it fits as it is shown as compatible to nc MX-5s. Any advise/ suggestions are greatly appreciated
Don’t use a paint mark, use a torque wrench.
The former does not work, especially in this instance as you’ve got a soft sealing washer which changes it’s thickness every time it’s tightened up.
If the plug is mangled then someone has over tightened it or used the wrong spanner/socket.
Or maybe just a pair of stiltsons
Those tools in your link are a great design, just hope that the quality is as good.
Update, a simple task has now become a headache. With the gripper bolt extractor i was able to get a good grip on the bolt but it was almost impossible for me to loosen it. Annoyingly i was the last person to tighten it last year when i did the oil change . Weirdly i found the sump plug’s head needs a 13mm socket instead of the regular 17mm, not sure how that happened as almost all forums online suggest a 17mm socket for the job. Seems like this time i would need professional help
The paint mark is ONLY to be used as a visual check that a fastener has not loosened in service. As you have found out it is not the way to torque up a bolt.
That’s not an original sump plug. It might be worth trying to knock it loose using a chisel on the edge of the washer. Shock will probably loosen it rather than a twisting action. The trouble with this sort of problem is you learn how to get round it from experience rather than from the internet…
Okay seems like the drain plug in the picture is not of the MX-5. This makes sense as the washer i got last time didn’t fit, i naively thought i have bought the wrong one. However that being said i did put back the drain plug with the washer which was already on, i know you can’t see that in the picture but i remember well to have used it. I gave up lossening it as i tried knocking the rachet with a brick in the hope of loosening it as @Roadster_Robbie suggested without any success. I’m pretty sure it can be undone but trying to do it under the car on axle stands is bit tough for me, if the car is on an ramp it should be way easier. And the hard lesson here is to always use a torque wrench for setting the torque.
. Weirdly i found the sump plug’s head needs a 13mm socket instead of the regular 17mm, not sure how that happened as almost all forums online suggest a 17mm socket for the job. Seems like this time i would need professional help