Rounded Bolt Heads

[KJ4VOV]

Pounded a socket onto the bolt head and it finally came off. Really really really tight. Funny thing is I tried that the other day and no luck. Must have gotten it loosened enough and/or built up the bolt head with shaved metal in the "right" places to make it stick.

Hadn't time to examine the threads or see if the new bolt will work - had to get going to work. I'll finish it tonight.

I say unto you, do your own damn oil changes so you don't have to go through this crap.

I realize you had to get to work, (and I assume you're driving a different vehicle) but it sounds like you left it with the plug out, which means no oil in the pan. I hope there's zero chance of anyone else in the family deciding to take it for a drive until you finish it?

[44Dave]

Pounded a socket onto the bolt head and it finally came off. Really really really tight. Funny thing is I tried that the other day and no luck. Must have gotten it loosened enough and/or built up the bolt head with shaved metal in the "right" places to make it stick.

Hadn't time to examine the threads or see if the new bolt will work - had to get going to work. I'll finish it tonight.

I say unto you, do your own damn oil changes so you don't have to go through this crap.

I realize you had to get to work, (and I assume you're driving a different vehicle) but it sounds like you left it with the plug out, which means no oil in the pan. I hope there's zero chance of anyone else in the family deciding to take it for a drive until you finish it?

There is zero chance but I know what you are talking about. I am paranoid enough that I have often thought about getting a lock out/tag out system going for when cars are indisposed. The only methoed I've really been able to come up with is taping over the ignition switch.

[DarkAxel]

Pounded a socket onto the bolt head and it finally came off. Really really really tight. Funny thing is I tried that the other day and no luck. Must have gotten it loosened enough and/or built up the bolt head with shaved metal in the "right" places to make it stick.

Hadn't time to examine the threads or see if the new bolt will work - had to get going to work. I'll finish it tonight.

I say unto you, do your own damn oil changes so you don't have to go through this crap.

Before you put the new drain plug in, coat that fucker with anti-seize, or you'll have the same problem next oil change. I've been through this before.

[DarkAxel]

Pounded a socket onto the bolt head and it finally came off. Really really really tight. Funny thing is I tried that the other day and no luck. Must have gotten it loosened enough and/or built up the bolt head with shaved metal in the "right" places to make it stick.

Hadn't time to examine the threads or see if the new bolt will work - had to get going to work. I'll finish it tonight.

I say unto you, do your own damn oil changes so you don't have to go through this crap.

I realize you had to get to work, (and I assume you're driving a different vehicle) but it sounds like you left it with the plug out, which means no oil in the pan. I hope there's zero chance of anyone else in the family deciding to take it for a drive until you finish it?

There is zero chance but I know what you are talking about. I am paranoid enough that I have often thought about getting a lock out/tag out system going for when cars are indisposed. The only methoed I've really been able to come up with is taping over the ignition switch.

You can also disconnect the battery. That's what I do to vehicles I don't want people to try to drive when working on them.

[44Dave]

Before you put the new drain plug in, coat that fucker with anti-seize, or you'll have the same problem next oil change. I've been through this before.

By anti-seize, you mean red loctite, right? Thanks!

[hutchb25]

My girlfriend does my oil changes (HURHURHUR he said his girlfriend changes his oil!) because she's awesome like that. Prior to her I had been taking it to the quicky lube down the road...big mistake. My bolt was overtightened and had smooshed out the washer, and it didn't survive removal. Thankfully the pan is ok. I'll always do it myself from now on.

Great ideas for rounded bolts. I'm not exactly mechanically inclined and hadn't thought of any of these except just chiseling away

[44Dave]

My girlfriend does my oil changes

My wife never took the hints so...

[KJ4VOV]

My girlfriend does my oil changes

My wife never took the hints so...

Not even the case of 5w-30 for her birthday?

A former fiance I had was as good a mechanic as I am, and was doing her own valve job when I met her (yes, she gave great heads ) and boy, that was a treat, to have a g/f that not only understood the difference between a 12pt and 6pt wrench of the same size, but also knew which was the right one to hand me for a particular job. That was many years ago though. My wife now just says "Okay" and hands me money when the vehicles need work.

[DarkAxel]

Before you put the new drain plug in, coat that fucker with anti-seize, or you'll have the same problem next oil change. I've been through this before.

By anti-seize, you mean red loctite, right? Thanks!

Yeah, this stuff: Heavy Duty Anti-Seize

[44Dave]

Before you put the new drain plug in, coat that fucker with anti-seize, or you'll have the same problem next oil change. I've been through this before.

By anti-seize, you mean red loctite, right? Thanks!

Yeah, this stuff: Heavy Duty Anti-Seize

Dude, you toally stepped all over my joke. OTOH, now I know loctite makes anti-sieze.

[DarkAxel]

Before you put the new drain plug in, coat that fucker with anti-seize, or you'll have the same problem next oil change. I've been through this before.

By anti-seize, you mean red loctite, right? Thanks!

Yeah, this stuff: Heavy Duty Anti-Seize

Dude, you toally stepped all over my joke. OTOH, now I know loctite makes anti-sieze.

In my defense Loctite makes the best anti-seize on the market, IMHO.

[44Dave]

The new plug went in like the pan was a $2 whore. All's well that ends well.

(the filter was crazy tight, too. WTF, man, WTF?)

[colinz]

The new plug went in like the pan was a $2 whore. All's well that ends well.

(the filter was crazy tight, too. WTF, man, WTF?)

Done up with a strap wrench I'll bet. Mind you, I'm not exactly a beast of a guy, and I can still get them tight enough to need removal with tools.

Loctite's Copper Cote + Nickel Cote are excellent products.

[DarkAxel]

The new plug went in like the pan was a $2 whore. All's well that ends well.

(the filter was crazy tight, too. WTF, man, WTF?)

I'm going to make a couple of guesses here.

1. You bought the car used.

2. This is the first time you've done an oil change on it.


A rounded bolt-head and a stuck oil filter lead me to believe that the last owner tried a DIY oil change, fucked up the plug trying to get it out, said "fuck it", and just never changed the oil. Oil filters tend to stick if they aren't changed regularly or the car sits too long. Every single car I've ever bought had a stuck oil filter in it. That's why I recommend an oil filter wrench for first-time oil changes on used cars.

[Muffin]

I'm a diesel mechanic by trade and the two things I have to throw in are that buying filters that accept a cup and using a cup on them are probably the best things for changing oil ever, aside from my fun little flexible drain plug magnet so you don't get HOT oil on your hands. Oh also, make it three things, I have a Rigid bolt extractor set that's the cats Ass, drill a hole in the middle of of, tap in a round rod with flutes on it, and crank it. Never had something it wouldn't take out. Gotten out semi wheel studs with it before(they are 7/8 threaded, not pressed in)

[Resolute]

Before you put the new drain plug in, coat that fucker with anti-seize, or you'll have the same problem next oil change. I've been through this before.

By anti-seize, you mean red loctite, right? Thanks!

Yeah, this stuff: Heavy Duty Anti-Seize

Dude, you toally stepped all over my joke. OTOH, now I know loctite makes anti-sieze.

Should have used blue text

[DJH]

In regards to the "Smooshed out washer", most of the time those are supposed to smoosh out, they're crush washers, thus how they seal. However yeah over-tightened drain plugs are a common problem.

Anti-seize is never a bad idea IMHO. Use it on spark plugs as well.