Alright, the bloody thing is off. MINI dealership told us they were not comfortable using a chisel and hammer/bangy thing on the plug due to the pan being aluminum. So what did Carmax do? That very thing. They did get it off though, but holy crap did it make a huge wedge in the outside edge of the plug. Several threads were gone/missed up on it too. It was missed up but good. New plug on it, no charge. Turns out the "manager" we were talking to, wasn't the actual manager. He was in charge while the manager was out of state. The actual manager took care of things. The previous guy made a snarky comment to me about my husband while we were checking out (went ahead and just had them do the oil change, since it was emptied out anyways... watched them do it too!) and wow, couldn't believe it. I just stared at him and said "really?" Horrible customer service on his part. Which we let the manager know about. We are thinking about getting a clean container and making sure *this* plug will come off now, just in case. Not going through this again! If it does, gonna put on the valve.
Monday we take May in to MINI to do the warranty work. No courtesy car still. I have yet to get one, even when they've got the car for more than a day.Was looking forward to seeing what a hardtop with a turbo drove like.
Thanks for all your help guys!
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Metalman Well-Known MemberLifetime Supporter
- Sep 29, 2009
- 7,688
- Ex-Owner (Retired) of a custom metal fab company.
- Ratings:
- +7,960 / 1 / -0
If push comes to shove.... And you still can't get it off.
Pick a hex bolt that will slip over the old rounded head. Get your local welder to weld the new nut on. Then use the appropriate socket to remove it. The heat from the welding should help loosen the threads some.-
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Minidave Well-Known MemberLifetime Supporter
I wish I had the time to just run down there and fix it for you......
Good luck with the knees, I had one of mine done a while back (torn medial meniscus) and I recovered fairly quickly - 2 years! :blush2:
Now both my knees are just worn out and need to be replaced, so I've got that to look forward to!-
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Mr. Jim MudsharkLifetime Supporter
Gotta use the visegrips really tight and bang with a hammer. I know you said you tried but keep at it.
It really sucks when they put the damn thing on so freakin tight. The stealer only did two oil changes on mine, they were free, the last one they did the cromag-man put the filter housing soooo tight I had to put another ratchet, remove the tire to get the angle to break it loose.
Good luck.-
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Let's hope that Carmax truly did change the oil when you bought it and didn't encounter the same issue opting to say they changed it when they really didn't. I agree with Jim on this....vise grips and keep at it. Good Luck!
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I did look at the oil when I brought her home, and it was definitely clean.
Been checking it about every 6 weeks or so to make sure it was still good.
Ok, will double-down on the vise grips and keep trying then! Thanks guys.-
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agranger MINI of the Month June 2009Supporting Member
How about soaking it in penetrating oil (PB Blaster, for example) for a few hours.
Available at most auto parts stores (and Amazon, aparently) [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Blaster-16-PB-Penetrating-Catalyst-oz/dp/B000I2079E"]Amazon.com: Blaster 16-PB Penetrating Catalyst - 11 oz.: Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21Ils5oDhNL.@@AMEPARAM@@21Ils5oDhNL[/ame]
There is something in the structure of this oil that causes it to be wicked into tiny cracks and crevices, helping the bolt to break free.-
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Thanks agranger, I'll stop at O'Reilly's and grab some since it's on the way home.
Spray it down, and leave it until it's cool enough to start working on. It's bloody hot again today!
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Dave.0 Helix & RMW PoweredLifetime Supporter
You need one of these from Sears:
10 pc. Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set, Low Profile Bolt-Out- Craftsman-Tools-Mechanics & Auto Tools-Taps & Dies
I had to do this to my drain plugs once when a dealership put the drain plug back in with an effing air gun.
REALLY ? and Air Gun! Who does that?-
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That's the set we have Dave, and all it did was chew up the plug like it was lunch, according to my husband. I can't get down there and try it myself, but he said he couldn't get a good bite with any of them. It'd be a tight fit, but then it would only move the socket, not the bolt itself. I'm thinking spraying the PBlaster stuff, then trying the extractor again might work.
Thank Metalman, I was wondering if welding something on it and then using *that* to get it off might work. I can get my brother to bring his stuff down and do that for me if the other stuff doesn't work.
You guys are great, thanks!-
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Minidave Well-Known MemberLifetime Supporter
Vice grips aren't going to do it, they'll just chew it up worse. Also, don't bother with the rust penetrant, there's not going to be any rust on an aluminum pan.
I've removed many of these, and there are only a couple of ways to get it out.
One way is to do what Metalman said, when they get so rounded off like this, welding a big ol nut onto the stub and using the appropriate socket and breaker bar will do it - I've done a few this way.
Another way is to take a zip gun and catch the edge of the round, flat washer part of the nut and drive it from there. The vibrations will usually move it, then you can use whatever you have to turn it out.
There's a third possibility although I haven't done this yet, that's to take a big ol pipe wrench to it, just make sure you're square on the stub.
One last thing, it's easy for folks to get confused when working upside down or on their backs, and they wind up trying to turn the bolt the wrong way, so remember....righty tighty, lefty loosey.
The Fumoto valve will ensure you don't have this problem again, but really, I've never had this problem on any of my cars, and I can only conclude that those who do are using the wrong tool/sized socket/wrench, turing it the wrong way or overtightening it. I think the torque spec on this is 22 ft lbs, that's not very much!-
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Check this out. It might be just the thing.
GO2SOCKET - TrustyMAX
Harbor Freight has something that might work as well.
http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-38-drive-metric-bolt-extractor-sockets-67894.html-
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Dave.0 Helix & RMW PoweredLifetime Supporter
The below from Metalman will absolutly do the trick. Or you could have them weld on a crap socket.
If push comes to shove.... And you still can't get it off.
Pick a hex bolt that will slip over the old rounded head. Get your local welder to weld the new nut on. Then use the appropriate socket to remove it. The heat from the welding should help loosen the threads some.-
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I too was thinking a combination of a small to mid sized pipe wrench (good one) with a pipe or something extra on the handle for leverage & some heat, propane torch would be fine.
Plus, everyone don't forget, 6pt socket only, on the drain plug, just to be safe. I actually use a 1/2 inch drive, 6pt & my torque wrench for removal also.-
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So far, no good. That sucker just won't budge. We don't have a propane torch or anything similar, my brother got all the good tools (probably because he *is* a tool) out of my dad's garage.
The vise grips are just eating off more metal, no matter how tight you get them. The bolt extractor won't do anything, and we could not get the pipe wrench to stay on there, it kept slipping off.
I'm thinking screw it, I'll just go by the MINI dealership and have them deal with it after all. NM, just called to see how much an oil change was. HOLY scheisse! $110 and it's just the oil change and a measley 13 point inspection!?! Not even a tire rotation? That's highway robbery man. Not happening.
Next on the list, call around and find someone to weld up on a hex bolt. Gonna be cheaper than $110 for sure.
Thanks for all the hints and help guys, y'all are awesome!-
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Minidave Well-Known MemberLifetime Supporter
I said it before, don't use vice grips - why doesn't anyone listen to me?
If you have a hammer and a small chisel (not a sharp one tho) make a small cut in the edge of the round part of the plug - looks kinda like a flat washer- then use a drift (aka - a punch) and tap on that notch you made in the direction of rotation (counter clockwise - remember the righty-tighty rule?) and see if that will get it out. If you have a zip gun (air hammer), that would work even better.
If you don't have the tools, take it to your dealer and have them get it out for you.
BTW, do not use your torque wrench to remove tight bolts like wheel bolts and drain plugs, that's NOT what it's for, and by overstressing it you completely screw up the calibration. Use the correct tool for the job - use a breaker bar to remove tight bolts, use a hammer to hit things not pliers or crescent wrenches, use a wrench to loosen and tighten bolts and nuts, not pliers and so on.
The drain plug does not need to be that tight - 22 ft lbs is about a good twist with a short 3/8" ratchet. Likewise the filter cannister does not need to be that tight either, the seal is made by the o-ring, not by how tight it is. The goal with the filter cannister is simply tight enough to not have it work loose again under vibration or whatever.-
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Because my husband is a very stubborn man, that's why, heh. I told him it wouldn't likely work, but he was determined to try again. At least he was definitely trying the correct direction.
I think that the chisel we have is a pointy one. We don't have an air hammer. Chisels are cheap enough and useful in other ways that I'll just grab one on the way home and try this out. Can't hurt! Don't have a torque wrench, so no worries about using that.
Thankfully the cannister isn't nearly as tight. I tested that last night, and I can get it off.-
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