1st Gen R53 Cooper S Help! Danged Oil drain plug won't come off

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by t3hwookiee, Jul 16, 2012.

  1. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    As you face the plug you need to rotate the wrench counter clockwise...... Looking at the drag marks on the damaged head, it almost looks like you might be tightening the fastener by turning it in the wrong direction...... But I could be wrong on that observation.... Stranger things have happened while laying on your back upside down and making sure you are turning it correctly.... Just double check this.... It shouldn't be that hard to get off otherwise....
     
  2. t3hwookiee

    t3hwookiee New Member

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    I watched to make sure he was turning it counter clockwise, so I dunno. I wonder if the first time he tried it he did it backwards? Or if it's from the dealership overtightening maybe? *shrug* hard to say now! I doubt he'll cop to turning it the wrong way, lol. He was mad enough at it last night he was wondering if they Gorilla Glued the darned thing on.
     
  3. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    FWIW I think that it is that captive neoprene gasket on the drain plug that makes it so hard to remove. Plus the fact that it was most likely over tightened during the last oil change.

    You might want to call CarMax & see if they would be of any help in fixing their screw up.
     
  4. BlwnAway

    BlwnAway Well-Known Member

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    Sorry, keep forgetting to clarify myself, I only use my mechanical torque wrench for removal on the drqinplug because it is only 22 ft/lb and that should be no where near enough to throw off the calibration. Daves right, just don't do it & you won't have to even worry about it.

    I still think that the best thing would be a little heat, cheepo walmart propane torch, thats all.
     
  5. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    You could always pull the motor and put it in a vice and try the pipe wrench method.

    (KIDDING)

    How have you made out?

    Did you get the drain plug out yet?
     
  6. t3hwookiee

    t3hwookiee New Member

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    Nope, it's at home and we're both stuck at work.

    LOL, that's one way to try it. ;) We're going to try the chisel and punch thing out. If that doesn't work I'm going to go by a welder and have them stick something on there. We have a crappy (well crappy compared to the rest of our stuff) socket set laying around. Would it work better to weld on one of those old things, or go buy a hex bolt?
     
  7. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    Buy a nut big enough to slip over the stub of the plug, then weld in the center of it. Then go ahead and put a socket on it and she'll come out.
     
  8. t3hwookiee

    t3hwookiee New Member

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    Thanks Dave, that's what I meant. Nut, not bolt. Derp. Thanks again man, seriously. :)
     
  9. CHKMINI

    CHKMINI Club Coordinator
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    Is there anyone here on MA in Oklahoma City that can help with this? I also like the idea of taking it to CarMax and letting them deal with it since they were the last to change the oil.
     
  10. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    Is there a local MINI club in your area?

    We have shop days about once a month at my garage for the KC Miniacs, this is the kind of thing that we do routinely for our members.

    It's a long ways for you to to drive, but if you get desperate, we're having one this Saturday. We'd have that thing out in a jiff, and you'd learn a thing or two also......
     
  11. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #31 agranger, Jul 18, 2012
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2012
  12. t3hwookiee

    t3hwookiee New Member

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    I wish I could guys! I'm having bilateral knee arthroscopes tomorrow morning though, so there's now way I could do that Saturday. And I'll need Jon around to help me hobble around afterwards. I guess on the plus side, we only need one car for several weeks, so we can do the next one! I joined the Metroplex MINI board a few weeks back since they're the closest one to us. The Oklahoma MINI group has faded away after the founder died last year. :(
    Thanks for the offer Dave and Agranger!

    We did think of just going by Carmax and telling them to deal with it, but at the same time I don't really trust them. But hey, if they **** it up more, they get to repair it right? I'll see if Jon just wants to do that. At least we have time to get it figured out. It's just annoying.

    (I still think he turned it the wrong way in the beginning and won't admit it, especially since he got all grumpy about it. :rolleyes: Not that big of a deal! I've done that plenty of times.)
     
  13. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Don't worry it will get handled. More important that you get healed up after your scoping. Good luck & a speedy recovery to you. :Thumbsup:
     
  14. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    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!
     
  15. t3hwookiee

    t3hwookiee New Member

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    Thanks Chuck and Dave! :)
     
  16. ric in richmond

    ric in richmond New Member

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    Why pull it?

    Get a vacuum extractor like the oilboy and suck it out.

    I have never once pulled my oil plug. You do the whole process topside.

    My 02 mcs has 178000 miles on it.
     
  17. t3hwookiee

    t3hwookiee New Member

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    #37 t3hwookiee, Jul 31, 2012
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2012
    Well surgery went well, I just haven't been online much since. Heck I'm only now really starting to totter/walk around.

    So husband took May in to our MINI dealer to have them change the oil, after Carmax outright refused any responsibility over the phone. He sent me a text a little while ago saying they have to order a new oil pan, because they can't even remove the sucker. Oh and apparently three other things need fixed, two of which are at least covered by our extended warranty. Joy. Husband is on his way over to Carmax in person (they're across the road from JCM) to raise some hell. He is royally pissed off at this point. Curious to see what will happen.
    CM says their service records show that they did in fact change the oil before we took possession, but that there is no proof that they were the ones who got it stuck and that we probably did it ourselves, especially since it has now ticked over to a year. Told them we were following manufacturer's recommendations, and that the Service mileage ticker thingie (words aren't working for me this morning) just now ticked over to change now, and that the oil has been clean enough until now (nearly all highway miles). They said they did not care, it's been over 6 months, they're not responsible. Yay.

    I'm a bit scared to find out how much this will cost, as we have zero extra cash right now. As in we're going to have to go sell some plasma or beg our parents or something to be able to hit the deductible for the warranty even. Sigh. Why did this have to hit at the same time as my surgery? *cries*
    /whine

    So other things that need fixed are the control arm bushings are out, the power steering hose needs replaced, and the water pump is leaking. JCM thinks they can get the bushings and water pump replaced under warranty, but not the PS hoses. Will find out on Monday when those techs look at it. Oh, and Carmax still refuses any responsibility, which has pissed off our service manager at JCM. He outright called it ********, and said if they had done any oil change in the past on this car and we came in like this, they would pay for the oil pan and the oil change themselves. So now we get to call Carmax Corporate. I am so not happy right now.
     
  18. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    I sure hope that water pump is covered. On an '06, that's a 10 hour job and a $150 part.
     
  19. t3hwookiee

    t3hwookiee New Member

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    Ouch! Yeah the service tech was positive that would be covered for sure, along with the control arm bushings. Phew!
     
  20. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    It's probably to late now because you have things underway but......
    It might have been a good idea to take it to some muffler shop and talk the guy into welding a nut on the drain plug stub. The heat would have moved the threads around a little and probably loosened things up enough to where it would have unscrewed. It might have saved you the cost of the new oil pan.

    It would have been very low investment cost to find out with a nice savings if it worked.
     

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