how r ya just having trouble removing my sump plug from a 1996 vs acclaim series 1. Ive tried using a spanner and shifter but the bolt isn't even moving an inch. Ive applied some wd-40 but seems to do nothing. I've also tried using a ratchet on its own and also with the swivel attachment but it doesn't have enough room to lock on to the bolt as there is a metal guard probably 10cm directly to the right of the sump bolt. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. thanks.
Sounds stupid, but are you turning it the right way? Learned that the hard way last time i changed my brakes.. half an hour of my life wasted......
Shifter lol. Make sure you are unlocking the bolt (Anti-Clockwise) And make sure what ever your using (Spanner/socket) is the right fit. Make sure there is not to much play. If the bolt is too tight then try to get a breaker bar with the right socket on the end. Make sure you push the socket in while trying to crack the bolt
If you are turning it the right way. . . and still can't get it undone you need more leverage put your shifter or spanner or the plug and get a piece of hollow steel pipe or something along those lines put it over the tool and try that
A good way to loosen it up, is get either a brass hammer or use a bit of timber with a normal hammer. Give it a couple of knocks on the head of the nut, this will loosen it up by jaring the threads a bit. Otherwise a ring spanner, whilst giving the end of the spanner a bash with the hammer in the direction you wish to un-do it (anticlockwise) will do the trick. Cheers
If it's done up as tight as you say, the threads have probably been crossed and when you finally get it out you will need to rethread the hole. Be careful if you use a hammer as the sump is made of alloy and is pretty fragile compared to steel.
^^^ Please don't hit the sump with a hammer. As stated the ecotec sump is cast-alloy, not exactly the strongest thing in the world! Get a breaker bar the correct socket, and a long piece of pipe, grow some muscles and hang off the f&^er!! Good luck.
one thing worth a try , get a lend of , or buy one of those butane gas torches they put out a small flame, and heat the head of the sump plug . dont direct the flame at the alloy sump . then while the sump plug is hot try to loosen it. if that fails ,let plug cool down ,then try to loosen . you can repeat those steps , plug should come loose. i used to work at a ship repair dockyard and often we had to remove propellors from ships and sometimes the only way to loosen the holding nuts was to heat them with oxy acetelene torch........good luck.
last time my sump plug did not come out i just got a rattle gun on to it i know it wasent smart cause i could have broken the sump but i tryed everything
My sump plug was rounded off when I first got my car.The socket wouldnt grab at all.I tried vice grips,no good.I ended up cutting a slot into the head of the plug with a hacksaw blade, then I hammered the plug around(anti-clockwise) with an old screwdriver and hammer until it came loose.It only took a few hits to jar it loose.As a temp fix I ended up using a bench grinder to grind new flats onto the head of the plug.It is 17 mm now,it ended up working so well I still havent had to replace it 6 years and a ship load of oil changes later.
Just the right sized socket on ratchet with a piece of pipe slid over the end for more leverage. Really should not be that hard to remove!
ten years ago a friends son had a vc commodore and we wanted to change the diff oil we could not loosen the level plug which was a steel plug. we heated the plug with flame from a butane heat torch and it unscrewed fairly easy. i still think its worth a try , better than butchering the sump plug or the alloy sump.
