The oil plug keeps every car lubricated. It keeps the oil pan in place and ensures it doesn’t pour out during movement. The pan is where the oil stays and the plugs keep them intact even at the slightest movement.
However, times such as servicing a car require you to change the engine oil. This is when you will need to loosen the plug to change the oil.
But what happens when you discover the plug is too tight and wouldn’t budge no matter how hard you try to turn it. Will you just leave it there? Of course not! No matter how frustrated you can be about the event, you need to carry out some actions because the plug isn’t going to move all by itself.
In this article, you will learn how to remove your oil plug in case it gets over-tightened. Before then, let’s take a look at a few reasons why your oil plug is over-tightened in the first place.
Why Does Your Oil Plug Get Stuck?
If your oil plug gets stuck, you are not the only one the problem has happened to. However, you can prevent this from reoccurring if you remain cognizant of some of these causes.
Over Tightening
The main reason why your oil plug won’t bulge in the first place is due to over-tightening. Some car mechanics may have exerted so much force while carrying out their activities in your car. Since they forget that someone may need to lose the plug one day it becomes hard for someone like you who isn’t well-versed with cars to loosen it. Besides, they may have. destroyed the screw pitch during the process of tightening the oil plug. When this happens, you can only change your oil pan for the engine to continue its usual activities.
Sludge
If the car mechanic isn’t responsible for the over-tightening of the oil plug, the sludge may be the cause of the problem. But how does sludge form in your car?
If you are the type of person that ignores your engine oil instead of changing it when due, then sludge forms to tighten the oil plug. When this continuously happens, it may be difficult for your plug to bulge even if you exert the highest level of pressure.
Why? The sludge is formed through a chemical process where the engine oil molecules break down and mix with other elements such as metallic particles, water, fuel, and carbon. The result of this mixture is a sticky bulge that over-tightens your plug.
Now that you know some reasons why your oil plug is over-tightened, you can apply some remedy that can help the situation.
How to Remove an Over Tightened Plug
The steps below describe some actions you can take when your oil plug is over-tightened.
Here are some tips that can help you fix this problem:
Warm the Car
When the oil plug becomes stuck, the first thing that can help is to heat your cat. Kick start your vehicle and allow it to heat for a few minutes. When it has steamed enough, look for a parking ground and park your car on the ground surface. Please, ensure your car isn’t too hot when you are about to start the loosening process. This is a safety precaution.
Afterwards, you can utilize your hydraulic to lift the car slightly above the ground level and let you stay under it. Go under the vehicle and find out where the oil plug is stuck. Immediately you find it, bring it out. Then, try to turn it clockwise or anticlockwise for it to become loose. After a few tries, the oil plug should become loose.
Apply a Lubricant or Rust Remover
Once you check the drain plug and you discover some sludge around it, then you will need a rust remover or a lubricator to take care of the rust. You can try a lubricant to dissolve the sludge or rust on the oil plug. All you need to do is to apply some spray oil and allow it to stay on it for a few minutes. This will dissolve the rust and allow the oil plug to bulge once pressure is exerted.
Also, you can apply rust remover on the drain plug. It prevents the formation of sludge that can tighten the oil plug. It also acts as a lubricant for the vehicle’s cylinder for it to maintain smooth idling.
Apply a Socket Wrench
If you are a car owner, then a socket wrench is part of your must-have tools. It is essential for every automobile activity. Its main purpose is that it is easy and flexible to use for many automobile tasks. You can use the socket wrench for any purpose such as loosening the over-tightened oil plug.
If you intend to use your socket wrench to remove the drain plug, just find one that fits perfectly. You can buy a long-handle socket wrench to make it easier to use. It produces an extra torque as you pull out the plug.
Use a Hammer
Hammer is the last option you can try by yourself. Meaning, that if you have heated your car, applied a lubricant or rust remover, or used a socket wrench while the plug remains tightened, then going for a hammer is the last option. Gently bang your hammer on the stubborn oil plug to lose it.
However, you should take extra care when performing this activity so that you won’t damage the plug’s teeth. Apply the hammer only when other options have proven to be ineffective.
Use a Professional
When you have applied all the above-mentioned tips and the plug fails to bulge, it is time you called a professional to handle the task. Calling a professional helps you with an immediate solution even though it will cost you money. Update them about what you have tried and leave the rest for them to handle.
Conclusion
Once you have tried the above-mentioned steps, then you can remove an over-tightened plug with ease. However, you should be aware of the causes to prevent this issue from happening again.