I would suggest one of the specific sump plug wrenches that has a square hole in the end of the casting. There is usually two different sizes moulded in (one each side). The wrenches are heavy enough to be able to apply an amount of judicious hammer force to free the sump plug. Is it a steel or aluminium sump. If steel be careful the threaded part in the sump does not tear out.

Colin

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+1 for that ^^^

Did you fit the sump plug ?

… If not, do beware that someone may have done something silly !!

MichaelG.

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[ pleasantly surprised to see no snide comments about relevance ]

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 01/05/2019 12:54:44

Snap a spanner, wow!

If it was drop forged or made by any other method, snapping a spanner is not an easy thing to do. Without knowing details I would speculate that it must have fitted the sump plug very firmly and that you used an extension to the spanner length (or be very strong).

Ian P

Depends on the size of square, but a Bi Hex socket of the correct size should be OK.

Make sure your turning it the right way. A friend once tore the threads out of a motorbike sump because he didn't think about which way he needed to turn it to loosen the plug…….

Assuming you have no fuel leaks I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't apply local heat to it. Even if the oil starts to boil locally, it would take an awful lot of heat to cause any danger of ignition.

George

I managed to get a very stuck square sump plug out with a large Stillson pipe wrench (about 30" long). On the big ones they have quite deep teeth to grip a pipe, set it across the diagonal (not on the flats) so that the corners of the plug fall between the teeth of the jaws. As you apply pressure they grip even tighter and the length gives loads of leverage. As others have said, apply some heat first to help break the accumulated crud.

dont worry for £20 squids u can get a vacumn oil drainer kit from the bay of FLEAS…….

I use it for draining engines in boats, (mostley unable to get at the sump plug, even if u can get a catch tray under the engine)….

and for the same job on some mower's where the sump plug is underneath the tray in amogst all the crap ……

it will take out cold engine oil but it's easier if the oil is warm…..

clogs

I watched a salesman demonstrate a "sump sucker" whilst working in my retirement job as a workshop technician at a local FE college. He emptied the sump, via the dipstick hole, on one of our practice cars, a Maestro, the following day I removed the sump plug and drained a further half litre of very dirty oil. It all depends where the dipstick is in relation to the sump lowest point I suppose. Buy a recent Beemer and you won't even get a dipstick now.

Sump suckers are blocked by windage trays I wouldnt use one on a decent engine. Very good for leaving gearbox metal in the sump of A series motors.

Edited By Dave Halford on 02/05/2019 11:08:10

+1 for warming the area around the Female thread, and then ideally, using a square socket type spanner, give it a jolt with a copper/hide mallet or hammer. Or perhaps a socket on an Impact Driver. The combined effect of longitudinal and rotational forces may just do the trick!

Before heating, it may be worth applying some penetrating oil, and leaving for a day to see if that will help, and then start warming the sunp.

Years ago, a friend tore the female thread out of his steel sump. Fortunately, the plug was intact, and 1/2 UNF. We cleaned up the face and brazed a 1/2 UNF nut onto the face of the sump.

If you get really desperate, you may have to start drilling out the plug. Sometimes after a while the plug will collapse enough to slacken its grip, plus possibly the effect of the heat, to allow it tom be removed. DON'T use Easyouts!

You may end up drilling out most of th thread, and then cleaning up with a tap.

Howard

Howard