How to Remove an Over Tightened Oil Plug? – Easiest Way Explained

You will be needing to remove the oil drain plug in order to drain oil. But if your vehicle has not been used for a while, then you might find the oil plug a little over-tight. 

In other words, you might find the oil plug stuck. And it could be hard to remove. 

Though there are ways that always help. 

However, here I will be walking you through the easiest guide on how to remove an over-tightened oil plug. 

So, let’s jump right into it!

What Causes Oil Plug to Get Stuck? 

Well, there are three reasons behind a stuck oil plug. The first one is sludge, the second is rust and the last one is overtightening the plug when adding it. 

Rust 

When the oil plug remains untouched or unremoved for a very long time, that gets rusty which is very normal.

This tends to happen more when the vehicle is old and poorly maintained. 

Rust build-up can make removing the oil plug extremely hard. In that case, you would want to use rust removing solution before trying to loosen the oil plug. 

Sludge

This is the most common reason why an oil plug gets stuck. The sludge formation around the oil plug works like glue, gives a very hard time loosening the plug. 

If you don’t change the oil for a very very long time, that causes sludge formation. 

And trust me, you don’t want that.        

So change the oil when it is needed and keep the vehicle well-maintained, you will save a lot of money. 

Over Tightening 

And the last reason why oil plugs get stuck is overtightening. Though oil plugs that are stuck due to over-tightening are easy to remove. 

No experienced people will over-tighten the oil plug because there are two side effects of this. 

First, you will have a hard time loosening the oil plug. 

And the second one is, overtightening destroys the pitch of the screw and when the pitch is destroyed you won’t be able to screw the plug. 

That will require you to buy a new oil plug. 

Removing an Over Tightened Oil Plug

1. Warm Up the Vehicle. 

If your vehicle is unused for a while, then it is mandatory for you to warm the vehicle up. Start the vehicle and take a very short drive. 

And it is also recommended for the vehicles you use daily. But for those you don’t need to take a ride, just start the engine and keep it idle for a while, that will do the job. 

The goal is to warm the engine not make it extremely hot, keep that in mind. 

Keep the vehicle parked on an even ground. And lift the vehicle up with the hydraulic jack. 

Get under the vehicle and set the drain pan. After removing the plug you will see oil discharge, if you don’t want to make the ground messy, you better put a drain pan. 

Now take a wrench and turn the oil plug clockwise, keep turning it until it gets loosen. 

It is the basic step, this is how most oil plugs can be removed. If it doesn’t work, then here is the next step…

2.Apply Rust Remover or Lubricator.

Sometimes when the vehicle’s oil plug has not been removed for a long time, it gets stuck due to sludge and rust. 

And to make things easy a lubricator or a rust remover will work like magic. It dissolves sludge and rust very easily. 

After you have applied lubricator or rust remover, wait a little bit. And then use a wrench or any other tool to remove the plug.

When picking a lubricator or rust remover, make sure to invest in the right one. There are hundreds of different models available in the market and not all of them are good. 

A high-quality lubricator or rust remover will be expensive and they will deliver proper value for the bucks. So do not hesitate to invest in a good one. 

3.Take a Socket Wrench.

If the oil plug remains stuck even after applying lubricator or rust remover, then you want to take a socket wrench with a long handlebar. 

You will get extra torque with a long handle socket wrench. Make sure the wrench size suits the oil plug. 

4.Hammer Tap.

Pick a medium-sized hammer and tap on the oil drain plug gently, it will loosen the oil plug.

Do not hit hard, just keep tapping slowly and try to turn the plug clockwise with a socket wrench or any other tool. 

Over-hitting can damage the oil plug, be sure to keep that in mind. You can add a little more lubricator or rust remover to get a better result. 

You should consider tapping the plug with a hammer only when all other methods have failed. 

5.Hire a Professional.

If even now you couldn’t remove the oil drain plug, then this is time you hand the task over to a professional. 

Removing an oil plug is a very simple task, anyone can do it. But when it gets stuck, it becomes an irritating job. 

And trying different things without experience is risky as well, there are chances that the oil plug will get damaged.

Though professionals will charge good bucks to remove a stuck oil plug but that is worth it.

Professional mechanics deal with such problems on regular basis and it won’t take long for them to remove the oil plug.

After you hand over the task, tell the professional everything you have done. And leave it on him/her. 

Final Verdict 

So this is how you remove a stuck oil plug. I really hope this article teaches you how to remove an over-tightened oil plug. 

If you haven’t done anything like this before, you should have someone experienced watching you while you try to remove the oil plug.  And be very careful with the hammer tap, do not hit hard or you will end up damaging the entire oil plug.

Similar Posts