Oil pan bolt spins (I did a stupid)

[Adodero]

Well, I did something dumb. I am directionally challenged and turned the drain bolt the wrong way, stripping it.

It didn't take much effort, so I guess it was failing anyway, but I certainly didn't help it. This is why I usually keep a spare bolt/nut in my pocket when I'm working on the car or boat, so I can orient myself and know which way to turn it, but I failed this time.

The bolt basically spins in place. I tried gripping it with vice grips and pulling out while turning, but it didn't go anywhere. The bolt has no clearance behind it, so I can't get a screwdriver behind it for tension. It's still tight, which makes me scared it broke the bolt inside the pan free of the pan. Any other advice aside from replacing the oil pan?

I have a new oil pan and gasket, but I'd like to avoid having to install it if possible.

 

[harleydragon]

look inside the new pan an you will probably see what the threaded part consists of and see if that gives you any idea of a way to stop it from spinning..chances are that if it is spinning even when you apply all the downward pressure on it that you can,then it will have to be taken off

 

[Torxhead]

Sometimes if you try to unscrew it while pulling it out with vise grips it will unscrew. There are also oversize oil pan bolts available.

 

[Blackhawk1960]

you can get an "expandable" plug which works the way the expandable freeze plugs work. You tighten the nut and it expands the rubber plug. I wouldn't recommend it as a permanent fix though.

 

[Adodero]

The issue is that I can't get the bolt out, it just spins in place. I tried vice grips, but no cigar.

 

[Torxhead]

One option would be to buy a new pan.

 

[PaRenegade]

You had bought a new pan. It's karma. The time has come to use that new pan. Either way it looks like you need to remove the old pan and either fix it or replace it.

 

[Adodero]

Thanks for the info folks.

I bought the pan so that I could replace it immediately rather than wait around, if necessary. I didn't want to do it if I could avoid it.

We managed to get the bolt off though. It was stripped badly, we had to use a modified bearing puller to get behind the bolt and pull it out enough to engage the threads. Once we did, it spun out. That was a friend's idea and it worked well, there is no way pliers or a screwdriver would have applied enough pressure.

Still have the new pan, figure we'll put it in when we replace the rear main seal.

 

[jpeck71]

when we replace the rear main seal.

Good luck with the rear main seal. Mine was stuck in there pretty good and took quite a bit of hammering to get it out.

 

[wm69]

When the local quickielube stripped the pan on my Accord ("those threads just wear out over time") I used some blue loctite on the threads and screwed a fumotovalve up in there. Let the loctite dry overnight before filling with oil the next morning. Worked great for another 150K before I sold the car.

Something you could do until you swap the pan out.