Question about doing oil changes without removing drain plug

[SBdadman]

So I have a 2000 Yukon Denali with around 195k miles on it. Has it's moments but is still running just fine. I came up on time to change the oil and it appears that the last person who changed the oil screwed up putting the drain plug back in and when I try to remove it it just turns and spins, not sure how to get it out.

Is there any fix for getting it out and replacing the plug with a new self tapping one without having to completely replace the drain pan and plug?

Also I'd like to do the oil changes myself now that I have a garage and space if the plug won't come out is it worth it to by an extractor to suck the oil out via the fill opening in the engine bay with something like this: https://www.amazon.com/EWK-Pneumati...TF8&qid=1509027850&sr=8-7&keywords=oil+change

Wasn't sure if this was a work around that would allow me to drain the oil out and replace the filter and oil without dealing with effed up drain plug.

Thanks for any help or suggestions, I'm still kinda new to this do it yourself on the Yukon, replaced battery, radiator reservoir tank, body control module and some fuses and brakes so far.

 

[01ssreda4]

I used the oversized ones before that tap their own holes with success.

 

[OR VietVet]

You will not be able to "suck" out the oil from the oil filler add area. The only chance you would have is thru the dipstick tube but I would not do that either. Bite the bullet and replace the pan and gasket, use Fel-Pro gaskets, and do it right. If you do get the "stripped" drain plug out you can try an oversize plug and self tap the threads and that may work for a short while. It never works permanently and ends up leaking. It is a band aid and not a repair. I always cringe with "patch" repairs. I don't even like using heli-coils. Drink a few less beers and smoke less gaunga and take that money and get a good oil pan and gaskets and if the repair is out of your realm, get help from a qualified tech.

 

[randeez]

I get it hard to justify the money on 200k mile truck. lots of guys swap the truck pan for fbody/vette pan maybe keep an eye on local Craigslist for a used one prob just as cheap as the extractor.
Also plug is pretty easy to get to, have you tried to wedge something between bolt/washer and pan while in screwing? May just need to get out of first few threads although I'm not sure I would want to use a self tapping drain plug and not be able to clean out shavings

 

[SBdadman]

I get it hard to justify the money on 200k mile truck. lots of guys swap the truck pan for fbody/vette pan maybe keep an eye on local Craigslist for a used one prob just as cheap as the extractor.
Also plug is pretty easy to get to, have you tried to wedge something between bolt/washer and pan while in screwing? May just need to get out of first few threads

Yea I haven't fought with it yet but that was going to be my next step, after I realized it was spinning and not going anywhere I wanted to do a little research on tips for getting it out, I was worried I'd get it yanked out and then not have a way to replace or put something in and be stuck with a drained oil pan that I can't drive til I fix the issue. Thanks though when I give it another go this weekend I'll try to wedge and see if the stripping isn't the entire plug and just the first threads.

 

[SBdadman]

You will not be able to "suck" out the oil from the oil filler add area. The only chance you would have is thru the dipstick tube but I would not do that either. Bite the bullet and replace the pan and gasket, use Fel-Pro gaskets, and do it right. If you do get the "stripped" drain plug out you can try an oversize plug and self tap the threads and that may work for a short while. It never works permanently and ends up leaking. It is a band aid and not a repair. I always cringe with "patch" repairs. I don't even like using heli-coils. Drink a few less beers and smoke less gaunga and take that money and get a good oil pan and gaskets and if the repair is out of your realm, get help from a qualified tech.

Thanks for the advice, I don't drink or smoke so not sure where that comment came from but I'll look into the Fel-Pro gaskets and such as I price out what I do.

 

[OR VietVet]

Since it is stripped you can expect it to leak oil and that leak can accelerate when you least expect it. Keep an eye on it till you decide to fix it.

 

[OR VietVet]

Thanks for the advice, I don't drink or smoke so not sure where that comment came from but I'll look into the Fel-Pro gaskets and such as I price out what I do.

It was an attempt to joke and sorry if offended. I don't drink or smoke myself so I assume anyone younger than me does. Again, just a joke but I meant what I said about fixing it right if you are planning to keep the truck.

 

[SBdadman]

It was an attempt to joke and sorry if offended. I don't drink or smoke myself so I assume anyone younger than me does. Again, just a joke but I meant what I said about fixing it right if you are planning to keep the truck.

No worries, yea I'm hoping to keep this guy running as long as I can so I'll keep an eye for leaks and check the oil levels til I get it all fixed up.

 

[OR VietVet]

Great, the one thing to always remember about vehicles and women is that you should never "assume" anything.

 

[01ssreda4]

Ive got a few good oil pans for sale if you decide to go that route.

 

[ScottyBoy]

I would not do it. I would go ahead and change the pan and gasket. I just had this EXACT problem with my son's 99 Silverado. He just got the truck so we went to change the oil and saw that it had a wierd rubber plug in place of the factory plug. I couldn't figure out how to remove it and apparently broke it in the process. So we're sitting here trying to figure out what to do and I remember a YouTube video I saw a while back from "Eric the Car Guy". He explained that most vehicle have an oil plug that's actually shorter than the threaded hole. I shined a flashlight in the hole and sure enough, only the first inch or so of the threads were all shredded up. So I'm searching all through my tool chest looking for bolts, and I found a brake caliper bolt. I lost a bolt for my rear brake caliper bracket a while back and I bought a new one, but the new ones come in pairs. I compared it to the oil pan and it looked like the right size so I threaded it in. It fit perfectly! It's the same exact thread pitch as the stock oil pan plug, but it's about an inch longer. So I made a washer/gasket for it out of plastic, and although it was only supposed to be a temporary fix, it's been on there for the last 7 months now.
However, we do plan on changing the oil pan since the gasket is leaking anyways. The makeshift drain plug will stay until I help him replace the oil pan.

 

[HACK BLOCK]

I own a bmw and for the past 50k miles I've been using a $20 fluid extraction pump through the dip stick tube. I can't say for sure how much is left in the pan but I always been able to fill it with the 8 quarts it recommends

 

[brasil]

what is about welding a nice nut in place where the oil plug is now... then usea new srew with a copper or plastic ring...

Should work... in my opinion

 

[OR VietVet]

what is about welding a nice nut in place where the oil plug is now... then usea new srew with a copper or plastic ring...

Should work... in my opinion

McGuyver is in the house.

 

[Doubeleive]

I would think you should be able to wedge a door panel type tool in there and give it some leverage while unscrewing and it will probably come out, I haven't done it with a oil pan but plenty of other things as I tend to over tighten stuff a lot and usually the screw is softer than the nut but not always....

 

[99Vortec]

I had a tech tell me I might need a new oil pan on my 1999. I got lucky and just installed a new M12-1.75 thread bolt....

(The material on the bolt should be softer than the thread material on the pan.)

gl

 

[99Vortec]

McGuyver is in the house.

I know huh? I really have to purchase a welding machine!

 

[swathdiver]

Tap it out to the next larger size and or use a helicoil. Do it with the pan on, then dump a few quarts of oil down into the motor to wash out any debris from the cutting, the magnet on the end of your new plug will take care of any missed.

I ran a Jiffy Lube and we did this all the time. Not because my boys cross threaded them, because they came in that way or my boss sent them over from another store because I had them trained to make such repairs and the tools on hand.

 

[zraffz]

what is about welding a nice nut in place where the oil plug is now... then usea new srew with a copper or plastic ring...

Should work... in my opinion

Aren't these pans cast aluminum? Your average Joe can't weld aluminum and the ones who can, probably can't weld cast aluminum.


If the OP wants a used oil pan, I might have one I can give away for free if he pays shipping.