Re: Oil change woes

[Peter Schulz <schulz@ed.ray.com>]

Ryan, John:

I can definitely share my experience having recently had to replace
the bolt on the 91 TQW- 3B engine with an aluminum oil pan.

I knew that I was in trouble when there was: a. no washer what so
ever on the bolt, and b. the head of the bolt looked like a block
of smeared melted butter: i.e. all the flats weren't

I tried heat via propane torch, breaker bar, and even a 1/2 air 
gun.  Nada. I posted to the list and the concensus was to drain the
oil via the dipstick, drop the pan, and send it to a machine shop.

Other tips included trying to tighten the bolt a bit more to 
"break it free" prior to the loosening attempt.

Before such a drastic move I decided to try one last time.  I bought
a 16mm 1/2 inch drive Craftsman 6 point socket, and spent about an 
hour with a file, cleaning up the flats on the bolt.  I then 
hammered on the socket,used a two foot breaker bar with a pipe 
extension, and...


viola!


after removing the bolt, I checked the threads on the pan to ensure that
they had not been destroyed.

Made a good argument for:

 a. ALWAYS using a crush washer
 b. ALWAYS using a 6 point 17mm socket for installation and removal.
 c. Use a torque wrench to tighten the bolt ( I think that the spec. is
    22 ft/lbs.-can someone check?)
 d. Seriously consider the Imparts drain valve.

HTH

-Peter Schulz
1990 CQ
1991 TQW
schulz@res.ray.com


John Larson wrote:
> 
> Ryan, a nice pair of CURVED channel lock pliers will work here. Expensive,
> but they get tighter as you push/pull harder. Failing that, see a shop, have
> them weld a nut to the remaining bolt head, and weld it well. Sometimes the
> act of welding it will serve to loosen it. The third alternative is to
> carefully grind off the head and flange of the bolt, relieving the tension on
> the threads, and it should then come right out. The problem with the 3rd
> alternative is that there is a possibility that the problem is the use of a
> crush washer instead of a flat copper/aluminum washer, and that the
> aforementioned washer was installed with the split side toward the threads
> rather than the head of the bolt, thereby locking the threads with the crush
> material.
> IMHO, as a full time wrench, the factory flat washer, whether Alu or Copper,
> is the only way to go. rubber and plastic in their many varieties just don't
> get it. Hold it guys! Let's not get into the philosophical and
> pseudoscientific discussion of the relative merits of the 2 metals as
> manifested in their use as drain plug gaskets!
> HTH, John
> 
> ryanweatherby@juno.com wrote:
> 
> > I have changed the oil on all my cars more times than I can count, but I
> > have been trying on my CQ for the first time since I got home from work
> > at 5pm (it is now 11:15pm).  The bolt is completely seized and now is
> > also now completely rounded off, haha. . .I tried a torch + lots of
> > liquid silicone and many other lubricants.  Has anyone else ever had this
> > problem?  Has anyone else tried another kind of washer as opposed to the
> > OE drain plug washer?
> >
> > TiA
> > -Ryan
> > 91 CQ
> > Chicago, IL
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