So I've had my R53 for over a year now. It's been about 12k miles. The oil change countdown is running down but due to certain noises my engine has been making I wanted to change the oil right away so I could get a sample off for analysis.

I get free maintenance for another year but the dealer is 120 miles away and it costs about $18 worth of tolls so it's just not even worth it.

I get my car up on jack stands and I shimmy under there ready to pull the plug and drain her out.... but the plug... it's stuck. I put every ounce of my energy on that thing. I tapped the ratchet end with a hammer to get more oomph... WOULD NOT BUDGE. Eventually after some harder thwacking on the ratchet it started to go around but it wasn't loosening. The oil pan bolt has rounded off.
I don't know what the heck they did when they put this thing on but it is beyond ridiculous.

Having no other options I went to lowe's and got some small tubing and a hand pump and started pumping the oil out through the dipstick tube. The pumping was quite laborious and took nearly 45 minutes. I pulled just over 4 qts out. It was a little low so I'm pretty sure I got at least 90% of it.

It's my understanding that the dealer was the last place that did the oil change at the 60k mile mark. It's really sad how tight that thing is on there.

The oil pan gasket is leaking more than ever now. The transmission seal at the driver-side axle is leaking more than ever now. But I really need a method to get that bolt off of there. I don't feel like buying a new oil pan.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

Pipe wrench. Lots of leverage, lots of grip.
There are other less destructive methods, but at this point the bolt is toast.

 

At this point it's either Vise-Grips, a good old fashioned pipe wrench or a MityVac.

If and when you get the drain plug out, replace it with a new one and use some anti-seize on the threads.

...Les

 

No. Don't use vise-grip pliers.

Buy a set of these sockets...

http://turbosocket.com/index.html

Snap-on and Matco sell similar products, I bought the original product from them. It works like a charm, pickup the entire socket rail set. It's about $100.

Take the sockets, fit the socket that's the tightest fit over the bolt and put a breaker bar on it. It'll get the bolt off, so make sure you have a new bolt ready.. and some new oil.

On a side note, I'm guessing you might've used a 12 point socket. Use a 6 point socket of the correct size.. it's a lot harder to round off a 6 pt bolt using a 6 pt socket. Good luck!

 

Once you get the drain plug out, do yourself a huge favor and install a fumoto drain valve

 

Artoo has over 100,000 miles and I have changed the oil myself every 5000 miles. I did my pre-winter change this weekend and the drain plug would not budge. No one to blame but myself. That said I always torque the plug back (18ft/lbs) so I know it was not overtightened. What was different this time is I really didn't heat up the oil any before the change. I only drove onto the ramps.

Anyway I always have a new plug around so that was no problem and I used these Craftsman 10 pc. Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set, Low Profile Bolt-Out which have been very handy in a couple of situations.

Before you make a move on that plug, make sure you have a new one handy. And for the record a 1/2" 6pt box wrench is the tool of choice for removing the plug and it still munged mine yesterday.

Rich

 

I've seen those before at Sear's I believe... maybe a craftsman version.

And you are wrong about the 12 point. I don't use 12 point on anything that might require any sort of oomph to get loose.

 

I looked at those... they look like they might be very handy. However I saw this warning on their site:
WARNING!
"N-SERIES" valves are not recommended for cars with low ground clearance. Please make sure there is enough distance from the ground.

I have low ground clearance. I also have a skid plate that I haven't put back on... because a kitten made it's bed on it and ended up decapitated.

 

There are in most areas folks called "Tap removal or other" names like bolt extraction. If you are the slightest bit worried that the system / tools you have or can get ... Take a deep breath and call them . most are mobile .

 

I have stock sport suspesion myself. Never a bit of trouble with clearance. I can understand the ground clearance issue, but I would think it be an extreme case to contact the drain valve, as in low enough to be draggin' the oil pan.

 

I hate to Monday morning quarterback but there's many posts on this topic. Had you read them you would have used the "right" size wrench up front, known about the propensity for the bung to stick, what kind of extractors have worked in the past for people who've already driven this road and the recommendation for a Fumoto - which I have used and recommended for years - the bung orientation on a GEN1 MINI leaves the valve completely above the bottom edge of the pan so it won't get damaged unless you trash the pan first. OTOH do NOT use a Fum' on a GEN2.

one example: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rain-plug.html

 

That's not a bad solution - if you want to spend $100 to fix a problem instead of $0.
I can see instances where you'd need that type of tool, but the pipe wrench works well in this instance at zero extra cost (assuming you already have one.)

 

You know I had this same problem with one of the torx bolts under the hood, damn thing was stripped, so all I did was took a dremel and cut a small, shallow notch down the center of the bolt so I could get a flat head screw driver on it.

Worked like a charm
Just be sure to use a new bolt after!

 

Aye, the pipe wrench is best in some cases. Nothing fancy, just 2 jaws clamping down. The harder you push the tighter they clamp.

...Les

 

Just a friendly reminder to make sure you are turning the bolt in the right direction. I know it sounds silly and I'm not saying the OP was doing this, but it can happen. We had a club event where one guy was huffing and puffing trying to remove the bolt till I noticed he was turning it in the wrong direction. When people are upside down under the car, sometimes they get disoriented.

 

Lefty loosie righty tighty....

 

decent point.. I never underestimate having a quality set of tools always on hand. At least he'd have this socket set for the next time he needs it... I'm also a mechanic so I already own tools such as this.

also, I believe in using the right tool for the job and I'd argue the pipe wrench isn't the right tool for this 'job'.

to each his own...

 

Not to take blame away from the guy who put the plug back in, but I know that mine has seemed to get much tighter a few months later....must be due to the disiimilar metals...the aluminum pan and the steel plug.
I bought a few spare oem plugs, with the built in rubber gasket thinggy ( will install a fumoto when I runout-the best option on a gen1 IMO), and I have found that the SAE socket in the English size fits far tighter than the metric...
Too late now, but there is a thousand threads on how to fix your issue...
One observadtion....you said you need an oil pan gasket anyway...so you Did get the oil changed...just watch you oil level, and do the gasket when you ate due for an oilchange...do the plug then. If you pull it now...you are wasting 5 quarts of oil....so IMO you have 5000 miles or as many as 15000 to ponder the next step...if you are gonna pay someone to do the oil pan gasket, they will likely be well versed in pulling bad plugs...
So no worries. If you are planning on doing the oil pan gasket, and don't know how to get a gauled bolt/plug out...you may want to reevulate your skill level, and decide if you should be doing the oil pan gasket...
Either way, good luck!!
I have found it is tempting to try to use a socket, reaching under the car to change the oil, but it makes it much eassier to put the car on ramps/stands...so you can use a longer rachet, and be 100% sure it is pushed on 100% and not slightly crooked.

 

1st change I ever did on my mini went the same way lol. I took it to a buddy and had him hammer ona smaller socket and take it off.

Then I lost my socket to take the stupid filter cover off the one timeI changed it. I changed it and left the filter. Next change I changed the filter out.

 

I used a craftsman bolt-out kit to pull mine off after it rounded. then i went down to oreilly's and picked up a new bolt that had a much larger head that wouldn't round off. none of that almost 13mm crap.

 

for what its worth i've had one on my car for over 2 years and i'm pretty low (check my gallery). I live up north where we get nasty weather and it has not been an issues. i've run over large objects too with no problem.

I plan to install one on any and every car I ever own

 

I just changed the oil on my 2007 MCS. The dealer had previously changed the oil, but the car is now beyond factory service. I agree with the OP, this is the worst oil change I have done in 35 years of doing my own oil changes! No amount of reading should be required for removing a drain plug. First, used a 6 sided socket on a ratchet, and rounded the bolt. tried tapping a smaller socket, still no good. A friend that is a SAAB mechanic came over with a pair of special pliers that have the same effect as a pipe wrench. All we managed to do was to shear off large chunks of metal from the drain plug. I tried the bolt outs, no success there other than to take off even more metal. Finally figured that my only choice was to drill out the plug. I started with a die grinder, and eventually cut two grooves through the "shoulder" washer part of the nut and then when I squeezed it with the buddy's pliers, the four wedge shaped pieces of the bolt flexed enough that I was able to turn it out. Mechanic friend said he'd never seen a drain plug so over-tightened by a dealer(although hes not talking about Mini dealers.) I replaced the drain plug with a plug from Minimania, with the magnetic tip. Then came the oil filter, and go figure, it was so tight I was sure I was going to break something when removing it too, Finally got it removed all back together and oil replaced. Good luck to anyone doing their first oil change, this was pathetic, but will be a breeze next time :-)

Clyde

 

My oil filter cover was on pretty tight, too. I managed to get it off with my 24" breaker bar though.... couldn't use that on the drain plug bolt though because of the clearance. On my next attempt it will be on a lift. I have free access to one but it's 40 miles away the hoist arms don't fit under my car. I got some ramps though so I could drive it up on those first.
Thankfully the MINI wheels are so close to the front of the car so only minor bumper rub occurs.


Oh, and I did look up just to make sure I was turning it the right way. I thought maybe there was a chance that MINI did theirs opposite of normal. Didn't find anything. Counter-clockwise it was.

 

Draper nut & bolt remover set, 5722, 9 Pce 3/8 drive, cost £27.04. Did the job for me. I initially used 12 point socket, then Mole grips, then Draper set, piece of cake eventually.