1999 V70 Ridiculously Rounded Drain Plug Advice

[rmmagow]

Plus you can bang the pipe wrench with a little sledge for assistance.

[abscate]

Pipe wrench with like new sharp teeth. Maybe even go the Harbor freight for a new one for this job.

It might also yield to a chisel being applied to the tangent, if you have good hammer technique.

[RussB]

I would put some heat to it, and try again with vice grips or channel locks

[abscate]

A vice grip with curved jaws placed on the 1230 and 630 position on your photo should do the trick.

You need to get them tight, though. Bring the tension screw down until the grip touches the plug, then unlock and give it two full turns in. You might even need channel lock pliers to close the vice grip.

There is a lot of oil around there to use flame , and it is going to be hard to heat that metal with all the oil in the crankcase, too.

[kallekula]

Try this

[deepsouth]

The above video "may" work if there was room to actually spin that large of a tool. It's a very tight area.

Pipe wrench same deal--seems to be too much missing to grip on to. I've spent and exceedingly frustrating amount of time on this stupidly simple problem. (And unleashed a string of profanity that's fitting of a WWII sailor.)

Not sure about heat due to presence of so much oil and not sure it would even get hot enough to do much.

I haven't yet given up on the vise grips and I'm also locating a set of Nutbuster Chanellocks and going to attempt to file down the bolt. Very much appreciate all the ideas!

[regent]

Try cold - a couple dabs of liquid nitrogen on the plug's head - and then immediately apply the "chisel tangent" approach. Make sure you wear glasses, gloves, and long sleeves.

[abscate]

We want a picture of this thing once it is out....

Keep at it, we are pulling for you...

[Ben850]

I've used a hacksaw blade with a handle to cut a slot across the head of a bolt or screw, wide and deep enough to put a large screwdriver blade across. be sure to cut it so the direction you need to go has room to move the shaft of the screwdriver.

A sawzall works well if there is room.

[JimBee]

This pipe wrench would be my weapon of choice:

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-ste ... 39641.html

I have the small and medium sizes of pipe wrenches and for the occasional need they're fine, even though the teeth a kind of smoothed off.

For what you're struggling with I'd buy a new one, like the HF number above. New, their teeth are sharp and harder you pull on it, the more the teeth will dig in. Worth a try.

If I absolutely couldn't get a grip, I'd try to hit it with my dremel tool to recut at least one angular edge so the wrench would have even more to bite onto.