[Furytom]

Hi guys,
So I f**ked it up real good. The engine oil drain plug on my 2002 concord.
The head was bad so I unscrewed it with the vice grip plier. Not having a new drain plug available I just screwed it back in with the plier. Now the next oil change, I have a new drain plug but I cant get the bad plug out! by now the screw is pretty much perfectly round from all the different tools I tried. I grounded 3 flats on it but the screw DOES NOT COME OUT! So I got me a new oil pan gasket and went ahead on Monday to take the whole oil pan of and fix it on the bench. According to my manual the pan comes right out after you take out the transmission to oil pan bracket and take off all the bolts. That was already another prime example that the Chrysler designers must not like mechanics at all or why in world would you put nuts on studs right above the engine cross member were you break you fingers to get to them. Anyhow, I got all out but not the oil pan. It gets stuck on the tranny housing. I was missing about 0.07" or so to get it by that housing. About nothing I know but enough to not make it come out. I was pushing her and prying there but with all the cast aluminum I stopped not to break anything. I just screwed it all back in and called it a day. I had the car on the ramps instead of on jacks. you think or know that this would make a difference? Any other ideas on how to get either the screw or oil pan out? Any hint will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks Guys.

Tomi

[Furytom]

No Ideas? I really could need a couple hints!

[tnsmith10]

Originally Posted by Furytom

Hi guys,
So I f**ked it up real good. The engine oil drain plug on my 2002 concord.
The head was bad so I unscrewed it with the vice grip plier. Not having a new drain plug available I just screwed it back in with the plier. Now the next oil change, I have a new drain plug but I cant get the bad plug out! by now the screw is pretty much perfectly round from all the different tools I tried. I grounded 3 flats on it but the screw DOES NOT COME OUT! So I got me a new oil pan gasket and went ahead on Monday to take the whole oil pan of and fix it on the bench. According to my manual the pan comes right out after you take out the transmission to oil pan bracket and take off all the bolts. That was already another prime example that the Chrysler designers must not like mechanics at all or why in world would you put nuts on studs right above the engine cross member were you break you fingers to get to them. Anyhow, I got all out but not the oil pan. It gets stuck on the tranny housing. I was missing about 0.07" or so to get it by that housing. About nothing I know but enough to not make it come out. I was pushing her and prying there but with all the cast aluminum I stopped not to break anything. I just screwed it all back in and called it a day. I had the car on the ramps instead of on jacks. you think or know that this would make a difference? Any other ideas on how to get either the screw or oil pan out? Any hint will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks Guys.

Tomi

i take it that this is a 2.7 litre? last 1 i did i had to take off the oil filter and unbolt the oil pickup screen to do so, and the oil pan gasket kit that was purchased had the gasket for the pickup in the kit.
curious question, why didnt you take a hammer and chisiel or punch to break loose the drain plug? i think that wouldve been easier than pulling the pan.

[matt167]

they came with the 3.5L too

[S10 Racer]

Originally Posted by Furytom

Hi guys,
So I f**ked it up real good. The engine oil drain plug on my 2002 concord.
The head was bad so I unscrewed it with the vice grip plier. Not having a new drain plug available I just screwed it back in with the plier. Now the next oil change, I have a new drain plug but I cant get the bad plug out! by now the screw is pretty much perfectly round from all the different tools I tried. I grounded 3 flats on it but the screw DOES NOT COME OUT! So I got me a new oil pan gasket and went ahead on Monday to take the whole oil pan of and fix it on the bench. According to my manual the pan comes right out after you take out the transmission to oil pan bracket and take off all the bolts. That was already another prime example that the Chrysler designers must not like mechanics at all or why in world would you put nuts on studs right above the engine cross member were you break you fingers to get to them. Anyhow, I got all out but not the oil pan. It gets stuck on the tranny housing. I was missing about 0.07" or so to get it by that housing. About nothing I know but enough to not make it come out. I was pushing her and prying there but with all the cast aluminum I stopped not to break anything. I just screwed it all back in and called it a day. I had the car on the ramps instead of on jacks. you think or know that this would make a difference? Any other ideas on how to get either the screw or oil pan out? Any hint will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks Guys.

Tomi

If you have a welder or access to one you can weld a nut on the drain bolt and screw it out.

[tnsmith10]

Originally Posted by matt167

they came with the 3.5L too

and 3.3l also, my point was figuring with the explanation he gave and the fact ive done the oil pan on 1 of these, and went through exactly what he was describing, just to me, made sense that he was working with a 2.7. thats all.

[Furytom]

Sorry missed to mention its the 3.5 V6.
Never the less that screw and me are no friends!

However, thanks for all the ideas and suggestions.

I do have a lil welder and I will try the nut weld. Thats a real good idea.
But keep it coming guys. I could try taking the filter of but how does that make more room? The front of the pan hits the serpenting belt pulley on the crank and the tranny case in the back. And I didnt feel like taking that pulley off because tighten that belt again is another great adventure. I did that when I had to change the alternator and again when I changed the thermostat. But by then I had the hole already in place to get the alternator mounting screw out! Because lifting up the engine about a foot was not an option.
That car is not made to be garage wrenched on. I wonder how the pros do all that in a reasonable time???

But that just besides my issue.

[tnsmith10]

Originally Posted by Furytom

Sorry missed to mention its the 3.5 V6.
Never the less that screw and me are no friends!

However, thanks for all the ideas and suggestions.

I do have a lil welder and I will try the nut weld. Thats a real good idea.
But keep it coming guys. I could try taking the filter of but how does that make more room? The front of the pan hits the serpenting belt pulley on the crank and the tranny case in the back. And I didnt feel like taking that pulley off because tighten that belt again is another great adventure. I did that when I had to change the alternator and again when I changed the thermostat. But by then I had the hole already in place to get the alternator mounting screw out! Because lifting up the engine about a foot was not an option.
That car is not made to be garage wrenched on. I wonder how the pros do all that in a reasonable time???

But that just besides my issue.

do you have an engine lift? for added clearance, you could unbolt the engine mounts and lift the engine a bit, or if you can support the engine from up top, the front 2 bolts of the subframe can be loosened up about an inch or so before the bolts are all the way out. might give you enough room that way. you would have to support the car further back with jackstands behind where the back of the subframe bolts up, instead of being on the ramps your using now.
the filter is probably irrelevant on the subject now because like i had mentioned, i was figuring that your concorde had a 2.7l from what you had described gl
p.s. if the 3.5 is anything like the 2.7 when it comes to the balancer, you will need a special puller to get that balancer off.

[timothale]

sometimes you have to rotate the crankshaft so certan throws are up. I don't know if that applies to your engine