MX-3.com

Ok, so last weekend i attempted to replace my oil pan gasket but i ran into a problem. My problem is that the previous owner of my car had tried or taken it somewhere and they tried to remove the oil pan but stripped some of the bolts. The only bolts that are stripped are the ones that are directly under the downpipe close to the flextube.

It seems as though they had tried to remove the bolts without using the proper tools and really messed up the bolts. My guess is that they went from an angle to try to remove the bolts an stripped the head on the bolt. The bolts are saposed to be a 10mm but the 2 bolts are a little less than a 9mm but are bigger than an 8mm and ive tried many impreial sockets as well.

So really im looking for any advice on getting them out so i can finally change my gasket before winter comes. I didnt want to try vicegrips because they never work and it would just end up making my situation worse, but i was thinking of maybe grinding the heads off them then once the oil pan is out i can try using easy outs or some other method to take the remaining of the bolts out.

Try and use vice grip's but tighten them on there pretty good, all you need to do is break the seal. They are not very tight on there so once its loose you can pretty much just unscrew them with your figures.

Or try a gator grip socket, it's got a bunch of pins inside of it, desinged for stripped heads. Vise grips should work absolutely fine if they're very tight, as Smith said.

ya but the way that they would clamp on is wierd. There is a lip stoping you from clamping vicegrips on horizontally and you can only clam them on pretty much vertically but they dont work properly when your turning on them vertically.

Get one of these - its one of the essentials when working on 15 yr car....
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00952061000P

OH yeah thos work mircles!! I couldnt find them locally. Thanks for posting the link

shameem wrote:Get one of these - its one of the essentials when working on 15 yr car....
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00952061000P

yeah those are awesome! but that one will probably not work since he needs an 8 or 9 mm... I think those kits are more expensive...

One of them will definitely fit - the sizes mentioned on the website are the external hex cap sizes i think. I have the same kit and i have used it many times to get 10mm bolts out.... sometimes i have to hammer them on to the bolt to get a good grip...

Do what i do if you dont want to spend any money on special sockets. Clamp the vice grips on vertically since you cant any other way. Than take a screw driver and thread it between the two handles of the vice grips. While still sqeeking the vice grips to make sure they stay locked on. Start rotating the screw driver to get the torque you need to turn the bolt loose. Hope you get what i mean, kind of hard explaing online.

Nate

1992blazeredgs wrote: Do what i do if you dont want to spend any money on special sockets. Clamp the vice grips on vertically since you cant any other way. Than take a screw driver and thread it between the two handles of the vice grips. While still sqeeking the vice grips to make sure they stay locked on. Start rotating the screw driver to get the torque you need to turn the bolt loose. Hope you get what i mean, kind of hard explaing online.

Nate

Ya i get what you mean, but my issue is that i can only fit my needle nose vicegrips in there and when i turn sideways the ends of the vicegrips bend either way. In my case as well its hard to explain.

Ive got a smaller set and ill see if they fit.

Use a grinder to grind a flat spot on two opposite sides until an open box wrench can get in on the head snug.