In 21 years and 25 or 26 cars I've never run across what I came into today.
I bought the filter at the dealer and picked up the oil locally, put the car on ramps, got ready to change the oil only to find that the plug has been torqued down so hard that I couldn't get it off by hand.
I get my big heavy crescent wrench for a few loving taps, and still nothing.
I get leverage and pull with a good bit of mucle behind it only to watch as it twist and rounds off a little as it pops off...stunning.
I'm a big guy, about 6'-1" and 225#, hit the gym 4-5 times a week, can throw allot of weights around, and I couldn't break the oil drain pan plug loose.
I bought the car from the original owner about a month ago or so and it has ONLY had that plug removed by the Mini dealer.

 

At that point your best bet is to buy a new drain plug and pull out the pipe wrench - lots of bite, lots of leverage (add piece of pipe for a bit more.) I've run into the same issue. Sometimes the wrench monkey is a 500 lb gorilla.

 

You are not alone. In fact, it is almost always the dealer that for some reason torques these too tight. Once you get it off, replace it with a Fumoto drain valve.

 

We must be living the same life, I did the exact , and I mean the exact same thing yesterday and could not get the plug off, the car has only had the oil done at the dealer. I have a 2 foot long Chrome front fork from one of my motorcycles, that I used as leverage and could not get it off.
In over 25 years of doing oil this has never happened, I actually think the dealers do this on purpose so we cant do our own oil.

 

if you haven't rounded it off yet get a good 1/2 inch socket or wrench and use that. The mm size given by mini is actually a wee bit off. You get a better fit with a 1/2

plenty of posts on this topic .... if you want more detailed instuctions



if you have already trashed it you'll need to go this route



there seems to be a tendency for the built on plastic washer to stick to the pan .... that's my guess anyway. I've pulled several 'stuck' and trashed ones for folks..... I've had to get the good fitting socket on there with the car on stands and use my leg to get get enuf umpf to break 'em loose. I always replace with a Fumoto and the problem is no more. If you don't trust Fumoto go to any parts store and get a standard oil plug of the same size and use a fiber crush washer . . .

 

Are the dealerships using impact guns to install the drain plugs? Some advice, don't use a 12 point wrench to remove the drain plug, you will round off the edges. Use a six point wrench or a 6 point socket and lots of leverage. "Righty tighty/lefty loosey."...this is not a political comment.

 

If the plug is not already to rounded, use a 1/2 inch 6 point socket with an electric impact gun. Harbor Freight sells a 12v that delivers 200 lbft. Nice effective tool for the stuck nut, bolt or plug.
But be ready for the plug to come all of the way out if you get the HF gun. I have used it on several cars after the owners have gone to a quick lube and gotten the plug on to tight.
Good luck.

 

I agree that the plug should not be this tight - however, your problem was in using a crescent wrench......as others have said, use a 6 point socket and appropriate breaker bar, it will come out. Then torque it correctly when you reinstall the new one - with a new crush washer and you'll be fine from here on out. I think the problem is they install it and torque it when the aluminum pan is cool, when it heats up it expands and tightens the plug.....torqued correctly it will come back out again the next time. 22ft-lbs, IIRC. Someone correct me if that's the wrong torque for the plug.

 

Yup...a 1/2 inch six point, and a big rachet/breaker bar...if you do it warm it might help...the oil pan is alloy and I think it expands/contracts a bit more than the steel plug. Be sure use a new plug too...or install a fumoto drain. This is a very common problem on mini's...you just have to be careful to not round it off, or you must do so old fashioned tricks to get it out if you do. If you have rounded it off...try the Irwin extractors...

 

I used a 6 point ratchet, the crescent wrench was only used to tap the ratchet as I kept tension on it. Its a very large crescent wrench with allot of heft to it.
I did everything buy the book and I even tried a 1/2 socket to no avail.
I called the dealer and they asked that I bring it buy and talk to the service guy about "loosening" it for me so I can change my dam oil, crazy.
The head is not so knurled up that it can't be used of not overtorqued again but my god they much have used allot of force to get it on there.

Doing a google search shows allot of Mini owners complaining about this, is it a design issue with the plug or washer perhaps?

 

When I've run up against one of these drain plugs from hell. I use a 6 point 13mm (although I'll be damned a 1/2" does fit better). I then take a big honking dead-blow hammer & give the wrench a good whack. Off it comes, works every time. You must never use a crescent wrench. OK for plumbing jobs not cars.

My thought is that the rubber washer compresses when the plug gets tightened & it is what locks the darned plug on so tight. The drain plug does not need to be very tight.

Good luck...

 

WOW guys ... I literally went through all of this with my brother-in-law on Saturday! I wish this thread existed then.

I had bought my car used from a Nissan dealerships used car lot. They had told me they changed the oil and filter but I was very skeptical as to how diffrent the MINI procedure is from a econobox like a sentra or what ever else.

The pan bolt was already a little rounded off and my brother in law is a very muscular guy and he was down there with in the end a 1/2'' wench twisting with all he could, making the motor even move around a bit! Then we needed to get a flat head to pry the 1/2'' wrench off the bolt ... what a PITA it turned out to be!

 

It's worth clarifying that the crescent wrench was used as a hammering device, not in place of a proper wrench. From the sounds of it it must have been put on with an impact or something stupid.

 

I find it hard to believe anyone is dumb enough to use an impact to tighten a drain plug, but I guess maybe somewhere there is such a dolt. Most guys don't know their own strength, call it son of Kong syndrome.

I missed using the cresent as a hammer. Seems like they suck for that use too.

 

If the drain plug was overtorqued while the oil pan was really hot, and the plug itself was able to cool down, then there is a good bite on it. This may be contributing to why it's so hard to remove.

+1 on breaker bar. If you don't have one, see if you can find a 2-3' long pipe to slide over the end of the ratchet handle. The goal is additional leverage. At this point, heating up the pan would probably help, too. Yes, it is amazing the drain plug would be put back with an impact wrench. Heck, on most designs, the oil stops draining the instant the plug is put into place before any tightening occurs.

If you round off the corners, you can either try the next socket size up (metric or standard), or you can take a hammer and tap the socket onto the bolt. If you do the latter, consider the possibility the socket will be tossed.

...

For the curious, the following sizes are fairly cross-compatible (with only a small amount of slack involved):

8 mm - 5/16 in (fairly spot-on match)
11 mm - 7/16 in (7/16 is larger)
13 mm - 1/2 in (13mm is larger)
14 mm - 9/16 in (fairly spot-on match)
16 mm - 5/8 in (fairly spot-on match)
19 mm - 3/4 in (fairly spot-on match)

The size that always gets you is 10mm. 3/8 is too small, and 7/16 is too large. Rarely does anyone have a 13/32 wrench laying around.

 

Well I ordered the Fumoto F106N earlier today, along with a shallow socket for the Filter and the flex extension also, just incase the ones i have dont work.I would like to think it was a hot oil pan, and the cold plug from the last change that did this and the dealer was not responsibile for it, but who knows. In truth i have become lazy the last 2 plus years and stoped doing my own oil. So now it is back to the basics and DIY again

 

+1. This is the exact same method I use. If the hammer & wrench doesn't work, and if you cant fit a breaker bar, use your foot and step on the wrench.

 

play with the fumoto b4 you put it on and get familiar with how it opens.

I have them on two of my cars now and have installed for many MINI owners. It is a great product and will NOT open accidentally. So much so that I find I need to use a pair of needle nose pliers to lift the 'tang' flat and THEN turn. Else I can't get the beasts open . . . .

 

Or you can use a small flat head screw driver. The Fumoto is one of the best items I have installed on my mini.

 

this 'feature' is on the list I mention when I encounter a first time MINI buyer of a used GEN1.

Having someone who's experienced the unique features of these cars point out a few gotchas seems to help them out. I encourage the folks I encounter to bring the car over when they are ready to do their first oil change and I walk them through it:

- the somewhat unique cartridge in a canister filter element
- finding a 36 mm socket that fits
- getting the plug out / why FUMOTO
- watching for leaks in the coolant overflow tank
- monitoring brake wear B4 the sensor goes off
- resetting oil and brake sensor lites
- changing the cabin filter
- what you can and can not do with runflat tires

 

I ended up putting a 12" pipe wrench on the rounded head, then hit it with a hammer & finally broke it loose. I was so pissed off I called the MINI dealer
who had done ALL the oil changes before (since new - 2005). Come to find out their service department SUCKS the old oil out thru the dip-stick! I could NOT believe it especially for the prices they charge. NEVER again for me with that dealer........

 

It isn't how tight they make it, though that contributes. Even when I put them on they are way tighter than they should be coming off. It is the heat factor as suggested. If you take a torch and heat the pan only, it should help, but I just whack the thing with a hammer. Funny my used mini had three new ones in the glove box when I bought it. It is so common the last owner must have just figured on ruining them each time.

 

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of!

 

Herewithto by order of ponderance and forethwith consideration by "toolmonger" (self-acknowledged NAM newbie) submits the above statement for consideration to the award for "Most Simple and Concise NAM Fact Award".

My goodness, I think 'twas a gorilla who installed the oil drain bolt on my "New to me 2004 R53" and God bless the NAM search engine.

Some may wonder why I hadn't registered and posted sooner. Well, there was no need... you guys had already posted all the info I was looking for.

In a previous life, I was a mod for an off-road sub-forum. This group obviously has everything running smoothly here as well. I have seen a few thin-skinned folks on some parent forums though. No matter. Keep up the good work!

Thanks,
Tim

 

I am on my 2nd one and it rounds off with a 13mm. Only a 1/2in fits and I have to hammer it on. I refuse to buy another once since its not leaking and its not so rounded I need to replace it, I just use the 1/2' and I am done.