So the previous owner of my 92 4.0 left me with an excellent present! I have been trying for literally months to change my oil and I cannot for love nor money nor sweat and busted knuckles get the oil drain plug out.

Since clearly an impact and 6,000 uggaduggas were used to put the drain plug in, I have tried:
A socket
A socket on a breaker bar (rounded it off)
A smaller socket tapped on and using a breaker bar (rounded it off more)
Small vise grips
Big vise grips
Channel Locks
Giant Channel Locks
Tapping while using any combination of the above and enough profanity to make a sailor wince.

At this point all I'm doing is chewing off more material from the drain plug bolt. I'm nervous about using direct heat for fear of a fire since, like they all do, my rear main leaks and I have oil coating everything. What do I do now? How do I get this oil out and be able to reseal the pan? Do I weld vise grips on and pray? Do I drill a new hole and make a new drain and hope I don't get shavings in a bearing?

Any help, advice, spiritual dances, whatever, is greatly appreciated at this point, because I'm at a total loss.

 

take to a welding shop and get a 1/2inch nut welded on the bolt. then try again

 

Idea being something like a grade 8 nut that won't shred as easily?

 

the immense heat induced by welding will facilitate immediate removal by yourself if you have a welder..or any good mechanic

absolutely take all fire precautions, clean off all oil first, have means to extinguish fire on hand (whenever welding)

Its also likely you will need to attend plug or pan thread damage

 

A pipe wrench is often better than vice grips as it gets tighter the more force you apply. A nut extractor might work if the bolt has a shoulder and the extractor wouldn't be pushing against the pan. If you go the welding route, I'd use a BIG nut that sits down over the rounded head, and do some quick welds to stick them together. The heat alone will help break it free and probably burn any rubber washer.

I give you more credit than this, but you are turning the right direction, eh? Don't laugh, I watched someone spent 15 minute last week reefing on a bolt in the wrong direction. I also resorted to the impact gun to remove a drain plug last weekend.

 

I've got access to welders at work, school, and a buddy's garage, so I can definitely do that.

What's the best option for repairing a trashed thread on the pan? I have a new stock size drain plug, but obviously if the pan is messed up, I'll need a different option. Can you buy oversized self-tappers? Do I just need to find a tap to match a different plug I can find?

 

Oh no, trust me, I second guessed myself every time since I couldn't get it to move. I need to also try a pipe wrench, we've got a 36" one at work. I doubt it will even fit under the Jeep, but she's a biiiig **** and I can get some good leverage...

I've got a Milwaukee 1/2" impact I can use when I'm ready to throw the pan away because it's twisted under the torque haha

 

It occurs to me a nice used pan and plug might be the best option

there is actually various sorts of "universal" repair plugs, but I wouldnt trust them

you can usually tap to the next size up

 

Is this the standard Mopar drain plug with the big washerhead on it? If so, it's 1/2X20 thread and is softer than the pan. The welded insert in the pan is case hardened to help prevent it being stripped out. Hopefully, it's not. The insert is only tack welded onto the pan sheetmetal. The drain plug is designed with a big gasket that only requires it to be tightened until it stops, then no more. IDK why people have to reef on it when they tighten it. Once you get it out, you can try using a 1/2X20 tap to clear it. Self tapping plugs come slightly oversized and cut their own thread. If you buy one, buy 2 and keep one in the glove box in case you need it later. If you weld a nut on it, just weld the inside of the thread, and I would use a grade 8 nut. Tapping it to the next size thread is not a good idea. The insert will probably break loose inside the pan, then you're screwed!

IDK when they made the change, but early jeeps had the military spec drain plug that was 14mm spark plug thread. I think it is 14X1.25mm, but I'm not sure. We used to stock them at Valvoline Instant Oil Change in case you need one. During WWII, the Army wanted it threaded at something they could always get in case some sloppy mechanic lost one in the field, then they could use a spark plug. True fact. That might have been just for the 2.5L 4-banger.

 

Alway could find a replacement pan in the junkyard, new RMS and pan gasket...make sure the drain plug is removable first.

 

Since you're about 2 seconds from pulling the pan to replace it anyway, take it off NOW so you can apply heat, torque, etc. more effectively.

 

This is my daily in the winter (since snow + motorcycles mix about as well as oil and water) so I'll do just about anything to not pull the pan

 

A new oil pan is about 40 or so dollars. It's not a long job to replace. Might be worth just putting a new one in.

 

If you take the pan off and then torque on it, you run the risk of distorting the pan enough so it will never seal on the block again. Best thing in my opinion to do is weld on a nut, then use an impact wrench. If that doesn't get it, you could carefully drill it out.

 

Plus, how do you even hold the pan?