Hello,

I offered to do an oil change on a buddy's 190E and I can't get that damn drain plug off. Over the years, some remorseless mechanics must have rounded off the thing. Any suggestions on how to take it off and also where do I buy a new drain plug. I can't get a grip on it with the wrench socket thingy.

Thank you

Get a big hex nut that will fit over the plug and plug weld it on. Works every time for us.

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

you can also hit it with a chisel and hammer, dont hit the hex part, but the round area touching the pan, becareful of the aliminum pan if you try this.
Ray
mercedessd@cox.net

When I do this in the shop I use 2 chisels. A sharp one to hit it first and cut a notch in the plug. Second I use a dull chisel to give a few hard whacks in the notch the sharp chisel cut.

i've used a basin wrench (plumbing tool) in the past with great success as you turn the handle the spring loaded jaws get tighter!

Do what us converted Corvette owners do. Get the biggest pair of vise grips you have and clamp on as tight as you can. Now get your most serious framing hammer and whack those vise grips (don't forget righty tighty, lefty loosey or it will turn out to be a long day). If that thing doesn't break free, somone welded it so buy one of those kits where you can extract the oil throught the dipstick.

Just go and buy yourself a new oil pan and plug. If you follow half the directions you've been given in here, you'll end up having to do that anyway.

Vise Grips?

If not, I would try those Craftsman 'Bolt Out' But I dont know if they make them in metric?

Use pipe wrench.

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Kamal Atwal
2005 Triumph Bonneville T100 (Black/white) [Sold]
2007 GL450 (Dersert Silver)
2009 Toyota Corolla (Metallic Silver)
2002 Tundra V8 - 2WD (Desert Sand)
1995 MB E420 (Silver Smoke) [crashed, now resting in peace at Silverstar Recycling Center]

I have had this problem on my 1986 190E 2.3-16 a number of times. I first blamed it on the German mechanic who did the first oil change on the car. The next time there was no one to blame but me. This car has a very long threaded section on the drain plug and I decided it was too much trouble and bought a device to suck the old oil out the dipstick tube. Works great. I still have a spare plug in the glove box, but I doubt I will ever need it. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Next time use a Craftsman 1/2" 6 point socket, which fits perfectly. The 13mm will round it off every time. With the 1/2" socket, I have not replaced an drain plug in probably 30 oil changes. Try it, you'll like it...

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D.H.

04 ML500
02 E430

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Drill it?

Sounds like somebody gets to get a new plug

I had to remove a stripped oil pan bolt of a Volvo a while back and used one of those "GATOR" sockets; I found one at SEARS for (I think) $10 a few years ago. It has been a handy tool for getting stripped bolts off.

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Matt
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92 400E 128K
99 GMC YUKON 88K

haha..just hope that the rounded off fastner doesnt require more than 50 ft/lbs of torque to remove or you will be sorry you bought that gator..
One thing I do is cut a flat in it with a dremel with a cutting wheel, then use a big flathead screw driver to remove..if its a big one fastner, use an impact screwdriver. I have had good results using the vice grip method
I have also bought cheap socket sets for doing just this thing - if its a 13mm nut and its stripped take a cheap 12mm socket and pound it onto the nut...works everytime. Do what you want though, be creative. All of the things listed here will work.

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1992 300TE 4matic - Just obtained 12/22/06
1983 300D - SOLD
1997 Dodge 2500 - CTD 400+HP, 1100ft/lbs torque

I'd try the bolt-out route first. It seems to be the least destructive of the several pieces of advice... hence the lowest chance of peripheral damage!

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)