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Oil Pan Drain Plug


MAC

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Today, I tried to change my oil and the stupid oil pan drain plug/bolt wouldn't come loose. At first, I don't think I warmed the car up enough, which made the bolt more difficult to break loose. Then I warmed it up and still no go. So I have to replace the bolt because I stripped the head--actually it was in questionable shape as it was, so today, I finished it off. :rolleyes: Next weekend I'll give the oil change another shot. Would anyone happen to know what bolt to buy?

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http://www.partsamerica.com/default.aspx That is the site of Advance Autoparts. They have tons of them. Buy also the gasket.

Thanks! I see it on Advance Auto Parts website which uses Parts America. I'll order one tomorrow.

Regarding your avatar and the guitar, is that an Alvarez? I have an Alvarez that I bought in 1989. Nice warm sound.

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http://www.partsamerica.com/default.aspx That is the site of Advance Autoparts. They have tons of them. Buy also the gasket.

Thanks! I see it on Advance Auto Parts website which uses Parts America. I'll order one tomorrow.

Regarding your avatar and the guitar, is that an Alvarez? I have an Alvarez that I bought in 1989. Nice warm sound.

It's a Martin.

The saddest thing in life is wasted talent

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I bought mine from www.gmotors.com but you can probably get one at the dealer.

The new drain plug has a MAGNET on it that catches any filings, and I did have a fuzz on it the last time I changed my oil. Who knows.

See this thread

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=14594

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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so... way off topic and all (maybe not for this thread?) but i reaaaaally miss my 75 dollar at guitar center 1970's yamaha g55 nylon string classical. i own four guitars and just cant bring myself to like playing any of the others :\

f*cked the machine heads up (specifically the little gold colored cog that the adjustment knob turns) and cant find either a set of them or a single cog (its a 25 cent part..) and i don't want to ghetto rig an 85 dollar set of heads on to it. if anyone happens to know where to get one of these don't be afraid to let me know.. otherwise i'll find a guitar repair forum and keep my ramblin here to a minimum :)

oh and to the original poster - i was there on my first car on maybe my second or third oil change. i remember going to jiffy lube to correct the problem. they told me they replaced it with my oil change and charged me 3 or 5 dollars

no more cresent wrenches on oil soaked, rusted, half way rounded bolts on any of MY cars from now on - live and learn, right? :)

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I think I paid $3.00 for the drain plug with the magnet at the dealer.

Yep, it cost me $3.28 from brasington, not really something you want to order from brasington or rock auto, the shipping would cost more. I ordered it in a large order

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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Who was the last person (or gorilla) to put that thing back on?

Actually, that would be me. :rolleyes:

But the last time I changed the oil I remember telling myself to not over-torque the plug. So once it was seated I just put a little more torque on it to make sure it wouldn't come loose. On Sunday, I decided to change the oil in the cold (40 degrees) and off and on rain. Usually, when I change the oil it's after driving a bit after the engine is heated up to normal operating temp. This time I just pulled it out of my driveway and drove it up the street a bit and then turned around and parked it. The temp reached about 150 degrees and I figured it was good enough. But after jacking the car up and scooting underneath the plug wouldn't budge. :angry: I couldn't see it but had a box wrench around it and made sure it was seated but it still didn't want to move and the plug was already marred a bit from previous changes. :rolleyes: I made a mistake by not replacing it last year. Also, from what I remember it doesn't have a rubber washer, so the plug is torqued against the aluminum pan.

At this point, I'm thinking about going to Jiffy Lube and let them remove the plug and I'll give them the new one. Otherwise, I can't get to it until the weekend.

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Who was the last person (or gorilla) to put that thing back on?

Actually, that would be me. :rolleyes:

But the last time I changed the oil I remember telling myself to not over-torque the plug. So once it was seated I just put a little more torque on it to make sure it wouldn't come loose. On Sunday, I decided to change the oil in the cold (40 degrees) and off and on rain. Usually, when I change the oil it's after driving a bit after the engine is heated up to normal operating temp. This time I just pulled it out of my driveway and drove it up the street a bit and then turned around and parked it. The temp reached about 150 degrees and I figured it was good enough. But after jacking the car up and scooting underneath the plug wouldn't budge. :angry: I couldn't see it but had a box wrench around it and made sure it was seated but it still didn't want to move and the plug was already marred a bit from previous changes. :rolleyes: I made a mistake by not replacing it last year. Also, from what I remember it doesn't have a rubber washer, so the plug is torqued against the aluminum pan.

At this point, I'm thinking about going to Jiffy Lube and let them remove the plug and I'll give them the new one. Otherwise, I can't get to it until the weekend.

I would rather do it in a weeek or even in a month than go to Jiffy Lube. :D

The saddest thing in life is wasted talent

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While we're on the subject of really tight stuff, ;) how's everyone doing with oil FILTERS? This new '08 has the most difficult oil filter I have ever encountered. I'm not overtightening it, well, maybe a little, but I've been changing my own oil and filters for the last 40 years, and have never found one so hard to loosen.

OK, example, I used the plastic type filter "socket" on my '99 for about 4 years.no problems. I decide to change my filter on the new car using that same wrench...No GO! I attributed it to this being the first time the filter was off the car since new, so I didn't worry about it too much. I ended up putting a hose clamp around the filter wrench AFTER it was on the filter, putting the 3/8" drive handle in the opening, PLUS putting the 7/8" box wrench on the outside of that in order to break it free. Put the new filter on with lots of oil on the gasket figuring that I'll never need to go through THAT again.

Well, next time I changed the filter, I went through the same thing again!

OK, time for a new wrench, so I bought a steel one............SAME THING!

Yes, I've changed the filter 4 times, but the oil only once in 9000 miles. If you have never taken an oil filter apart that came off of a new engine, you'd be surprised at the amount of junk it catches! Metal filings, gasket material, RTV sealant, casting sand, you name it. Better than bypassing from pressure builld up and letting that stuff back into the engine I figure.

Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed.

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OK, example, I used the plastic type filter "socket" on my '99 for about 4 years.no problems. I decide to change my filter on the new car using that same wrench...No GO!

The plastic filter adapters are junk. I tried one once and it couldn't handle the job. Now I use a metal one.

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If you have never taken an oil filter apart that came off of a new engine, you'd be surprised at the amount of junk it catches! Metal filings, gasket material, RTV sealant, casting sand, you name it. Better than bypassing from pressure builld up and letting that stuff back into the engine I figure.

That's why the guru used to say that the most important oil filter on your car is the very first oil filter from the factory.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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The plastic filter adapters are junk. I tried one once and it couldn't handle the job. Now I use a metal one.

The metal one was no good either, maybe worse! (it looked like a socket wrench, with a 3/8" drive). I had to do the same thing with it on the third filter change.

Do they still make those spiral ones, with the spring looking band that would appear to tighten as it is turned to loosen? Where can get one of those? That's the style I want to try next.

That's why the guru used to say that the most important oil filter on your car is the very first oil filter from the factory.

Yes, he did say that. Good memory! Which is exactly why I chose to go the filter change route on this car, adding oil to make up the difference. 9404 on the car right now, 11 months into ownership, and the OLM is saying that oil life is 44%!!! This means that I will change the oil ONCE A YEAR if I keep driving the same way, or every 10,000 miles of actual use!

Doing the math, oil would be good for 21,372 miles per year!

Well, I cheated a little. I DID change the oil once, before my trip to Florida in November, but never reset the OLM.

Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed.

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The metal one was no good either, maybe worse!

You have to get the right size. I thought my metal one was garbage to until I bought a new one and saw how many sizes they had. I went and got an A/C Delco filter and found the correct fit. It is a composite (plastic) and works like a charm. I change it every 10K (even though I'm still at about 10%. Easy to remember.

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Do they still make those spiral ones, with the spring looking band that would appear to tighten as it is turned to loosen? Where can get one of those? That's the style I want to try next.

Like this?

http://www.classic-car-magazine.co.uk/arti...lter_wrench.jpg

I've had problems having enough room to use those. I'm a big fan of the 3-jaw type. It fits alot of sizes, goes on from the end, only $5, and I've never had a filter it couldnt take off, it may have crushed it, but it came off.

Theres a pic here of the jaw type,

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/y...1_1912_45369267

(Sorry, I cant embed the picture right on my work computer.)

Jonah

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Yes, he did say that. Good memory! Which is exactly why I chose to go the filter change route on this car, adding oil to make up the difference. 9404 on the car right now, 11 months into ownership, and the OLM is saying that oil life is 44%!!! This means that I will change the oil ONCE A YEAR if I keep driving the same way, or every 10,000 miles of actual use!

Doing the math, oil would be good for 21,372 miles per year!

Well, I cheated a little. I DID change the oil once, before my trip to Florida in November, but never reset the OLM.

I changed the filter on this one at 500 miles...again at 1000 miles.

Then changed oil AND filter at 3000 miles.

Now, I change the oil and filter at around 5000 to 6000 miles.

Thats usually at around 40 percent on the OLM.

I know I am probably wasting money, changing it that often, but I just can't force myself to run the oil as long as the OLM says to. :D:D

Too much brainwashing about the 3000 mile oil change interval that all oil companies have promoted for the last 30 years. :D:D

On the first 2006 DTS I had... I changed it about every 3000 to 4000 miles...so I AM getting better. :D:D

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No, not like that. The one I'm thinking about goes on from the end, the filter slides deeply into a spiral shaped flat looking spring. Going back a ways, probably not made anymore.

I took out new filters (delco) in the car parts store and matched them exactly to the steel socket type wrench that I bought. No good. My plastic (reinforced fiberglass) one USED to work fine on my '99, but not this car!

Jim,

I never saw that jaw type, but that might just be the ticket! From where is that available?

Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed.

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Sorry, that was STSS that came up with the links. I appreciate that! Just need to know where I can get one.

Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed.

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Sorry, that was STSS that came up with the links. I appreciate that! Just need to know where I can get one.

I think mine came from Autozone/Advance... but a quick google search only shows sears as a local type dealer... might think about ordering it online.

http://www.google.com/products?q=3+jaw+fil...=1&ct=title

PS... Napa may have one too... make sure it is the kind that clamps down on the filter as you turn the drive CCW... some I see online look like they have a manual size adjustment.

here is one... not exactly sure, but I think this is a napa store

http://store.vapnapa.com/bk7759018.html

Jonah

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Thanks STSS! Looks like they are sold wherever KD tools are available. I suppose it's just a matter of how much you want to pay for it!

I'll start my search tomorrow!

Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed.

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