Can't get oil drain plug out (NA Miata)

Any tricks? Started to strip the head--I'm hoping the threads are fine.

I'm thinking I should probably just buy a mitivac type of deal and never deal with draining again. Thoughts?

Bolt extractor works well, using a quality 6 point socket or wrench?

If there's enough head sticking out, a small monkey wrench would probably do it. Know that you'll need to helicoil/oversize it after you get it out, most likely, so either have it in advance or have another car to go get it :)

Weld a big nut onto the head and turn that?

That's a decent size head on the bolt usually. Someone use a gun on it to tighten it up or something?

Like dropstep said, those bolt extractor sockets are decent. They sell them at Harbor Freight.

I can't figure out why its so tight actually--a GRMer, and extremely good mechanic, did the last oil change on it and I know he did not overtighten it. And yes, I've been using quality 6 point wrenches.

Time for a fumoto drain valve.

righty tighty-lefty loosey.

I've used vise grips and a hammer. You will need a new drain plug. Make sure you lock them on as tight as humanly possible the first time.

oldopelguy wrote: Time for a fumoto drain valve.

Screw it, just stop changing the oil

If it is not leaking stop and get all parts pieces you need. I have never tried the suck it out method but it has merit at the moment. How hard is it to drop the pan on it.

Ive ground sides flat on bad plugs and used vise grips to remove them. New plugs are pretty cheap.

Interested in your progress and how you get it out as I have the same issue on my NB1. And I did the last oil change and all the other oil changes previously and never had an issue. Quality wrenches and sockets started rounding the bolt head off. Switched to vice grips and still rounding off. I think mine was caused by some slight overheating a while back. I had some issues with the engine going into limp mode and the engine compartment was very hot although the gage didn't read hot. Found the issue at that time to be a thermostat plunger that somehow got cocked crooked and the plunger wasn't completely opening the thermostat. Enough to make the gage read normal but not enough to cool the engine. Now I didn't warm the engine up before trying to change the oil, did it cold when this happened. Decided I was going to try it hot when I get a new drain plug.

My go-to when the head is stripping is a small pipe wrench. A pipe wrench grabs harder the more torque you out in it. It works like a charm!

Air chisel if you have one, pipe wrench if you don't. Hitting the other end of the wrench with a hammer might do it too.

Might try heating it up with a torch and hitting the head with a cold spray of some sort.

Rinse repeat a few times, hit the head with a good hamme, apply torque in the opposite direction and finally try to break it loose.

Since the head is rounded, you'll need some good vice grips or a monkey wrench to dig into the head.

Ls swap time.

Somebody had to....

Pipe wrench is the answer if I was going after it.