Stripped inspection plate bolt...any ideas?

So I had this knocking sound in the engine and after reading several posts suggesting loose torque converter bolts, I figured it was worth a look. I went to pop off the inspection plate and the 2 3/4" bolts came off like a breeze, one 13mm came out easy, but when I got to the 13mm directly behind the oil pan, it stripped.

Since I couldn't get a socket wrench up in there, I put a socket on it and used a prybar to press it on. Then I grabbed the socket with vise grips and gave a good yank....socket twisted right off the end just like the wrench. So at this point, I figured, no harm in just sticking vise grips on it and torqing it off. Unfortunately, even the vise grips aren't grabbing. They too just twist forward right off the bolt head.

I cant get in with a drill bit to try and drill a hole and use an EZ-Out, nor can I hammer on a smaller socket without first removing the oil pan....which I'd prefer not to do. I thought about using a grinder to flat spot 2 sides and try again with the vise grips, but I don't think a grinder is gonna fit up in there either.

Anyone got any wonderful words of wisdom on how to get this bugger out?

if nothing to loose what id do is cut that sheet almuminum and just get a spare one to put on after you are done that has a cut out for that bolt.

Well, since the other 3 were off, I just pryed the inspection plate off....so it kind of has a cut out now. =) Would just be nice to get that little bastage out of there.

make the flat spots with a dremel, if you have one.and im assuming you have soaked it in some kind of nut buster, the best ones i have used are the freezing one from napa, i forgot the exact name, my favorite is pb blaster

I did just notice a stud grabber socket tool that might work. It looked like it had a bunch of little rollers in it to grab the stud. This was in a Northern Tool catalog but maybe your local autoparts has one. And yeah, you can tell PB Blaster is good from that nasty smell!

if you are really dermined you can dissolve it with nitric acid

Erik Litchy said:

if you are really dermined you can dissolve it with nitric acid

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yeah, not quite that desperate. =D

SanDiegoXJ said:

yeah, not quite that desperate. =D

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it wont harm the aluminum :gee:

winterbeater said:

I did just notice a stud grabber socket tool that might work. It looked like it had a bunch of little rollers in it to grab the stud. This was in a Northern Tool catalog but maybe your local autoparts has one. And yeah, you can tell PB Blaster is good from that nasty smell!

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Bingo!!! And we have a winner! :yelclap::yelclap::yelclap:


I looked on the Northern Tool website and found what you were talking about. Craftsman makes the same thing. Those are about the niftiest little gadgets I've seen in some time. Best $15 I've spent in a while.