Oil drain plugs allow for the easy draining of engine oil during maintenance. As the oil pan heats up during normal engine operation, the pan's threads expand slightly. If you over tighten the drain plug, this expansion causes the plug to strip out. Luckily, most automotive manufacturers make the drain plug from a softer metal than the pan itself. In those cases where the pan metal is of equal hardness to the plug, you must also replace the pan. You must replace a stripped drain plug.


1. Place the drain pan under the drain plug to catch the oil that pours out.

2. Loosen the drain plug with the box wrench so that you can remove the plug by hand.

3. Remove the old drain plug and insert the new drain plug quickly. It's best to have the new plug in one hand as you remove the old plug to minimize the amount of oil you lose.

4. Tighten the new drain plug with the box wrench

5. Check the oil level and top as needed to replace any oil you lost when swapping the drain plugs.