wayman28

I changed my oil for the first time today using the procedure posted on CL. One of the first steps was to remove the drain plug from the bottom of the oil filter housing and then stick the drain spout in. When I went to unscrew the drain plug to put in the spout I ended up unscrewing the entire housing because the drain plug itself was stuck in the housing and wouldn't budge. I could not unscrew the drain plug from housing after repeated attempts. As a result, I was not able to replace small o-ring in the drain plug. I completed the remaining oil change steps and everything is fine.

My questions are am I at risk for not having changed the small o-ring in the drain plug? Has anyone else had issues with removing the drain plug from the oil filter housing? If so then what techniques did you use to remove the drain plug from the housing?

Thanks in advance for everyone's advice.

hfahmy

Had the same issue with one of my previous cars, short term I wouldn't worry about it if the o-ring is not leaking. Long term you will need to replace the filter housing if it continues to be stuck, because the o-ring will eventually fail. Should not be very expensive online.

wayman28

Thanks for sharing. That's what I needed to know.

7milesout

If the oil drain plug wasn't leaking before, it won't be leaking after. And my opinion is, if you never removed that drain plug, it may not leak for the length of your ownership.

But while you had the housing off, you should have held it in a vice, and then remove the drain plug. I found it very handy to remove the drain plug, and then stick the plastic drain tube up in there. Prevented me from making a mess. And following the instructions, the drain tube snapped in nice and removed easily.

You need to read this:

Tip if the oil filter drain plug won't come off

wayman28

Thanks. That's helpful. I wasn't prepared for this to happen so I didn't havr a vice ready. After taking the housing off I tried to get the plug off but couldn't. The link you shared was a good idea since I made quite a mess. Chalk it up to rookie mistakes but now I know. Thanks again.

roadfrog

There are many here that don;t even bother to remove the drain plug and simply remove the entire assembly and I'm willing to bet the dealer does it that way as well.

HOWEVER......that O-Ring may or may not last as long as you own the car. O-Rings do NOT last forever.....I know that from a couple of unfortunate experiences. In your case, I wouldn't worry about it. When it begins to fail, it will be a small enough leak to get your attention without any subsequent drama. But as someone else stated, just stick the thing in a vice and correct it next time.

wayman28

Thanks Roadfrog. To your point, the last oil change was performed by the Cadillac dealership that sold me the car. It's likely they skipped unscrewing the drain plug too, or they were the ones who tightened it too tight. The point is I have no idea the last time the small o-ring was replaced. All I know is it isn't leaking right now.

Now that I know what needs to be done I'll be prepared with a vice at the next oil change, which should be in about 6 months or so. I sent an oil sample off to Blackstone Labs so maybe their report will enable me to extend my next oil change out a little. Regardless I'll keep an eye out for leaking.

Thanks again.

roadfrog

Let us know how your BL results come back. I use their service every second oil change. I'll be sending them a sample in a couple of months and I'm curious to see how our samples compare.

wayman28

No problem. Stay tuned.

CRowe14

Interesting here...
I purchased my car from a GMC dealership who did the oil change about 1500 miles ago.
I've read the numerous entries regarding hesitation upon stepping on the gas and the effects the different oils can have on the engine (namely Road Frogs well documented situation) so I was a bit weary when I saw that a GMC dealership did the last oil change.
Not sure if I'm being overly OCD or if there is anything there, but every once in a while, there is a very slight hesitation when I step on the gas, but it's very subtle. I also haven't driven it alot so that may have something to do with it as well (more lending to the ideal that I'm not completely accustomed to how this vehicle drives).
I was decided on the fact that I should just allow this oil to cycle through-miles wise then get the Toyota blend with an additive on the next change.
What do you guys think?