The kind of day I'm having...

[72Twenty]

So, the muffler fell off my 1988 Subaru Justy.

It now sounds like a dune-buggy-lawn-mower.

I drive around town all day for work (which is why I bought it - good mpg).

It's not really worth fixing, but it is getting anoying. I guess I'll cruise the junkshow for a wrecked one and yank it.

How is your day going?

[Crinkle]

got up early went to play golf, haven't played in a year, shot a 89 (no not from the red tees either) now i am working a half day at home in the office and watching the tour.

not bad, thanks for asking

[72Twenty]

OH, to add to my story, I climbed under said Justy to change the oil last night (last time it was changed was by previous owner) and I can't budge the drain plug loose. I got under there and really gave it a budge with my socket and nothing. So I prop my feet against the tire and pull with all my might, it finally comes loose - so I thought. I look at my socket and I CRACKED the damn thing! Plug didn't even move. I felt pretty cool to crack a socket with my manly muscles but it didn't change the fact that I have really old oil in there. THe thing takes 2.8 quarts and I already purchased some. It's hardly worth paying "bend over & lube" 30 bucks to do it for me, so any tips on how I can pop it loose?

[Steven S. Dallas]

It's going okay. Much better than Tuesday when, as I mentioned elsewhere, within 30 minutes I ran over my iPod with my car and then spilled a glass of water into my laptop.

[lemon boy]

There are two ways to go about doing this


1 (most likely to work) using a REAL WRENCH (ie: box end/crescent) put the BOX END on the plug and while holding it on the plug with one hand use the other (might wrap a rag around it) hit the wrench with the meaty part of your fist (under the pinky). Remember: LEFTY LOOSY, RIGHTY TIGHTY!

2 (might have to combine with #1) using that same wrench (W1) and a second one (W2) (one size up or down) hook the box end from W2 through one of the crescent ends on W1 (hard to explain but it will only go on one side to apply power to lossen or the other to tighten), voila, instant breaker bar (now, use #1 on the end of W2)

Failing all that you've got some big problems and are likely going to need to buy a kit to simply tap a new bolt.

re: if the muff is still there just full of holes auto parts stores carry (or used to) muffler tape which is just high temp tape to seal the holes.

[72Twenty]

Lemon - would it be easier/harder to pop it loose when the oil pan is hot? I tried it when cold...

This is turning into a thread I should've put up in Tech Talk - I'm making a note of this before Pinner chimes in with: TECH TALK...

[lemon boy]

It might be easier when hot but changing the oil will be a harder.

Do you have a plumbers torch? A little of that judiciously applied would probably help a bit (making sure that the washer under the plug is metal not plastic first eh!). probably smarter to heat the area around the bolt more than the bolt.

Honestly though, poppin it with your hand 99.999999% of the time gets em free.

[belgian]

or alternatively you could stick a monkey wrench on the bolt and smack the wrench with a rubber mallet until it pops free. That usually works.

[zion zig zag]

Look at the bright side, you could've gotten hit by a bus.

[Canuk]

Look at the bright side, you could've gotten hit by a bus.

I can't decide to laugh or frown, flyk.

[girlski0912]

It's going okay. Much better than Tuesday when, as I mentioned elsewhere, within 30 minutes I ran over my iPod with my car and then spilled a glass of water into my laptop.

Ouch...Tuesday was a black day for electronics everywhere.

[El Chupacabra]

So, the muffler fell off my 1988 Subaru Justy.

It now sounds like a dune-buggy-lawn-mower.

I drive around town all day for work (which is why I bought it - good mpg).

It's not really worth fixing, but it is getting anoying. I guess I'll cruise the junkshow for a wrecked one and yank it.

How is your day going?

A generic auto-parts-store one might be about as cheap, and easier to come by -- attach with muffler clamps. (Cherry bomb? - $20.)

You don't really care what it sounds like, do you? Just so long as cops aren't unnecessarily attracted.

[Mr.Scruff]

Sunburnt my legs

[Blizzard7763]

Hit it with some penetrating oil. Also, try a bigger socket wrench. If you don't have one, slide a pipe over the end of whatever you've got, and add a foot or so to it.

If you can't get the drain plug with any of the other ideas thrown out, do the same thing with the right sized vice grips. You'll need a new drain plug, but it will come off.

As far as the muffler goes - cherry bomb all the way. Get the right sized muffler clamp for a couple bucks, unless you have a friend with an arc welder. Make sure to buy him a beer or two.

[Joey Bag O' Donuts]

Just take it to an Econo Lube and Tune, and let them deal with the facked up drain plug. Just tell them not to use an impact wrench to re-tighten the facker, so you can get it off next time.

[Buzzworthy]

I can't decide to laugh or frown, flyk.

Knowing Flyk's sense of humor, that would be a laugh. But it is boarderline, like Flyk.

[DJSapp]

Today has been spancered by the word FUCK for too many reasons to list here.

Thank you.

[Black Market]

drench the oil drain bolt with wd-40 and repeat. Try extending handle on socket / ratchet for more leverage. A car "club" split in half works great for this if u have one...but a metal pipe works as well. if all else fails isnt wal-mart like 9.99$ for a full lube job?

[PNWbrit]

(might have to combine with #1) using that same wrench (W1) and a second one (W2) (one size up or down) hook the box end from W2 through one of the crescent ends on W1 (hard to explain but it will only go on one side to apply power to lossen or the other to tighten), voila, instant breaker bar

Be sure and let us know how many sutures it takes to stich your knuckles back together when this collapses and you smash your hand on a sharp rusty part of your sub

[72Twenty]

if all else fails isnt wal-mart like 9.99$ for a full lube job?

I will NEVER have my oil changed at the Walmart here again. (learned from having them do my Impreza once).


I think I'm gonna go buy a bigger wrench and some beer and give it the 'ol college try.

[Hayduke]

Forget the car, forget the day. I had a shit one today then I saw your avatar.

It's all better.

[shirk]

I have been working afternoon shift from 4:30am to 1am all week and it has sucked. Not one, not two, but three of our suppliers have had production problems nearly halting the production of our mighty Civic. I have had to deploy planes trains and autos to keep shit running.

Damn that is a sweet avitar 72Twenty, lets see the rest of those pictures.

[Arty50]

It might be easier when hot but changing the oil will be a harder.

Actually, you're supposed to change the oil when it's warm to hot. There is such a thing as too hot though. If you change the oil on a cold engine, not all of the old oil will flow out. This is not a good thing. Also, hot oil runs out faster than cold oil. So it will be quicker and thus easier.

A good rule of thumb is to run your engine until it reaches the normal operating temperature, turn it off, let it sit 10-15 minutes, and then change the oil.

[LaramieSkiBum]

You don't really care what it sounds like, do you? Just so long as cops aren't unnecessarily attracted.

Laramie cops don't give a fuck. Wyo-Tech auto trade school is based in laramie, and if you have a house on a busy street in town all you hear are the god damn rice rockets.


720....get some mother fucking leverage on that shit, force x distance! Get a cheater bar of some type w/ a wrench and pop that son of a bitch off. If i was back in laramie i'd be there for moral support and lend you my toolz while i watch you break your nut clean off...hope that doesn't happen...

what arty said on oil, change the oil when its warm/hot enough for you to stand, get rubber gloves if you can - also try and get some incline to your car. I stole some concrete from that huge open area west of village inn / applebees and drove it up onto that.

that muffler tape is a good quick fix, had to do it with our suburban once when we we're up at sand lake in the snowys last summer...

p.s. Is there any snow left in any of the chutes off the snowys? I never made it that way :-(...utah was closer...:-( :-(....

p.p.s. Laramie walmart blowz....just like every other one in the nation