Overfilled with oil.

[andrew_baran]

I've been an A* loser today and managed to f*ck up an oil change. One of the most simple maintenence tasks there is.

Basically, I emptied the oil and removed the filter OK, but when I went to refill the car with oil, I put too much in. About 4 or 5mm above the high line on the dipstick after running it to heat.
Of course, in a normal situation you would just drain some oil out, until it sits in the middle of the dipstick. But when I was replacing the sump bolt with my torque wrench, it slipped the thread and is now stuck in place. (I used the haynes setting for the torque...)

So, to recap: Too much oil in engine. Sump nut stuck.
- Will I be OK to leave it?
- Is it possible to remove the oil filter, and drain some oil from there instead?

Help me, please! I've made such a tool of myself today!! I know they say you only make mistakes like this once, but right now I just want to forget it

[E30BeemerLad]

thin plastic tube down the dipstick tube and syphon some out?

taste gut yaaa

[magpie]

the oil will burn off,don't panic!

you'll be fine for 4-5 k miles or more depending on how often you change oil.

what size engine is it? i have a good sump from a 6-pot if needed?

[andrew_baran]

Its an M20 2 litre. Good news to hear it'll burn off, I've been reading some scaremongering by the sounds of it!
I guess if it does do any damage, that'll be a fair excuse to upgrade to a 325 lump

I do like the idea of syphoning some out, it'd be proper hardcore...

[daimlerman]

That amount of 'overfill' is not really enough to worry about.
Remember from my RAF days instructng a gormless young WRAF to 'check and fill the oil' on the CO's Austin 1800 one night...she was out in the hanger for ages so I sent one of the lads to see what she was up to.He came and fetched me,saying,'Cpl,you will not believe this....'
Yup,oil was pushing the dipstick up and was almost to the top of the rocker cover.
'Well,you told me to fill it up...'

[town325i]

That amount of 'overfill' is not really enough to worry about.
Remember from my RAF days instructng a gormless young WRAF to 'check and fill the oil' on the CO's Austin 1800 one night...she was out in the hanger for ages so I sent one of the lads to see what she was up to.He came and fetched me,saying,'Cpl,you will not believe this....'
Yup,oil was pushing the dipstick up and was almost to the top of the rocker cover.
'Well,you told me to fill it up...'

Ive got an uncle that did that once when i went to fix it i told him to stick to computers he cant fook them up and i will fix your car you tit. When i took the oil cap off and saw oil covering all the rockers on the ford ohv engine i was like WTF i asked how many bottles did you use his reply was around 5 ltrs to top up the oil

[DanThe]

Surely you should be overfilling an M20 anyway, will give you about 2 weeks before the first top-up on most donks

[HairyScreech]

hater.

just because we have self lubricating engine bays that dont rust....

[town325i]

If it dont burn away im sure a ghetto slam will sort the sump out to help lower the oil level

[Speedtouch]

Who in their right mind uses a torque wrench on the sump drain bolt, FFS?! You just hand-screw the thing in, then nip it up a bit with a normal spanner/socket, maybe with a new copper washer if one's feeling flush.

[DanThe]

Thats nothing, iS freaks torque up the cam cover bolts, most will break out a sweat in doing so

[andrew_baran]

Who in their right mind uses a torque wrench on the sump drain bolt, FFS?! You just hand-screw the thing in, then nip it up a bit with a normal spanner/socket, maybe with a new copper washer if one's feeling flush.

-10 man points for me then

[bmwowner]

Who in their right mind uses a torque wrench on the sump drain bolt, FFS?! You just hand-screw the thing in, then nip it up a bit with a normal spanner/socket, maybe with a new copper washer if one's feeling flush.

-10 man points for me then

by the book as they say, nothing wrong with that! as for too much oil i would try to get a tad out although dont go mad if you cant.

[Speedtouch]

by the book as they say, nothing wrong with that!

There evidently is, if it strips the thread!

[bastosm3]

take the filter back off, empty it. run the engine again untill you get oil pressure, stop the engine, take the filter off, empty it, check the level. repeat untill the level is right.

simples

[hankino]

you could get a pela oil extractor (about £40 new, but how much to helicoil the sump??) - lots on ebay, some s/h - you can suck all the oil out through the dipstick hole.

I bought one years back when I had a dodgy sump plug like yours - made changing the oil idiot proof, and no crawling about - it's been useful for lots of other things too. I used it to slurp the water out of a cistern the other day.

In theory it won't do as good a job as letting oil drain out of the bottom of the engine, but if you don't want to touch your sump plug again and you get the car proper hot after a good run much of the crp will be suspended in the oil.

Added bonus - with a bit of ingenuity you could turn it into a 'gentleman's device' (see you in casualty)

[town325i]

THERE is no need to remove any of the oil this is fine when i topped my M20 engines up i always go a little above the maximum level

How many paranoid freaks are on here

[andrew_baran]

I might crack the oil filter off and drain that once or twice, but I certainly can't afford a pump to drain the oil.

If the engine goes, or the sump plug decides to bail on me whilst i'm driving i'll just have to save up for that 2.5 conversion... I'm sure i'll be fine though - it's pretty stuck in after all - I couldn't get it out with my wrench!

[Barx325i]

Thats nothing, iS freaks torque up the cam cover bolts, most will break out a sweat in doing so

I see.. I thought a torque wrench was to undo really stubborn bolts - the click giving a little tickle that free's them off

[Speedtouch]

The snag with using a torque wrench is that unless you know it is accurate, they can lead to overtightened and stripped threads, as in this case. I tend to only use one on cylinder head and larger (e.g., suspension) bolts, preferring to use my own feel to judge when the bolt is tight enough.

[Jhonno]

THERE is no need to remove any of the oil this is fine when i topped my M20 engines up i always go a little above the maximum level

How many paranoid freaks are on here

This

[Speedtouch]

^

[cbv8]

THERE is no need to remove any of the oil this is fine when i topped my M20 engines up i always go a little above the maximum level

How many paranoid freaks are on here

Need you ask

[town325i]

THERE is no need to remove any of the oil this is fine when i topped my M20 engines up i always go a little above the maximum level

How many paranoid freaks are on here

This

What do you meen Jhonno?

[Jhonno]

^

??

[town325i]

Im lost on this thread now

[Jhonno]

THERE is no need to remove any of the oil this is fine when i topped my M20 engines up i always go a little above the maximum level

How many paranoid freaks are on here

This

What do you meen Jhonno?

Nowt.. Just agreeing with you. Too much scaremongering from armchair experts

[town325i]

This

What do you meen Jhonno?

Nowt.. Just agreeing with you. Too much scaremongering from armchair experts

I will second that

[DanThe]

Torque wrenches are boring and anal, I find I get bolts tighter by feel, 1/4 drive set is perfect for this.
I only use torque settings for headbolts, flywheels, and where bearings are being retained, rods/mains etc or where stretch bolts are being used.

Common sense prevails on everything else

[Speedtouch]

+1

[daimlerman]

Thats nothing, iS freaks torque up the cam cover bolts, most will break out a sweat in doing so

I see.. I thought a torque wrench was to undo really stubborn bolts - the click giving a little tickle that free's them off

I do hope this is a sarcastic comment....

[town325i]

Thats nothing, iS freaks torque up the cam cover bolts, most will break out a sweat in doing so

I see.. I thought a torque wrench was to undo really stubborn bolts - the click giving a little tickle that free's them off

I do hope this is a sarcastic comment....

It is a worrying thought as to what death traps can be on the road with some of the comments on this thread

[daimlerman]

It is a worrying thought as to what death traps can be on the road with some of the comments on this thread

Get many more of them and a 'trigger happy' mod is likely to lock it!

[DanThe]

M42 self tappers FTW

[Barx325i]

mere sarcasm chaps I'm pretty much with Dan on this. Wheel bearings I can't, the socket I have is 3/4 & I don't have a 1/2" adapter to fit a torque wench on.