BSM Delete Oil Plug Issue

[d0u8l3m]

So long story short, had the turbo swapped on the Passat by Mike at 413 auto with a hybrid 1756. Driving the car home on the highway one night during acceleration, engine shuts off. Try to start it and hear a clunk. Eventually got the car home, pulled the head and found that the exhaust manifold gasket was upside down, blocking half of the intake ports.

Mike doesn't think this is what killed the engine, I think it was a pretty big part of it considering we were tuning it for more power.

Anyways I'm prepping another engine, and I got the BSM off and the crank pully on. I'm now on plugging the oil feed for the BSM but I stupidly didn't tap it deep enough and stripped the plug.

I tried what I could to unscrew it without harming the oil pan mating surface but that thing is not coming out. I didn't lock tight it or anything as I was testing to see how deep it went, so the question is do I drill this out and try to use a larger plug or just leave it since it's stuck anyways and grind it flat.

Thanks!

 

[Lotawood]

Stuck in that position doesn't sound bad, unless it is in the way of the oil pan? Did you get plenty of turns of the plug?

 

[d0u8l3m]

Stuck in that position doesn't sound bad, unless it is in the way of the oil pan? Did you get plenty of turns of the plug?

Its about halfway in, the face in the plug that mates the face of the Allen key is about flush with the block surface. Not sure if it interferes with the pan yet, I decided to stop after all I could do is mar it up with vice grips.

I got a new plug, so I don't mind having to drill it out, but is there a way that I can drill it and remove it without ruining the threads that are already there now?

Thanks

 

[Kravt]

Drilling always risks messing up the threads, especially if you haven't done that much before. With the plug sticking so far out, you might try cutting a slot in it and then turning it with a big flathead screwdriver and vice grips (bottom of the screw driver handle supported firmly by a floor jack or similar). If you do go the drill route, you might grab some left handed drills of various sizes (smaller than the ID of the plug's threads) and work your way up.

 

[stevekris]

Drill it out, it's soft brass. Tap the threads deeper, that's why the plug didn't go in far enough. Get a steel plug instead of the brass.
Hope this helps

 

[Lotawood]

Left handed drill bits are the best. Brass is soft enough to be grabby, which is good with that drill bit.
I remember having a feeling the tap I used was getting harder with deep tapping. Kind of like the passage started curving farther up. Or could be a relief on one side of the passage, IDK. Just less consistent than other things I have tapped before. So I stopped and it worked out with a steel plug. I did use loctite which gives some lubrication before it dries.
Push a little harder if you are using left handed bits. Slow speed close to bogging down. Also if you get a drill bit in there and it doesn't unscrew, maybe the vice grips would work better with an inserted drill bit to back up the middle.

 

[d0u8l3m]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I've never had luck with the screw extractor sets but found a nice set at harbor freight with left hand drill bits and extractors.

Worked my way up, got it out, and got it fixed. Appreciate the help!