Sears Snow blower oil change problem

[Duane Bozarth]

A pipe wrench should do the trick while you've got it drained to free the plug...

[John R]

Started up the Sears ( Murray ) snow blower to let it run for a few minutes off season and then change the oil. The blower is almost new and this was to be the first oil change. The Briggs and Stratton 7.5 hp OHV engine has oil plugs that are not convenient for draining on the snow blower, so Murray thoughtfully installed a 4 inch extension pipe into the engine, then put a drain plug on the end of the extension.

The problem is when I take a wrench to the drain plug, the entire extension unscrews from the engine. They must have really torqued down the plug onto the extension. I was unable to stop it from turning with vice pliers because there isn't much to grip. Finally I channeled the oil as best i could and drained it (removing the extension and all) , resulting in a small mess. Unfortunately i don't have a bench vise but am not sure if that would work to get the plug off.

Has anyone else had this problem? I was thinking of installing a Fram Oil Sure Drain (quick drain oil plug) although I'm not sure there will be enough clearance from the top of the snow blower frame, even if there is a Sure Drain of the proper size.

[trader4]

"A pipe wrench should do the trick while you've got it drained to free the plug... "

Or use a friends vice. Or just go to HD and buy another longer nipple and cap.

This sounds like the classic problem of the idiots who tighten wheel lugs with an air wrench so tight that you can't get them off with the usual wrench provided with the spare. A friend of mine had a place tighten his that way. He discovered it right away and went back. The service guy tells him that they tighten them to the appropriate ft-lbs of torque. To prove it, he sets a torque wrench to that number, puts it on a lug and when it gives at the set number, says "See, it's right!" The imbecile not realizing that all he proved was that it was at LEAST the set torque. It actually was torqued to far more.

[keith]

Good idea, but I went one step better. I bought an elbow and a short nipple so it takes a right turn and empties in the rear of the snowblower. I mashed the threads into the elbow on the side facing rear so that's not a problem. It's easy to take the cap off since it turns at a right angle to the engine thread. ...unfortunately the transmission bearings failed in January so I had to buy a new blower. What the heck, it lasted 12 winters and long enough through the season until HomeDespot was blowing the blowers out.

OTOH, my wife had a wheel fall off that was tightened to the "right" FP. Most garages don't want to take that chance, rotors be damned.

[John R]

My snow blower has a 4 inch pipe to drain the oil. In trying to remove the cap at the end of that pipe, I discovered the cap wouldn't budge but the pipe came out of the engine. I eventually resolved that (man was that cap torqued tight) and put a 90 elbow with a radiator valve instead of the cap so I could easily change oil in the future. Unfortunately this valve had a slow leak and was very messy to use. So I'm looking for a bona-fide oil quick drain.

Something like this: (Kohler part # 125237)

Unfortunately, that is for a 3/8" diameter pipe and mine is 1/2"NPT. (An adaptor would be too much weight). Is anyone aware of one? A Briggs and Stratton part number would be ideal. I've heard of B&S part # 5401D but can't find any information about this, like what its size is.

Thanks!

Note to self, use yellow teflon tape! Sears snow blower thrower 881750 536.881750 intek ohv 7.5 horsepower oil pipe 696683

[Rich256]

Stick with the cap. Just put a washer in it (I suppose teflon would be good). I went to Mobil 1 (5W30) on my air cooled engines including the blower. Very pleased with the results. Well worth the extra cost on those engines.

[souperman]

Yeah, and some object will get stuck on that radiator valve and drain all your oil while the engine is running. That will be he end of it. Just put the pipe in a vice adn remove the cap. Then reinstall it using anti-sieze compound. Or replace the whole thing, pipe and plug.