My radiator drain plug is fux0red. Seems like the previous owner stripped it very bad. How can I get this out? Can I heat up the end of the screwdriver and melt some new "grooves" into it? How much do these things run for at the dealer?? Thanks!

 

I'm not sure how ghetto this is, but the way I got my stripped bleeder plug out was to place a thin piece of pinewood (approx 10"x1/4"x1") over the plug, drill 4 holes through the wood and into the plug, tap nails in the holes to act as pins, an then turned the wood like a wrench. There is probably a better way, and the hot screwdriver may work, but the ghetto wrench worked for me.

I thinkthe plugs are about $10 at Mazda, but I have also seen them at some of the local auto parts store chains for less. Be sure to get the type with the wingnut-type end, as the phillips head type are awful. Mazda makes both types, by the way, and the radiator drain plug and bleeder plug are the same size.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll prob try the hot screwdriver thing first because I dont have a drill handy. I think I'll buy a drain plug from the local autoparts store since theyre closer to me.