Drain Plug Keys by Profile, Size & Drive

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Oil Sump and Drain Plug

FAQs

Because many plugs are recessed with a square or hexagon female drive rather than an external head. That needs a key, and an approximate size rounds the plug.

Square keys at 8mm and 11mm and hexagon keys at 10mm, 12mm, 14mm and 17mm, all on 3/8 inch square drive so they turn on a standard ratchet or bar.

A VAG Group drain plug key is held for plugs that nothing general fits. Using an approximate tool on those damages the plug rather than turning it.

On a workshop meeting many vehicles, yes. A 20 piece key set on 3/8 inch drive covers the common profiles rather than ordering to each vehicle as it arrives.

A vehicle drain plug tool covers several profiles in one body, which suits occasional work where a full set is more than the job needs.

3/8 inch square drive throughout, which is deliberate: a sump plug has a torque figure and 3/8 inch is the drive most torque wrenches in that range carry.

Clear

A sump plug is not always a hexagon head that a socket will fit. Many are recessed with a square or hexagon female drive, which means a key rather than a socket, and using an approximate size rounds a plug that then has to be drilled out. A rounded sump plug is one of the more expensive small failures on an oil change.

Profile is the first thing to establish: square or hexagon, and whether the drive is male or female. Square keys here run 8mm and 11mm and hexagon keys run 10mm, 12mm, 14mm and 17mm, all on 3/8 inch square drive so they turn on a standard ratchet. Reading the plug rather than assuming a size is what takes a moment and saves the job.

Marque-specific keys exist because some manufacturers use a profile nothing general fits. A VAG Group drain plug key is held for exactly that, and using anything else on those plugs damages them. Marque keys are listed by the group they suit rather than by a dimension. Hexagon and square profiles are both held in the same drive size, so the profile is chosen without changing ratchet.

A set removes the guesswork on a workshop meeting many vehicles. A 20 piece key set on 3/8 inch drive covers the common profiles, and a multi-size drain plug tool covers several in one body. Send the vehicle to 07754288583 on WhatsApp. A 3/8 square by 3/8 square drive key covers plugs taking a square male drive directly.