Hi Brian,

I have a similar setup on my Crew Cab...the oil drain plug is not removable.
What I have is one of those oil changing pumps that are sold at boat stores
(JC Whitney and HarborFreight also have them). It uses a long thin hose that
I sneak down the oil filler tube, and sucks out the old oil. I also raise
the front of the van slightly when I change the oil to try to help it get
more of the old stuff out.

While this may not get out every last drop of the old oil during a change,
it's better that mangling up the drain plug even worse!

Here is a link to the Harbor Freight version of the oil pump:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=45403

Good luck!

TomC
tcarrington@relitech.com
http://www.relitech.com/tomc
http://volksweb.relitech.com
85 Vanagon Crew Cab
82 Westy diesel=>gas conversion
81 Checker A-11 (Taxi)
65 Notchback

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brian Baudoin [SMTP:FeeDoubleU@CS.COM]
> Sent: Friday, September 21, 2001 1:22 AM
> To:   vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject:      HELP!!  THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!!!!!
>
>
>
> I need help bad!!!  I bought my third Vanagon ('87, non-GL, non-Sychro,
> non-Westy) about three months ago.  The seller told me that the oil was in
> good shape.  So, I took his word for it.  Well, that was a while ago, and
> now it's time for me to change the oil again.  But, the drain plug was
> apparantly previously stripped, so he inserted a larger drain plug and
> welded the frickin' thing in place (apparantly it was leaking and he
> needed to get rid of it).  I need helP!!!  What can I do?  What is the
> lowest point of oil flow so I can perhaps drain the oil out of another
> hole?  Please help!!  The viscosity of the oil is dangerously low, and I
> don't want to lose my van!  Thanks guys!
>                                              FeeDub (Brian)
>