I recently acquired a MityVac 7201 oil extraction system to change the oil in my sebring. I bought the car used a few weeks ago & when I went to change the oil for the first time I found the drain plug frozen. After considering a number of bad options I chose the 7201 system.

I discovered immediately that the 7201 wasn't intended for the sebring. Or maybe the sebring wasn't intended for the 7201, I'll never know for sure. The problem is that the hollow dipstick tube in the car narrows right where it passes through the pan and the tubing supplied with the 7201 is just too large to fit.

I searched a few hardware stores for suitable tubing but came up empty. I also contacted MityVac and came up just as empty. Then I had a new idea......

I tried removing the dipstick tube from the engine. It is only held in by a single bolt at the top of the tube & is pressed into the pan. It is VERY simple to remove. Once removed the tubing from the 7201 fit right in. Oil change solved.

I found several complaints on the web from Chrysler/Jeep owners regarding the 7201. Apparently none of them tried removing the dipstick tube completely. I suspect that this method will work for most Chryslers.

If & when your oil drain plug gets stripped this is worth remembering. The alternatives are REALLY bad.

 

There are a pair of O-rings on the dipstick tube that provide the seal to keep it from leaking where it goes into the oil pan. They are not made for regular removal and are likely to start leaking after pulling the tube out a few times. They are an odd size and you might have a hard time finding replacements. I found this out when I replaced the oil pan gasket on my '01 2.7L.

The best solution would be to properly replace the drain plug, which might ultimately require replacement of the oil pan.