Extreme cold cause drain plug to loosen?

[G-MAN]

Some of you may have read my thread about my last oil change where I discovered my aluminum oil pan threads were completely stripped out. I replaced the drain plug with an oversize self-tapping plug (using the correct procedure, mind you) and after a few "corrective" re-tightenings it's been drip-free for the last couple of months. However, this past week has seen some of the coldest weather around here we've had in 20 years. It got down to +6*F one night. This morning I noticed a small spot of oil on the drive, so I got down and looked, and sure enough the drain plug was drippling slightly. I put a wrench on the plug and sure enough it had loosened enough that I was able to snug it up some more.

I'm just wondering if the extreme cold, with the resulting contracting and expanding of the metal, is what caused the plug to loosen up a bit. Anyone else ever had this happen in extremely cold weather?

 

[2K2AcuraTL]

Cant say I've ever experienced this type of oil leak, due to severe cold.
Its been D**n cold here for the last 10 days....
I mean -30*C (or -22*F) [colder with wind chill facter...almost down to where the F and C scale meet..]
I can imagine its due the new re-taped plug. - thinner walls or less metal where the plug hangs on too.

[ January 28, 2003, 03:52 PM: Message edited by: 2K2AcuraTL ]

 

[Patman]

It's gotten as low as -9F here recently and neither of the cars in my stable are leaking oil from their drain plugs. I've never experienced this in past winters either.

 

[Eiron]

Was the oversized plug tapered? I know that some of my self-tapping screws are designed this way, & I can see where a tapered profile might allow thermal cycles to walk it out. But no, I don't know how likely it really is.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

G-Man, I once had a drip like you describe, and it was coming from a split gasket on the drain plug. It was only apparent once I removed the plug.

You might try looking at the Fumoto oil drain valves.....

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Greg Netzner:
Was the oversized plug tapered? I know that some of my self-tapping screws are designed this way, & I can see where a tapered profile might allow thermal cycles to walk it out. But no, I don't know how likely it really is.

---

It is tappered, but only at the tip for about 1/4 inch.

 

[Ken4]

Maybe you're not using the proper size gasket washer for your new drain plug.

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ken4:
Maybe you're not using the proper size gasket washer for your new drain plug.

---

I'm using the one that came with the plug and it appeared to be the proper size.

 

[speedy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by G-Man II:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ken4:
Maybe you're not using the proper size gasket washer for your new drain plug.

---

I'm using the one that came with the plug and it appeared to be the proper size.

---

coat the plug gasket with #2 permatex, which will help to keep it from working loose. I've been doing this for years.

 

[Rick in PA]

Ah, just tighten that sucker up real tight.

I seem to remember that they make double-oversized self-tapping plugs....

 

[G-MAN]

Well, I changed my oil yesterday. As it turns out, the washer that came with the oversize plug wasn't the right size and had distorted, and that was the primary reason the plug kept dripping. I put on a new nylon washer of the correct size and so far, no drips. Also, the oversize plug seems to have worked fine. It came out smoothly and went back in just like a new plug.

I only had a couple thousand miles on the Rotella T Synthetic, but I haven't been too happy with this oils cold weather performance. Over the past two weeks we've had some of the coldest weather in decades around here. Two or three nights it was down in the single digits, and I could definitely tell this oil was taking a while to get to the lifters in my 300. So, I've gone back to Mobil 1 and I was fortunate enough to pick some up at Target for $3.39 per quart.

I hope Target plans to keep this price.

 

[MolaKule]

Aw G-man, Put some Molecule HyperSyn in it! It's good down to -100 F

 

[Patman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by MolaKule:
Aw G-man, Put some Molecule HyperSyn in it! It's good down to -100 F

---

And there are no useless sludge molecules or useless swimming molecules in that oil either!