Hey folks, I've been lurking this site for a long time and absorbing all the great info, but never had an occasion to post until now. I'm looking for some opinions on whether I'm going to be alright.
A couple days ago while I was changing the oil on our '08 Odyssey (3.5L Honda J35, aluminum block and pan), the drain plug suddenly got loose and left some threads behind when I pulled it out. I blame a combination of the PO taking it to Jiffy Lube type places and age - I've read that the aluminum threads in these Honda pans don't last forever. The plug was pretty stripped, not holding on very well when I tried threading it back in. The threads in the pan seemed a little beat too, but still serviceable. My solution was to get one of those slightly oversized self tapping plugs from the parts store and screw that in since I had to get the van back on the road. It seems to be holding well and isn't leaking any oil after 100 miles or so. Before I installed it, I took a shop towel and tried to clean some of the old metal out of the drain hole/threads.
My question is, could the old plug have left behind metal that will circulate in the oil and score bearings, cause wear, etc? Would the used oil flowing through the drain hole have washed most of the metal out with it? Will the filter be able to catch any bits that were left behind/should I short the interval on the next change just in case? Thanks for your help. I'm thinking it'll be alright but I'm still young and trying to learn about this stuff - I could use some experienced opinions.
A couple days ago while I was changing the oil on our '08 Odyssey (3.5L Honda J35, aluminum block and pan), the drain plug suddenly got loose and left some threads behind when I pulled it out. I blame a combination of the PO taking it to Jiffy Lube type places and age - I've read that the aluminum threads in these Honda pans don't last forever. The plug was pretty stripped, not holding on very well when I tried threading it back in. The threads in the pan seemed a little beat too, but still serviceable. My solution was to get one of those slightly oversized self tapping plugs from the parts store and screw that in since I had to get the van back on the road. It seems to be holding well and isn't leaking any oil after 100 miles or so. Before I installed it, I took a shop towel and tried to clean some of the old metal out of the drain hole/threads.
My question is, could the old plug have left behind metal that will circulate in the oil and score bearings, cause wear, etc? Would the used oil flowing through the drain hole have washed most of the metal out with it? Will the filter be able to catch any bits that were left behind/should I short the interval on the next change just in case? Thanks for your help. I'm thinking it'll be alright but I'm still young and trying to learn about this stuff - I could use some experienced opinions.