Striped oil drain plug threads?

[Hankrr]

The last oil change I did as I tighted my oil plug it felt like I might have striped it. I won't know for sure until it's next change because I didn't want to loosen it again to find out now.

I've got one of those aluminum oil pans and probably didn't know my own strength.

My question is "IF" I find out I have striped it can it be drilled and taped out for another plug or would the whole drain pan have to be replaced? I hope not the latter because that sounds kind of ugly.

Anyone know or have any experience with this?

I need to be more careful from now on.

 

[T-Keith]

Sadly if it's too bad, you may have to replace it. Even if you could find a larger plug, drilling and tapping it will get metal in your pan. First pick up a new plug. There's a chance that would be enough. If the thread are stripped, your best bet, other than replacing it is buying one of the "quick drain" devices where you can drain the oil without removing the plug. They also make a self tapping plug with a smaller plug inside it.

Never use a self tapping or oversized plug on an oil pan, it will make the situation worse.

Next time take it easy bud.

-T

 

[JohnnyO]

I did that about 15 years ago on my mom's car. Plug stayed in but it dripped a lot. Service station put in a thingy just for that, it cut its own threads and had another (smaller) plug inside it. It ended up not being a big deal because a few months later my sister wiped out in the rain and totalled it.

 

[labman]

Check the auto parts stores. See what fixes they have for what is too common of a problem. You may want to flush the oil pan if you must tap. Even so, aluminum filings are softer than steel, and should be caught by the oil filter. Removing an oil pan can be ugly. I had to remove the one from my Grand AM Quad 4 after hitting a rock. Not a fun 3 days in the winter.

 

[Eiron]

The two immediate, low-cost options are:
1) epoxy in a Fumoto drain valve (or if the pan's threads will take it, wrap lots of plumber's Teflon tape around the valve for a tight seal & leave it be)
2) have the drain hole drilled & tapped for a HeliCoil insert. I've heard this can be done w/o removing the pan, but you'll want to flush it out by pouring oil in thru the filler opening. This gives you a permanent fix by replacing the aluminum threads with steel threads. (All aluminum pans should come this way from the factory, IMO.)

 

[labman]

My experience is that Helicoils are expensive and don't work well on something frequently removed and replaced. If you are going to tap out to bigger, just use a bigger plug, or one of the plug in a plugs.

 

[9c1]

Check at your favorite auto parts store. Dorman makes oversize drain plugs (actually single oversize and double oversize) in the most popular sizes.
With that information in hand, I would suggest you seriously consider the suggestion of Eiron and eliminate the regular unthreading and threading on the damaged aluminum pan threads.

Terry

 

[widman]

You can pull the pan and take it to a welder to fill in and re-tap. I did this on my wife's BMW when she ran over a manhole lid that hit the plug and ripped it out.

 

[Hankrr]

Thanks for the great ideas guys.

I like the idea of using one of those drain valves mentioned. I'm thinking I only striped it partially in which case I can probabaly get one of those to work.

I'm going to do a search and check on those.

thx

 

[S2000driver]

quote:

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Originally posted by Eiron:
The two immediate, low-cost options are:
1) epoxy in a Fumoto drain valve (or if the pan's threads will take it, wrap lots of plumber's Teflon tape around the valve for a tight seal & leave it be)

---

I concur replacing the plug with a valve is your best bet. A permanent valve, whether it be the deluxe fumoto or the fram suredrain, will get you out of buying a new oil pan.

But instead of using teflon tape on the threads, I recommend using a liquid gasket type material, made for oil-based sealing of valve covers, etc. Make sure both the valve threads and the oil pan threads are as dry of oil as possible at installation. Then beware of overtightening the valve, the brass will hold but is softer than steel and on a stripped oil pan it doesn't take much to damage the crown of the brass threads.

Once I tried using an oversized plug and it didn't do the trick. Once the threads are stripped, you better do something quick because they go downhill fast at each oil change.

 

[Spector]

Highly recommend them, got five of them on vehicles now, just makes sampling and changing oil so easy

 

[Hankrr]

Thanks S2000.. I found the web site for one of these valves and I like this idea too. I think I'll order two of them. One for mine and one for my wifes car.

http://www.fumotovalve.com/