Uncomfortable with Oil Drain Plug Possible Overtightened Torque Need Help

[PF52]

I once thought I over tightened a drain plug. I worried about it for five months. Turned out it wasn’t over tightened. I worried for nothing.

I came real close to over-tightening one once, and in fact I probably did to some extent. You know how it goes. lying down under the car in tight quarters, looking up sort of backwards to the bolt. Maybe using the left hand... Somehow the selector on my angle-head ratchet got switched from "loosen" to "tighten" and I was cranking down on that thing in the wrong direction! At some point, it dawned on me that I was turning it the wrong way. Fortunately no harm appears to have been done, and it has never leaked through several more years of use. 2002 Impala, aluminum oil pan.

In other words: I think you'll be fine.

 

[moonlightblue]

Fe = Iron as in ferrous = magnetic

Aluminum is not magnetic Most stainless is also not magnetic (think fridge doors and magnets) but I'd say it's EXTREMELY unlikely it's stainless.

The material of the pan looks same like material of a water pump. I think it is aluminum. And this is a bad thing I think.
Some people here say that bolt is designed itself to damage itself rather than pan but the dealership told that nothing happens to the bolt and it damages the pan.

But everyone says that after 2 semi gentle 1/2 turns when feeling the washer is crushed enough further about 45 degree or 60 degree turn is not a big deal and we will see. I got away with bit overtighten at a subaru before when i was new at DIY which was 16 years ago buy i know that things at BMW is much lighter than Japanese cars

 

[wavinwayne]

I actually got my tq wrench Calibrated over this. They still leaked. I personally think it's because we use aftermarket washers,

Now I just hand tighten every one

I also never use a torque wrench on oil drain plugs, and have never stripped one or had one leak. But if someone was doing an oil change for the first time, I would suggest they used a torque wrench just to get a feel for how much force is required to achieve the proper torque spec.

 

[Paco Pena]

I use a 3/8th's stubby ratchet to tighten all my drain plugs. Gives you a better feel than a long 1/2 inch ratchet.

Paco

 

[D60]

The material of the pan looks same like material of a water pump. I think it is aluminum. And this is a bad thing I think.
Some people here say that bolt is designed itself to damage itself rather than pan but the dealership told that nothing happens to the bolt and it damages the pan.

But everyone says that after 2 semi gentle 1/2 turns when feeling the washer is crushed enough further about 45 degree or 60 degree turn is not a big deal and we will see. I got away with bit overtighten at a subaru before when i was new at DIY which was 16 years ago buy i know that things at BMW is much lighter than Japanese cars

Even if you damaged it you can tap it larger -- although at that point you couldn't use the apparently super-rare unobtanium OEM drain plug and the vehicle may not start. If it does run it'll run poorly and throw a P-FYOO for "non-OEM oil drain plug circuit failure"

You can also install a Timesert and maintain OEM thread pitch. I've done this on a Ford Freestyle (Five Hundred) alloy pan with excellent results. As a bonus you gain steel threads which tend to be more durable for repeated use. As such I feel installing a Timesert in an alloy pan is actually an upgrade.

 

[ecotourist]

Yes it sounds like you have an aluminum or aluminum alloy pan. A lighter pan, but also easier to strip.

Some of your posts suggest you are going to meddle with that drain plug.

"I will definitely lubricate the bolt head and copper washer with wd40 while hot and a day later when engine is cold i will try to temporarily loosen it and i will see..."

I strongly recommend you just leave it alone until you remove it at the next oil change.

 

[moonlightblue]

Yes it sounds like you have an aluminum or aluminum alloy pan. A lighter pan, but also easier to strip.

Some of your posts suggest you are going to meddle with that drain plug.

"I will definitely lubricate the bolt head and copper washer with wd40 while hot and a day later when engine is cold i will try to temporarily loosen it and i will see..."

I strongly recommend you just leave it alone until you remove it at the next oil change.

Yes I will leave it alone until next oil change. As I said it is about 45 degree (half of quarter turn or so) more than what it should be I think and I believe it should have a tolerance something like that but maximum or last tolerance and I feel that more than 50% chance that I am inside the last limit of that tolerance. There was a bit sound while I pulled a bit and I hope that it was not stripping sound.

 

[moonlightblue]

Even if you damaged it you can tap it larger -- although at that point you couldn't use the apparently super-rare unobtanium OEM drain plug and the vehicle may not start. If it does run it'll run poorly and throw a P-FYOO for "non-OEM oil drain plug circuit failure"

You can also install a Timesert and maintain OEM thread pitch. I've done this on a Ford Freestyle (Five Hundred) alloy pan with excellent results. As a bonus you gain steel threads which tend to be more durable for repeated use. As such I feel installing a Timesert in an alloy pan is actually an upgrade.

Thanks for the alternative. But if it is stripped I think I will run around between some workshops that deal with these kind of things and persuade the guy to come to my garage and at that point the popular method is helicoil here. I do not know if they have that Timesert. Maybe I can buy it online from overseas and ask them to bring me prior to my next oil change if I can find someone but I do not know how to apply the Timesert there and which size. I also saw a topic about Timesert on Hondatwins forum which talks about Timesert that came out with plug which sounds scary.

 

[Cherrybomb]

Really good responses here.Its always a good practice to check your oil change in the driveway before driving away.Yes ditch the ratchet,proper,good condition,closed end wrench.Buy a new drain plug and gasket.When you change,compare the threads and heads for visible damage.You can buy a individual thread chaser and die.They massage the threads.A tap is much to aggressive. You can also use a real small triangle file carefully on the plug.After changing the oil and if you did use the thread chaser,pour your dirty warm oil back thru to flush out any possible material.If you thread the new plug in before you use the chaser,you can assume no damage.If the old plug comes out,with out resistance, no damage.Your fingers and your eyes will be your best friends when working with fasteners. Fingers while threading in or out will keep you out of trouble.All fasteners have a torque limit for good reason.Good Luck,you'll be fine,just a hiccup!!

 

[moonlightblue]

Really good responses here.Its always a good practice to check your oil change in the driveway before driving away.Yes ditch the ratchet,proper,good condition,closed end wrench.Buy a new drain plug and gasket.When you change,compare the threads and heads for visible damage.You can buy a individual thread chaser and die.They massage the threads.A tap is much to aggressive. You can also use a real small triangle file carefully on the plug.After changing the oil and if you did use the thread chaser,pour your dirty warm oil back thru to flush out any possible material.If you thread the new plug in before you use the chaser,you can assume no damage.If the old plug comes out,with out resistance, no damage.Your fingers and your eyes will be your best friends when working with fasteners. Fingers while threading in or out will keep you out of trouble.All fasteners have a torque limit for good reason.Good Luck,you'll be fine,just a hiccup!!

Thanks for your message.

What is real small triange file? I did not understand.

I will not touch for 6 months and will definitely will use first brakepad cleaner spray then WD40 then warm up the engine then use WD40 again then let the engine sit and cool down until the next day and I will definitely try to loosen with very very short pulls with 1/2 wrench I think instead of pulling only 1 time. So bolt will come out easier I think.

If this technique that I am thinking wont work then I will consider thread chaser to remove the plug. did I understand you correct or I did not understand what is tread chaser either?

 

[Cherrybomb]

The small triangle file is a mechanics trick to very carefully touch and massage a bolts thread that maybe a bit compromised.Any time you back out a bolt and it feels tight,I visually inspect the threads,especially the first few.The starting threads are very important.I see your in Europe,but you can look at the JAWCO company website. Taps cut threads in materia that just has a hole,too aggressive for your situation. Thread chasers carefully massage and move the threads back correctly.
If it was me,and you have time,buy a new bolt,you will know the size.look for a thread chaser die and tap.Now you have options when you change the oil,The cleaning around the head is a good start.Now the fun begins.If the bolt breaks loose easily, back it out.If it is extremely tight,very,very,lightly tap with small hammer!
If the bolt comes out easily by hand,YEAH,still inspect the bolts head and threads carefully.Now you can make decisions. If it is serious, and I'm hoping for you it's not and you have to run the thread chaser tap in your oil pan,flush out the possible metal with the used oil.If your bolts head and threads are good,oil pan threads are good,congratulations!
I'm not trying to spend your money,but a Thread Restorer Kit is a good investment I also have purchased extras for my lugs on my car,trailer,lawn tractor.Its just me,but I like a back up plan!GOOD LUCK

 

[JeffKeryk]

If I can't easily thread the drain plug in with my fingers only, in the trash it goes. Same with lug nuts.
Of course this assumes threads are clean...

 

[Cherrybomb]

If I can't easily thread the drain plug in with my fingers only, in the trash it goes. Same with lug nuts.
Of course this assumes threads are clean...

Excellent policy,finger feel and careful eye inspection of possible fasteners that are damaged is a problem preventer