Stripped oil pan drain hole

[ajchien]

My opinion -

I'd do the longer bolt first.

Second choice is time sert: http://www.timesert.com/html/drainplug.html

Next would be upsizing the plug.

 

[slybunda]

Not possible to weld on a fumoto valve to make it a permanent repair?

 

[Trav]

Welding brass to aluminum if its even possible is way above my welding skills and equipment, i would thing brazing would be the way but even that would be a project that I wouldn't want to try. Member Tig the pro welder would know if he sees this.

 

[slybunda]

hmm maybe epoxy it in

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: kschachn
Honda sells a repair kit and I'm sure there are aftermarket ones out there too. However, when I looked into it for a friend a while back the repair kit was about as expensive as a new pan so that's what we did.

If you can find an oversize plug then give it a try. You'll still need the correct drill and tap, and I'd take the pan off to do that work if it were me. When we evaluated all the options we just decided on a whole new pan.

I also saw some self-tapping plugs but I wasn't willing to try that on a friend's car. You might however.


+1 This is what I was thinking

 

[Patrologia]

Well, I figure it is time for an update since I ended up with two bits of information that might prove useful to someone.

First of all, rather than looking for a long bolt and cutting it to length, I discovered that Mercedes used the bolt I wanted, just with a smaller head. Still big enough that I think it would have worked. Napa sold me one for 2.60, so I was happy about that.

I say "would have" because it turns out that not all VTEC aluminum oil pans are threaded beyond the 11-12 mm that the oem plug needs. Mine's not. I used a probe to check thread depth and there was nothing back there on any side. So, I grabbed some permeates, sealed in the old one, and will order a drain valve to install at the next oil change. For that I will get a better sealant, since it is supposed to be permanent.

Anyway, I hope some of this can help someone. Not sure how to tell from outside how much threading to expect, but have a backup in case the long bolt can't fit. If it can, Like I say, Mercedes can save you the cutting and tapering trouble.

Mike