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Oil drain plug catastrophe

K katsMember
Hey guys,

Need some serious help here. I took my car to Coz's house about 2 months ago. We did the normal tuneup and fluid changes. My oil drain plug and pan were stripped and we could not get it to tighten up enough to hold the oil. We tried a bigger drain plug, washers, etc. Nothing worked. I unfortunately only had the one day to work on the car with Coz (THANKS AGAIN COZ!). I actually bought an oem oil pan from a fine gentelman on this board, but then realized that I cannot remove the oil pan without pulling the motor/zf. I don't have the knowledge nor the tools to do that.

Well, i played with it a few weeks ago and got it to tighten a little better by pushing in the the side of the oil pan a little bit to get a better grip on the bolt inside the pan. (stock pan). I filled her up with oil. Everything seemed ok. Well, when I took her out she actually broke down on me a few miles from my house. It was electrical issues that I have fixed. Anyway, while waiting for a flat bed tow rig, my drain plug came loose AGAIN and left a nice puddle in the parking lot I had pulled off into.

I have tried like crazy to get this damn thing to tighten up, and it won't. My car hasn't really been driven in months because of this. One idea that Coz had was to use JB Weld and adhere a bolt onto the outside of the pain in place of the drain hole and screw the drain plug into that. I have not tried that yet, but might end up doing it.

Does anyone have any other ideas of ways I can fix this problem?

The fact that the only thing keeping me from driving my baby is a small hole I cannot plug is driving me crazy. Help! Frowner

Adam
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George PGeorge PAdmin.
Adam,

I have repaired stripped drain plugs many times, in fact I was asked this week to look at a pan that the owner can't remove the plug from, its too tight (EEK!). Some folks just don't know their own strength! All is not lost my friend.

You should look for an auto parts store with a guy behind the counter with grey hair and glasses as thick as coke bottle bottoms. The guy probably goes by the name of Pops, or Fast Eddie. No, not the kids at Auto Zone! The old timer will have the fixes for you. Fast Eddie will be at the auto parts store that all the mechanics in town go to for parts. Possibly NAPA. He's nicknamed Fast Eddie because he moves real slow, like me.

The easiest solution is a self tapping drain plug that will cut itself some new threads as you screw it in the first time. It sounds like you may not have any threads left for it to screw into, but you should give it a try.

Unfortunately, the threaded tab tack welded in the pan for the drain plug isn't very thick, drilling it out & tapping it isn't an option.

Some other tricks I've used include having a nut carefully TIG welded on the outside of the pan; I've also drilled the hole in the pan out to 9/16" and installed a "chassis nut". Its a threaded insert designed for sheet metal that crushes itself on either side of the hole & locks itself in place. Don't have a chassis nut that big handy? Neither did I the first time, so I popped a tubeless tire valve stem into the hole!

We'll get you back on the road! Rock & Roll.

your friend on the PIBB, George
B bdMember
Kats -
I agree with Husker. Remove the crossmember and the handbrake linkage support. Then buy a bolt in crossmember from Dennis at PPC in Castle Rock, CO. I removed my crossmember with a Dremmel tool and cut off wheels. The engine was already out but you should be able to do it lying on your back under the car. You can probably remove it with a special hack saw also. The handbrake support will probably need removing too. You will need to take the handbrake support and have it modified so that you can bolt it back onto the frame of the car. At least you can drive the car without a handbrake though. Good luck.
huskerhuskerMember
Kats, I used a pneumatic cutoff wheel and an angle grinder. And no, the engine wasn't out at the time I did mine. The Dremel is OK but the cutoff wheels are a bit expensive. It's probably easiest to cut it off about an inch or so away from the frame on both sides then cut it off at the frame. This gives you a little bit more maneuvering room. Also, get the jackstands as high as possible, I'm not a big guy but still had problems getting "comfortable". I have an old removeable e-brake bracket from Pantera Performance available that I had to modify a bit but it will still work. If you're interested e-mail me at mgreen15"at"adelphia.net. I can get you a picture if you like.
marlinjackmarlinjackThe Machinist #5723 AMARGOSA MACHINE 'Running on Empty- Middle of Nowhere'
STOP!! Do Nothing yet!!! I have repaired 3 stripped oil pans for 'Jiffy Lube'. The cure I invented is simpler than all others. You use a Tap and cut new threads of 1/4" NPT Thats National Pipe TAPERED. You just cut the NEW thread right OVER the stripped-out threads DO NOT 'tap drill' before-hand. Yes! It works even though you are working with 'Sheet-Metal'. You can do it while everything is still in the car. There should be enough room to turn the tap with a 'cresent wrench'. Then you thread in a 1/4 NPT TO 1/8 NPT ADAPTER using teflon tape or sealer or lock-tight. Into this adapter goes a 1/8 NPT PLUG! This is your NEW drain plug and the Adapter remains in the pan PERMINANTLY! The Tapered pipe thread should have been used by the entire automotive industrie IN THE FIRST PLACE!! I have said this for decades! The taper tightens up quickly, and PREVENTS any further tightening and therefore stripping. I have saved Jiffy lube hundreds of dollars on just these three pans. It works so well; it will scare You! If I have 'caught' you in time, before you have done any cutting to the crossmember, You are in luck! Try this procedure and you'll be smiling for months. Good-Luck with it!!
K katsMember
quote:
Originally posted by MARLIN JACK:
STOP!! Do Nothing yet!!! I have repaired 3 stripped oil pans for 'Jiffy Lube'. The cure I invented is simpler than all others. You use a Tap and cut new threads of 1/4" NPT Thats National Pipe TAPERED. You just cut the NEW thread right OVER the stripped-out threads DO NOT 'tap drill' before-hand. Yes! It works even though you are working with 'Sheet-Metal'. You can do it while everything is still in the car. There should be enough room to turn the tap with a 'cresent wrench'. Then you thread in a 1/4 NPT TO 1/8 NPT ADAPTER using teflon tape or sealer or lock-tight. Into this adapter goes a 1/8 NPT PLUG! This is your NEW drain plug and the Adapter remains in the pan PERMINANTLY! The Tapered pipe thread should have been used by the entire automotive industrie IN THE FIRST PLACE!! I have said this for decades! The taper tightens up quickly, and PREVENTS any further tightening and therefore stripping. I have saved Jiffy lube hundreds of dollars on just these three pans. It works so well; it will scare You! If I have 'caught' you in time, before you have done any cutting to the crossmember, You are in luck! Try this procedure and you'll be smiling for months. Good-Luck with it!!


Marlin, once again you amaze me with your infinite wisdom Wink

I will try this first and see how it goes. I'll let ya know.....

Thanks again!
K katsMember
quote:
Originally posted by Coz:
Great idea Marlin. Thanks !

Kats, can you handle doing this ?


I honestly don't know if it will work. I climbed underneath the car just now and took another look at the pan. It is so bent up and has been so abused I don't think anything will seal it up right. I am attaching some crappy pics I just took so you could see.

I think the only real solution is to get this pan out of there and put the new (old) pan in.

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accobraaccobraMember
I have to agree wit Marlin Jack since that has been my remedy many times a brass reducing fitting, since I have a warehouse of Plumbing fittings and too stuborn to go out and buy a plug at an autoparts store .... I keep saying there has to be a fitting some where in this shop that will work.... and yes exactly what Marlin states has been the solution. Except I use a little heavy duty industrial pipe compund called GASOILA it is resistant to oil and gas. Oil and gas disolves some of the other over time. TEFLON well thats for the handiman and is sure to be disolved and leak over time. Use a paste thread sealer from permatex.
K katsMember
The pan that is in the car currently (pictured) has the side of the pan, then a bolt about 1/4" inside the pan that the drain plug screws into. The pan I bought from a gentlemen on this site doesn't have that bolt, the drain plug screws right into the side of the pan.

I will try Marlins and your trick accobra. I am just worried if I don't smooth out the side of the pan, nothing will ever seal there.
marlinjackmarlinjackThe Machinist #5723 AMARGOSA MACHINE 'Running on Empty- Middle of Nowhere'
...After reviewing your picture, I can see that NO amount of thread tapping is ever going to seal that opening! In trying to save you the labor involved with completely removing the pan for repair or replacement; there is one more solution I would try: A screwdriver won't properly bend the sheetmetal back into place! Try a Round Steel Bar that will just slide up into the hole, this will give you the needed leverage to 'pull' the collapsed portion down into shape. Being careful NOT to do the opposite, and push the good side IN. Also a 'Slide-Hammer' with a 'Hook' device could work. THEN, have an EXPERT weld a Steel, OR Braze a Brass Pipe-Threaded Adapter into position, and conclude as previously discribed. Don't worry about the inner 'washer' breaking off, if it does, it will just lay in the bottom of the pan and the Oil Pump Intake Screen will prevent it from ever being sucked up into the pump. You can weld with Oxy-Acetalene, or Arc Weld with Mig, Tig or 'Stick'. If you DO arc weld, be sure to completely disconnect the Alternator and Battery. If brazing, you'll want to use the Oxy-Acetalene. If You had this problem in My shop; it would have been fixed in a couple of hours, weeks ago. This is everyones' worst nightmare! Other than that, Pull the Pan!...
cozcozMember
Adam,
Get the removable cross member and we'll change the pan out and put the removable cross member on. The last thing you need is to spring a leak a long way from home and be back to square one with no way to fix it facing a major towing bill or even worse, cook your motor.

Let's just replace the pan and be done with it.

quote:
Originally posted by kats:
Thanks a lot for all the help and advice guys. I truly appreciate it.

I currently am not sure exactly what I am going to do, but I will let you know.
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