Oil Pan drain hole stripped (my fix)

I know the best way to repair these pans is to pull it and weld a nut
on the inside. What in the world was the manufacturer thinking when
they didn't? As an engineer myself, that kind of poor engineering
really chaps me.

Anyway, I tried many things to no avail. Yesterday I installed a
rubber O-ring that just fit around a x1 oversize plug, and I was able
to get enough torque. Not a drop is leaking now.

 

(unix-freak) wrote in

and why would you weld a nut on the inside???? It would block some
drain oil. we have always put it on the outside. KB

 

i have an oil pan on my car that is 39 years old and hasn't stripped
yet. it's just a matter of knowing how tight is tight enough.
Chip

 

And replacing the crush washer helps too... that way when you get it tight
enough, it is the washer crushing and not treads pulling that's going to
keep everything sealed.
I personally use a torque wrench because it's not always easy to know tight
enough.

 

Because that's the way most oil pan's that were engineered correctly
were done...unless the metal was think enough.
I don't see where a nut that's 1/16" is really gonna make a lot of
difference on the oil draining.

 

Exactly. I've never stripped one myself. Basically the same type of
mechanic that over-torques lug nuts, over torques drain plugs. 25
ft/lbs is plenty of torque on that bolt.