Sump Plug issue

[Doc_Acos]

Just thought I would do a quick oil change in the ole' Rocky this afternoon. My first one on this vehicle. I have only had it for a year and the owner before me (my brother-in-law) always took it to a mechanic to have this done.

Got under the car and found that the sump plug was loose but I emptied out the oil and proceeded to put the plug back in. This is when I found out that it was loose because who-ever done the last service over-tightened it and stripped the thread in the sump pan.

Any suggestions on how to get it up and running again without buying a new sump pan??

[lay80n]

Try running a tap through the sump plug hole, and see if there is enough metal to tap into and make a good thread. Otherwise, rip the sump off, and either re-drill and tap the hole the next size up and get a bigger sump plug or get the hole welded over then drill and tap it.

Layto....

[jav]

Try wrapping the sump plug with thread tape for temp fix.

[Doc_Acos]

Thanks guys, tried thread tape, its way too loose still.

I am thinking that I might throw the same thread down it but tapered. I can get the plugs easy enough and use thread tape the seal on the thread instead of a gasket material on the flat surface. I have seen this done before with good results.

Good call Lay80n and Jav. Will post the outcome in a day or two.

[RockyF75]

Umm, before you do anything major, if it just 'feels' loose, try tightening it up while pressing on it, or just going as hard as you can, cause mine gets tight tight tigh, then all of a sudden goes loose, then you tighten it a bit more and its done up fully. Not stripped, just has some funky thread modifications

[Doc_Acos]

Yeah this is truely buggered, I can tighen it up until it goes loose again with my hand. Its that loose, that I think they must have cross-threaded it when they did it, cause when that happens it nearly strips the whole thread out.

Personal experience, you know the stupid things you do as a 1st year apprentice........ or was that just me

[RockyF75]

Unlucky

There's a few mobs that do thread repair, but would be exxy ( they want ~$150 to do 3 bolts on my rear door) so I dare say a sump plug would be a bit more.

[BundyRumandCoke]

Can you not buy tapered sump plugs, or even next size up, and file a groove across the threads and let it cut its own new thread. Then flush the sump with a litre of oil. What I can tell you is different sumps have different sized bungs. I have a couple here with different sizes.

[Goatse.AJ]

Before you go to a heap of trouble with this, just confirm that it isn't the thread on the plug itself.

I had the same problem after one of my apprentoids cross threaded it. The thread on the plug is MUCH softer than the sump itself.

If it is the plug, then go to a pick and pinch wrecker and get yourself a "new" one.

[Doc_Acos]

Nah, checked that already, its definitely the sump pan, the sump plug has a tensile rating of 12.4, its marked on the head of it. Where the Sump pan is only pressed mild steel by the look of it. The plug looks like new.

[Goatse.AJ]

Bummer.

Looks like a re-tap then. Lifting the motor far enough to swap a sump is a PITA for such a small job.

[Remgrant]

I had the same problem. There is plenty of metal in the sump plug to tap a new thread. If it is a diesel one, I have a sump with the same problem in the garage that I could take some pictures to show you how thick the metal is. They are a bit difficult to find, but there are taps and after -market sump plugs available. I replaced the whole sump on mine, it was about $400 for the whole sump.
If you want more info, PM me.

[Doc_Acos]

Remgrant, thanks for the info, I think you have answered my one doubt, which was how much metal there is to play with. I am off to Coventry's tomorrow, they said that if they dont have the tap and plug on the shelf they can get them in a day or two, so its all good.

When tapping it I am thinking about filling the taps flutes with grease to catch any swarf, then flushing the engine just to be safe. As long as I dont stuff it up royally I shouldnt need to take the sump off.

If I stuff it up, I will take pictures so atleast everyone else can have a good laugh, lol

[murcod]

If I stuff it up, I will take pictures so atleast everyone else can have a good laugh, lol

That's the attitude!

A decent flush and probe around through the hole with one of those magnetic retrieval tools should do wonders.

Doesn't the oil go through the filter after being pumped from the sump anyway? So it should be reasonably safe to do?

[Doc_Acos]

Yeah oil should travel through a rough gauze filter near the bottom of the sump and then through the 10 micron filter before it hits the engine.

Whooo Hooo!!

Done, completed, finito.......

A 3/8 BSPT tap worked wonders, its smallest size is just above the largest size on the 5/8 BSW plug so didnt even need to drill. Greased up the tap to catch all the swarf, did the finger clean, a good flush with oil and a strong magnet clean too.

If there is any leaks by morning a welder will cure my frustration, lol

Tried out my New pneumatic grease gun while I was under the car, runs like a champion off both my home compressor and the hard-mounted 12v compressor in my engine bay


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*** Thanks for all the help fella's, would have been lost without it !! ***
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[Feroza 1.6lt]

If the plug does not tighten when you screw it in then check for cracks down the side of the case if there is none then you have a stripped thread you can purchase a hali-coil kit from Bursons and follow the instructions provided...Hint make sure you drill square and don't over-tighten the Heli-coil and your all right...


Good luck mate...

[lay80n]

If the plug does not tighten when you screw it in then check for cracks down the side of the case if there is none then you have a stripped thread you can purchase a hali-coil kit from Bursons and follow the instructions provided...Hint make sure you drill square and don't over-tighten the Heli-coil and your all right...


Good luck mate...

This is a good method too, forgot about heli-coils. Many cars (E.G. ecotec v6 commadore) have a helicoil in the sump plug thread from factory.

Layto....

[SimplyPV]

if you guys are concerned about shavings, it never hurts to throw a double sided magnet in the sump and leave it there.

[scotto_feroza]

same thing happened to my sump plug and it was the mechanics again who had over tightened it. i got it fixed for $60 from a different local mechanic. he had to tap a new thread and put a slightly larger diameter bolt in. it didnt take him very long so don't get charged to much