Oil Drain Plug Stripped? Get Help Now!

hello,

Okay, great! New engine installed, and now this: I noticed right after picking up the car from the workshop that a little oil was dripping from the oil drain plug. I thought, 'Well, they probably used a washer that's too small or just a regular washer.' I didn't think it was a big deal. After all, you have to do the first oil change anyway after driving the engine gently for about 1500 km.
Okay, so: I changed the oil yesterday, using a new copper ring on the drain plug. I put the oil in, and everything seemed fine. But then, this morning, I heard it again – dripping from the drain plug! I grabbed my ratchet and carefully tightened the plug: and what do you know? The threads in the oil pan are stripped! So, first of all, I've been doing oil changes myself for 10 years and I know how tight to tighten things. The engine has only been in for a month; I got it from a junkyard with 120,000 km on it. Of course, now it's great: it's almost guaranteed that no one will take responsibility. The workshop that installed the engine will claim it was already like that, or even better, they'll blame me. The junkyard owner will say it was the workshop's fault.

Does anyone know of a simple trick? Maybe use hemp fibers, or weld the screw in place until the next oil change and then just have it vacuumed out at the workshop? Or is there a way to save the threads?
I'm definitely going to have to discard the brand new oil that I just bought and poured in yesterday for a lot of money. Or, would it be worth catching the drained oil and putting it back in once the problem with the drain plug is resolved?

I wouldn't do something like that. You'll probably have to get a new oil pan, but at least then you can finally relax...

Hello,

You could try cutting a new, larger thread into the oil pan if there's enough material remaining. Then simply insert a suitable machine screw with a gasket and it should work fine.
I don't know if the existing threads still allow for that, but it's definitely cheaper than a new oil pan.

Best regards!

We had a similar discussion here just a few weeks or months ago.
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Hi,

Alternatively: Remove the oil pan, weld a new thread onto it, drill, and cut a new thread.

For at least the 2-series Golf with the 55hp gasoline engine (pre-catalytic converter), I can quickly remove the oil pan. The exact engine code (MKB) escapes me right now.
Replacing the rusted oil pan only took me about an hour.
Before starting the screwing process, it's important to check if you have a tool that is slim enough to reach the screws on the flywheel side (which I did). Otherwise, it will be very difficult and cumbersome.

Best regards, Rainer.

Hello.
There are also Helicoil thread inserts available for thread repair.
/viewtopic.php?t=5768&highlight=thread+repair*

Removing the oil pan isn't always straightforward. In my car, part of the front subframe needs to be lowered because the oil pan can't be pulled forward due to the oil pump. (The engine is mounted longitudinally.)

Hello,

I would also either install an oil pan from a scrapyard or use a Helicoil insert.
Welding only hardens the material in the area being welded. Either anneal the entire oil pan to relieve stress afterward, if you have a suitable furnace for that.
or damage the expensive tap in the hardened areas.

You can safely collect the oil in a verschandeln container and pour it back in. What could possibly happen to the oil?

Best regards,
Christian.

You can also weld a fitting that matches the thread of the oil drain plug onto the oil pan. To do this, the oil pan must be removed. The original threads need to be drilled out.
Depending on your skill level, you can choose between hard soldering or soft soldering. Select the appropriate solder and flux. While hard soldering would be preferable, with soft soldering, you can make countless attempts without damaging the material structure. However, the soldering iron must have a high power output. The nut doesn't need to be held very tightly; it just needs to be secured against twisting.

quadral

chris11 wrote:

Hello, I would also either install an oil pan from a scrapyard or use a Helicoil insert. Welding only hardens the material in the area being welded. Either anneal the entire oil pan to relieve stress afterward, if you have a suitable furnace for that. or damage the expensive tap in the hardened areas. You can safely collect the oil in a verschandeln container and pour it back in. What could possibly happen to the oil? Best regards, Christian

You don't necessarily have to make a full weld from the top left to the bottom right; two circles inside the thread with shielding gas are sufficient. What exactly is supposed to warp – the threaded sleeve?
I still have the same tap sets that I had 10 years ago...

Hello Rainer,

"The warping is not the problem. The issue lies in the hardening that occurs within the weld seam. Even a small amount of carbon, whether it comes from the CO2 or CO2-Argon gas mixture, the air, or if it's already present in the material, can create a localized area of increased hardness. The Rockwell hardness of this zone then creates friction with the Rockwell hardness of your thread cutter. That's why welded areas are very rarely machined using cutting tools (turning, milling, drilling, threading)."
Of course, things can go well up to 10 times. They *can*, but they don't necessarily *have* to.

You can believe me when I say that I've ruined more than one carbide insert during operations like that.

Best regards,
Christian.

Hi.

Okay, those are just my experiences... I didn't claim that it's good for a thread cutter.
But it's a quick and very reliable repair because the thread is as strong as new afterwards.
It might also be due to the welding wire, because seams made with my shielded gas welder and CO2 generally become softer than those made with a stick electrode welder. That's why I use the latter for anything that really needs to be strong.

Best regards, Rainer.

I took it to the workshop where they installed the engine. They machined the M14 thread into an M16 thread, inserted a larger screw, and now it's sealed.
Previously, the master had applied grease to everything, and then removed the grease clumps along with the shavings using a magnet.
They only charged me for the materials (13 euros)! Very generous.

Hello...
Skarke offers oil service valves. These can be screwed in using metal adhesive, ensuring a permanent seal. The oil flows through the inside when the drain fitting (which must be tightened by hand!) is screwed in.
Address:
www.skarke.de