Options for a leaking drain plug?

[Funstuie]

Decided to do an oil change on my 76 C10 and there was not much oil in the pain. The drain plug that in there is not original it looks like a Home Depot bolt and silicon washer.

New oil in there and it’s leaving a mark. Took out our for a drive and warmed it up. Left even more of a mark in the parking lot.

So I’m presuming someone in the past has botched a repair.

What options do I have to fix this one?

[mongocanfly]

mine has a copper washer under the drain plug....go to a parts store and get a new plug and washer

[akart]

IF a new drain plug doesn't work and your pan has boogered up threads you are going to have to get another pan. New or used. Not hard to change,not expensive and you can get rid of any gunk in the old pan. Kind of important keeping that oil in the engine!!

[blindbug]

Originally Posted by akart

IF a new drain plug doesn't work and your pan has boogered up threads you are going to have to get another pan. New or used. Not hard to change,not expensive and you can get rid of any gunk in the old pan. Kind of important keeping that oil in the engine!!

It's not necessary to replace the whole pan because the drain plug is buggered up.


https://www.amazon.com/Drain-Thread-.../dp/B01MEFKNX4

That's a repair kit for enlarging the hole just a little, tapping it as well, and new plugs to go in their place.

Alternatively, tap the hole to a larger size, then install a bolt of the appropriate size with thread locking compound, then drill a new hole close to the old, tap it, and install a new plug.

[Dead Parrot]

Make sure that all of the lost oil is from the improvised drain bolt. Rear seal, oil sender, and valve cover leaks can all drop oil in about the same spot.

[Jeepwm69]

The last time I paid someone to change my oil was about 15 years ago, and they stripped the pan on my 93 Honda Accord. The guy said "well those threads just wear out over time".

Haven't let anyone change my oil since.

Anyhow, my fix was to get a Fumoto valve (google it). I drained the oil, put some blue Loctite on the threads of the Fumoto valve and screwed it up in the pan, and let it sit overnight, then added oil the next morning.

It never leaked a drop of oil and oil changes were easy after that. I drove that car another 100K miles before I sold it.

I used one on my wife's Honda Rancher for the same reason, with the same result. I did put a hose clamp on hers to make sure off road debris didn't flip the lever on the valve.

[farmall]

I changed lots of oil when I was a kid at the local Firestone. We had 1X and 2X oversized drain plugs for boogered bung holes. They would just cut new threads as you installed them. I think they had an O and OO or X or XX on the bolt head. They worked OK and could be reused.

[Axle]

If its just seeping past the drain plug, get some of the nylon drain plug washers (rather than the copper). They last for quite a while. (1/2" if its a stock sized drain plug)
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...in+plug+washer

[truckin 79]

Teflon tape has always worked. My Sonoma has leaked for a while, I have tried copper washer and plastic washer and still leaked. This time I tried Teflon tape just a small leak but not from pan

[87 STEPPER]

Might wanna try this one looks pretty good.

http://www.ecoplugsystem.com/about.html

[Killer Bee]

we repair stripped threads with time-sert, best thread restoration kits on the market..

straight threads in tin pans/covers don't seal anything anyways..

their only purpose is to clamp the brass/copper/aluminum/nylon/rubber/dyna-seal, etc. to the seal flange..

good luck!

eta; 14mm Honda time-sert kit bought recently, worked like a champ!

[hatzie]

Re-thread it for a larger plug or weld/braze on a new bung.
You can make a pan bung on a lathe to fit whatever drain plug floats your boat or get one of several weld-in bung and plug kits. My Chinese 7x10 lathe from Horrible Fright makes small parts like this pretty easy. I weld drain plug bungs to automatic transmission pans on every automagic trans I own. With a steel body Magnefine filter in the cooler return line and a plug in the pan there's no reason to pull the transmission pan anymore. The strainer is roughly 100 microns or even coarser. The Magnefine is 25 microns and it has a big high temp magnet just like the one in the pan should be. I change the fluid every four oil changes or so and the external filter every engine oil change. If you have to pull the pan you don't have to wear nine quarts of transmission fluid.

This is a weld-in bung kit from MACs. The ad copy claims it's a Ford or Merc part on some sites. Not sure how a weld-in bung with a threaded drain plug is so brand-specific but here ya go.
https://www.amazon.com/MACs-Auto-Par.../dp/B017C5XZ7U

[stanski]

Pick up a new style drain plug from GM, may be metric, drill and tap a 1"x1" piece of 7/16 flat, then weld it over the old hole from the outside and don't have to remove the pan. You can purple torque on that plug for years without the worry of pulling out the threads.