Date:         Wed, 13 Oct 2004 01:17:39 -0500
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject:      Re: Help advise please, stripped drain plug
Comments: To: Bruce Ralphs <bar@ISLANDNET.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <149ABD7C-1CCF-11D9-9F22-000D93ADD23E@islandnet.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Well, there are a variety of fixes, but the best on is to have a
mechanic install a helicoil of the right size. Buy yourself a new drain
plug, give it to the mechanic so he can match the helicoil to it. Once
the repair is complete, install the new plug, and use a crushable copper
gasket with the plug, tighten it finger tight an then 1/4 turn. This is
one place the plug does not need reefing on. I use this procedure on my
88 GL and every time I change the oil I install a new crush gasket.
Although I warm the engine before draining the oil, I let it cool down
to dead cold before installing that plug. I don't beleive in installing
a plug into a hole in a hot engine. When the engine cools, it gets a
grip on that plug and is much harder to remove, even when heated again.
So cold plug into a cold engine, using a crush gasket under the plug head.

Regards,

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Bruce Ralphs wrote:

> Hey Gang, been really quiet lately and a fly on the wall.
>
> Well it looks as though the yoyo's at a oil-change place over-tightened
> my oil plug as the guys this weekend had to use incredible force to
> undo it and the threads fell off from the engine side.  They chased it
> with a tap again to clean it up but it drips oil now.  I need to get
> this fixed.  Any advise other than tapping a larger diameter one it its
> place?
>
>
> Cheers, bruce
>
> '85 Westy
> '99 A6 Avant
> Victoria, BC, Canada, truly a Westy ;-)
>