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Date:         Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:22:25 -0800
Reply-To:     mad madeline <mac10wv@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mad madeline <mac10wv@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: vanagon Digest - 13 Dec 2008 (#2008-1286)
Comments: To: streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Allan, We had a very similar issue just this last week.  My advice is to not do a helicoil!  It will eventually strip again.  A helicoil had apparently had been installed once before in our case, and the metal gave way and desintegrated. Our research pointed to a better solution: the steel "TimeSert" sleeve.  Its a steel threaded sleeve that is inserted, and then the oil plug screws into that .  The kit is $115 for five of them.  Excellent "how to" video on their website.  We called the mechanic we had recently started using, and they actually had one and installed it for $55... well worth not paying for the 4 extras (Plug here - no pun intended - for German Motors in Mesa AZ!).  We bought a temporary expanding oil plug from AutoZone to allow us to drive to the repair shop and that worked well too.  Here's the email response TimeSert sent us which gives all the information and the website:   {This should be a M14x1.5 as VW has used this size for many years. you can verify to be sure. kit p/n 1415A price $115.95 Kit includes all the tools and 5 inserts of a 12.7mm length. Here is a link to the instructions which are included in the kit. http://www.timesert.com/html/drain-plug-repair.pdf

The tooling has square drives so if you have square drive sockets that will make it easy to hold the square using a 3/8 ratchet. If you don't have a square drive socket you may optionally try using a 12 point socket as this can drive a square fairly well as a standard 6 sided socket will not. Recommended: We sell a 3pc. socket that will drive all the tools p/n 70940 found here: http://www.timesert.com/html/drainplugNote2.html Price $30.83}   Good luck, Madeline    Date:    Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:37:26 -0500 From:    Allan Streib <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU> Subject: oil drain threads stripped

Changing the oil tonight in my WBX.  When I first got the van, the plug bolt installed had too large a head and I had to grind down a socket to fit.  So I ordered the correct plug and crush washer, and was going to install it but found that I could barely get it beyond finger tight -- it just keeps turning.  So, it would seem the threads in the case are stripped out. 

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