stripped oil pan bolt threads... help for my 325i
Jayhappyd
bolt and it is too small now.
the larger bolt in there now fits snuggly, but oil drips from it.
is there a long term solution for this problem without replacing oil pan?
any suggestions to my problem are greatly appreciated.
Jay
marlinspike
Richard
"Jayhappyd" <jayh...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030513210453...@mb-m14.aol.com...
Bob Kegel
news:b9s5kv$n7e$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
> ... how expensive is a new lower pan?
Costs more than a torque wrench.
adder
The pan gasket will probably cost more than a torque wrench!
You can take the pan off and get it repaired. I reckon you'd have to
pretty very careless indeed to strip the threads. What on earth was
the person who did it thinking?
Jayhappyd
noticed it too late to bring it to the attention of the business responsible
for stripping it.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to repair the damage, I would greatly
appreciate it.
Dave Plowman
Helicoil insert. Can be done without removing the pan. Basically, with a
special tap you make a new thread. Then insert the wire helicoil (with a
special tool) which locks in place. You end up with the same size as
original thread. It can be DIY'd if you've got the skills (can't
everything) but the kit is fairly pricey as it contains enough coils to do
several same size threads. About 30 gbp depending on size. So perhaps
better to get an engineering workshop to do it.
--
*Proofread carefully to see if you any words out or mispeld something *
Dave Plowman dave....@argonet.co.uk London SW 12
RIP Acorn
marlinspike
probably cost more than a torque wrench!
>
is $6.97. Why are the bimmer parts so expensive. Are you people just talking
about dealer prices? Maybe www.buyeuroparts.com has lower prices?
Richard
Fred W.
Jay,
A couple of thoughts:
The main reason drain plugs get stripped is the mechanic drops the sealing
washer in the drain pan and doesn't notice so attempts to seal the plug with
brute force. Oil drain plugs (unlike transmission and differential
drainplugs) are NOT tapered. Tightening more will not seal them better.
They all need sealing washers of some type. Usually the washer is made of
soft aluminum or copper material which is more maleable than the plug or
sump.
If the oversize plug you have now is mechanically OK, you can put a sealing
washer on it which should stop the dripping. Saab makes (and uses) a rubber
coated metal washer for their drain plugs. I believe it may fit your drain
plug, but you would have to verify sizes to be sure.
If the current plug is not threaded correctly, they sell oversize drain
plugs at auto supply houses for just this kind of thing. That along with
the sealing washer previously mentioned should fix you up.
I would not try to use a helicoil in the sump as the space between the pan
and coil may leak too.
Fred
Dave Plowman
Fred W. <Fred.Wills@ nospam myrealbox.com> wrote:
> I would not try to use a helicoil in the sump as the space between the
> pan and coil may leak too.
Strange advice. They're commonly used for spark plugs where the pressure
is high and the seal is critical.
Go away and do some learning. ;-)
--
*If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you *
Randy Walters
You didn't say what model your "325i" is (E30, E36, E46) but i know
the E30 drain bolt has a 12mm x 1.5 thread (the same as the lugbolts
:-)
I have heard of people running a 14mm x 1.5 tap through the drain
hole which leaves it with nice fresh threads (of course using grease
on the tap to catch the aluminum shavings, then pouring a few
sacrificial quarts of warm thin oil through the engine to flush any
remnants out), then using a 14mm x 1.5 drain bolt and washer from
a 4-cylinder Mercedes. I've heard it works, but never got feedback
from people i've recommended it to so i don't know for a fact that it
works. I was going to try it to restore the weak threads on my
previous E30 but never got the chance to......
Randy
89 325is
karma-kanic
> In article <Ayqwa.70$793.1...@news1.news.adelphia.net>,
> Fred W. <Fred.Wills@ nospam myrealbox.com> wrote:
> > I would not try to use a helicoil in the sump as the space between the
> > pan and coil may leak too.
>
> Strange advice. They're commonly used for spark plugs where the pressure
> is high and the seal is critical.
>
> Go away and do some learning. ;-)
Sorry guys, but I disagree with both above statements.
Oil WILL seep thru the backside of helicoil inserts just like it will
seep through any threads. The wicking action of fluids is a powerfull
force.
Off the topic, but related. Ever seen an air conditioning hose that
will leak a/c oil (a fluid), but not a/c freon (a gas). I have, many
times.
But the wicking action doesn't stop helicoils from being an effective
repair of stripped drain plugs in BMW cast aluminum pans. That's
because the crush seal is large enough to cover the helicoil, so it
seals them just as it does the threads of the drain plug.
The biggest problem I find with using helicoils for drain plugs is
that some oil pans have a rather thin wall at the drain plug boss. All
sheet metal pans for instance. Since helicoils are locked in place
from their spring pressure, you need at least 6-8 threads for them to
stay in place.
And FWIW, a smart mechanic will immediately call the customer when he
finds weak drain plug threads. In many cases the problem has been
building up for a while and the last guy to touch it is not necessary
the culprit. He just wasn't smart enough to call.
Respectfully,
Dave
Dave Plowman
karma-kanic <BigT...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > > I would not try to use a helicoil in the sump as the space between the
> > > pan and coil may leak too.
> >
> > Strange advice. They're commonly used for spark plugs where the pressure
> > is high and the seal is critical.
> >
> > Go away and do some learning. ;-)
> Sorry guys, but I disagree with both above statements.
> Oil WILL seep thru the backside of helicoil inserts just like it will
> seep through any threads. The wicking action of fluids is a powerfull
> force.
Of course it will, so a helicoil is no different in practice. Hence the
use of a sealing washer on most spark plugs and drain plugs.
If you want to stop fluids weeping past a thread where there is no
sealing washer - like say a stud that goes into the water jacket - you
use a thread sealer like ScotchGuard 336.
--
*Taxation WITH representation ain't much fun, either.
JRE
Find an oil pan bolt from any manufacturer that will fit an
oversize hole, perferably a magnetic one. Pay attention to the
design of the bolt and whether it needs a (usually aluminum)
gasket.
Then drill and tap the hole to size. Use a stop on the drill so
that you DO NOT hit the crankshaft or oil pickup or whatever else
might be above the hole. Flush the hole *liberally* with
kerosene or a lightweight oil. Add oil. Idle the engine until
warm. Drain it, change the filter, and refill.
JRE
JRE
Nonetheless, to strip an oil pan bolt by overtightening it would
take real effort. Even an ape would think something was wrong
first. My bet would be on cross-threading rather than ruination
by overtightening.
JRE
Dave Plowman
JRE <not...@nowhere.com> wrote:
> Then drill and tap the hole to size. Use a stop on the drill so
> that you DO NOT hit the crankshaft or oil pickup or whatever else
> might be above the hole. Flush the hole *liberally* with
> kerosene or a lightweight oil. Add oil. Idle the engine until
> warm. Drain it, change the filter, and refill.
If you grease the drill bit, and use a slow speed, the swarf will stick to
the drill. But in any case, the swarf will be too large to get through the
oil pump strainer.
Personally, I favour the helicoil method. It retains the same plug - get
a new one if there's signs of damage - so won't confuse a BMW mechanic.
--
*If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate *