Looking for oil pan - '95 RWD V6

Okay, I will do that! I have a meeting now, but will check in a bit and report back.

For my education: the truck is definitely a Tacoma; are you thinking the previous owner maybe put in a different engine? Or some other weirdness? I bought it from the original owner in 2007 and he definitely didn't mention anything about the engine being not-original.

For what it's worth, I just got off the phone with Jasper and he insists they would have used the OEM parts on the engine -- but it's out of warranty, so he wasn't able to pull up exactly what was put in.

I apprecaite the help!

 

Everything here looks perfectly as it was from the factory, nothing tricky going on, just an uncommon trim level being a 2wd 5lug with a v6, they stopped making those in 1998.

 

I appreciate the offer and may go that route! The mechanic here offered to do it for $500 -- I'm not sure if that's a fair price or not (I'm in the DC area). To be honest, I don't really buy that the plug "went bad" so don't really want to take it back to him.

In the thread I posted originally, the suggestion was a Fumoto valve; I'm willing to do that in the interim, but would rather get a permanent fix if possible.

 

Yeah, the 2WD is what seems to be the kicker; there are tons of after-market pans for 4WD

 

YES!! Exactly this. The pans I'm finding are all too deep, so the crossmember (I couldn't remember the right word) doesn't reconnect. I think at this point, re-tooling is my only option.

 

This is likely where I'm headed -- I was hoping to avoid it because of cost (the mechanic quoted me $500 to do that), but I need to do something.
A few people in the thread I posted suggested a Fumoto valve; not sure if that's a good permanent fix? (Seems like most think it would work long-term.)

 

OK, well, I think we've at least partially cracked the proverbial code here. Yours is a very unusual, no "rare" is a much better word, configuration with it being a 2WD (RWD) with a manual transmission. There probably weren't a whole lot made compared to AT and 4WD versions combined. And yours is very likely even a rarer "survivor".

So this certainly explains the difficulty in locating a correct oil pan.
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This one looks like it might be correct. Sorry for the length. (How do you edit this to be more reader friendly?)

https://a-premium.com/product/Engin...enB-5hKktsgBUbXzcPFHg3yYov57pP7QaAuuKEALw_wcB


If that isn't it above, I would have a new plug welded in. But $500 is way too much. If you can remove the pan yourself and degrease it, you should be able to save some $$$

Best wishes!

 

100% recommend @Speedytech7's kind offer. This guy knows what he's talking about and work is spot on. If I was in your position, I would've sent it already. I get it, the thought of being down for several days but take comfort in knowing it'll get done right - the first time.

 

Ooops. Not to double post, but I wanted to mention a couple other things:

* Forget about ideas like JB Weld and marine epoxy. No, no, no, just a thousand times no. Gimmicky solutions are not real ones. Fumoto valves are A-OK, but you don't even need that. Keep reading.

* In all honesty, your best bet IMHO is to have your existing drain plug hole drilled out and re-threaded (re-tapped) to the next most common larger size. And just change over to the corresponding larger plug. This is super easy to do and you do not need to remove your oil pan.

Others can triple check me here, but I am 99.9% confident Toyota has used an M12 x 1.25 oil pan drain plug for forever on virtually every model made. See below.



You are going to change to an M16 x 1.50 oil pan drain plug. DIY. Piece of cake. You can do this. Here is how.

1) You need to get yourself a drill bit and tap combo kit like this.

$25 uxcell Metric Tap M16 x 1.5mm Pitch H2 Right Hand Thread, 14.5mm Drill Bit HSS 9341 Black Oxide with 1/2" Straight Reduced Shank

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Metric-Thread-Straight-Reduced/dp/B0BCFS61D4

This is the precision drill bit and tap you need to enlarge the plug hole in your oil pan and re-thread it. (A pro mechanic will have entire sets of these in SAE and Metric sizes)

2) Start by removing your poopy, cross-threaded plug. And drain your engine oil into a *brand new* container you can pour from. Because you are going to temporarily re-use this oil. See below. It is important the container you use is spotless.

3) Once the oil has quit dribbling, brace yourself. Do whatever you need to do to psych yourself up. And place yourself into the "I am fixing to kick ass and take names" state of mind. But, honestly, all you need is a steady hand. A nice, crisp, fluffy bong hit will take the edge off and make you less jittery. Highly recommended. But I digress.

4) Attach that drill bit to your cordless drill and snug it tight. Turn down the torque (speed) setting to a low setting. Apply a big dollup of the thickest grease you can find to the drill bit tip. This grease is going to capture the shavings so they don't wind up inside your oil pan. Line it up, square, and start drilling. If the bit binds up - which it should on the lowest torque setting, that is A-OK. Wiggle it loose and turn up the torque so that the bit will cut through the pan metal at the lowest speed you can manage. You do need a steady hand. Keep the hole straight as possible. There is not a lot of metal to be removed, so you do not wish to "wallow out" the hole. Keep the bit penetration to the absolute minimum. Once you sense "punch through", with the tip of the drill bit, STOP and reverse out.

5) Clean your newly drilled oil pan hole with a rag and use whatever pick tool you need to remove any hanging burrs. The old threads should be basically gone and you should have fresh metal.

6) Now you are going to tap (re-thread) that hole. You are going to do this by hand. Put the cordless drill aside. You are done with it. Very, very, very carefully. That tap needs to be in installed in a "tap wrench" or a "tap handle". Like shown below. Another dab of thick grease on the tip of the tap. Square it up, and press firmly, and start turning clockwise until it "bites" or "grabs" and you know you are cutting new threads. You may need to apply a bit of force to get a bite. Once you do, keep making complete, steady, clockwise (right hand) rotations again until you feel punch through again. If you're tap gets stuck, that is normal. Just reverse out a turn or two and start again. Your tap should easily continue to cut new threads. M16 x 1.50 The tip of your tap should not protrude more than 1 cm into the pan upon punch through. Stop. Reverse out.

7) Wipe down your tap and remove every shaving and piece of granular metal from the tap. And the hole.


8) Optional - but recommended - step : "chase" your newly cut threaded drain plug hole with the same bit. Just less grease. It should track and follow easily the threads you just cut.

9) This is where the drained oil you saved is going to come in handy. Use maybe 1-2 quarts of that and pour it back into your oil fill spout on top of the engine. You may need a second catch pan. The premise of this step is than any particle that is hanging on the inside lip of your newly threaded oil pan drain hole will be flushed out with the oil as it merely passes through your engine. In and right back out.


10) This is now the moment of truth. If you have done this correctly, your oil pan is now ready to receive its brand new M16 x 1.50 plug. Like this. You can disregard model comparability and all that crap because you just created the perfect hole for this plug. They're like $7 on Amazon. If you can find one that is magnetic, even better.


That new plug should screw right into your oil pan. Start it by hand. You should easily be able to make 2-3 complete turns before you need to send it home with a very small ratchet and socket. Make sure you use a new crushable washer like shown above. I'm talking like spark plug tight. No more than snug.


11) Replace the filter and re-fill with fresh oil.

BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

If this is not your cup of tea, print this out and take it to a pro independent shop near you. This is CAKE WORK. A $10 new drain plug. And 2 hrs labor at an absolute maximum.

$200. If a shop declines, as you call around, and says something like "We don't re-tap oil pans like that", then say thanks, and move down your list.