Wrong Oil Pan Bolt

Changing the oil today; last change was about two years ago (~3k miles) by a shop that changed the alternator (I recall reluctantly agreeing to let them change the oil at the same time).

Oil pan plug was a bit awkward to remove today, very tight at first and then couldn’t really undo it by hand.

I was then shocked to see that the threads are completely worn...it almost looks as if they used the wrong plug and forced it closed. See pics. It was a size 14. Does this look like the correct plug?

Question is what the hell to do now. Just buy a new plug and hope it holds? Try to re-thread the oil pan?

Has this happened to anyone before?

this thread will be forwarded to my wife about why I NEVER WANT ANYONE ELSE EVER WORKING ON MY CARS!

 

That's a GM drain plug haha. I'd try buying the correct one, tap out the threads with the right pitch and see if it holds.

 

Buy a new plug, with a little luck the pan threads are not stripped.

 

Yeah, this is why I change my own oil.

The technicians (I use the term loosely) who get the oil changes aren't exactly the most experienced folks in the shop, and aren't likely to be MENSA members.

After I bought a 4Runner, they give you free service for XX miles. Well, at ~40k miles, that gravy train is over now, so I do my own oil changes. First time I go to remove the filter cartridge, the grease monkey had completely over tightened it, and I had to go get a new tool just to remove it.

 

I've been hand-tightening my oil filters for the last 60 years.

And I've always needed a tool to loosen them!

 

Ahh, there's that word again. "Technicians" You do realize that in most professions a "technician" is the lowest man on the totem pole. I first noticed Toyota using that term in 2007. I had a simple problem with a tailgate latch. I found out at that time why they call them technicians instead of mechanics. A mechanic can diagnose and fix a problem. A technician has to be told what's wrong by the computer and then reads the instructions on how to change the parts the software tells him to replace.

 

This is why I use a Fumoto drain valve on all my vehicles. No chance of cross treading. Plus, makes chaining oil 75% less messy.

 

Thanks for all the fast replays. This is further reinforcement of why I always want to do my own work.

I bought the only replacement they had at the nearby pep boys. See pic. will try to gently install it to see if the oil pan threads are f’d.

 

right?!

you might want to get a tap and chase those threads before trying to thread the bolt in there.

 

indeed, I gently tried installing the bolt and met a bunch of resistance. And of course my tap set skips over

$13 M12x1.25 mm Self-Locking Nylon Insert Hex Lock Nuts, Pack of 6

M12x1.25.

I’ve ordered the correct tap size and will wait to install the bolt until I have it. Any other suggestions?

Thanks for the feedback so far.

 

I know you already ordered one, but for future reference, my local Ace hardware has TONS of this type of stuff. I get most of my hardware there, too. They have quite a good selection of metric grade 10.9 stuff.

 

Thanks. checked my local ace. The guy I talked to didn’t seem to know what a Tap was and his manager told him they can only order them to be delivered for in store pickup. online Ace said it would arrive to this store by the 10th. Yikes!

I ordered from pep boys, which said it should arrive by tomorrow, but I’ve had bad luck with these next day orders not arriving next day. Anyone in downtown Philly got a 12x1.25 tap they’d be willing to give me until this new one arrives?

 

The tap finally got delivered (it took 5 days rather than next day), and I used it to clean out the threads. It was a real pain. I removed the skid plates and then had to use quite a bit of force with the tap to re-thread the pan. Access was limited by the transmission right beside the oil pan. I etched out a good amount of metal shards. The new bolt wasn't as easy to screw on as I would expect but I did get it installed without excessively high torque.

A couple things - evidently this size

$13 m12x1.25 mm self-locking nylon insert hex lock nuts, pack of 6

m12x1.25 is not a common bolt thread. I couldn't find any hardware stores or autoshops in the greater Philadelphia area that had it in stock.

For the metal scrapings that were tapped out: should I be concerned about this crap getting kicked up and circulating in the oil and causing trouble? I tried to clean it out as much as possible but I am sure some pieces of metal stay within the oil pan.

Finally, this was a major PITA - probably 2-3 hours of work plus 5 days of the truck sitting in the garage waiting for the tap to arrive. All of this because of some douchebag that used the wrong bolt after changing my oil. Please feel free to share this post with any significant other who may discourage you from doing simple things like changing your oil yourself.

 

Get a strong magnet to pick up straggler steel shards.

 

Or one of those flexible magnetic pickup tools.

 

You're right. Lotsa douchbags calling themselves "mechanics" around. Been that way forever.

One of them in 1993, after replacing the clutch on my 1987 Toyota SR5, installed but forgot to tighten the four bolts on the two pillow blocks on the rear of the driveshaft that connect it to the differential input flange. I noticed it after driving about a mile away at 35 mph. The bolts were installed but not even finger-tight.

 

Looping back to an old post of mine.

I finally got around to the next oil change since above debacle. I removed the bolt from 2 years ago with some resistance, and it’s threads were totally f’d:


I tried installing a new bolt, but it leaked pretty badly, about a tenth of a quart a day. So I removed the skid plates, re-tapped with the same tap, cleaned it out with a snake magnet, and installed the Fumoto valve:


Hoping it holds…if not, any thoughts on using a slightly larger size tap and bolt?

 

Holy fucking rust.

Your frame could certainly benefit from an oil leak.

 

That’s not the frame. The frame was replaced five years ago under the extended warranty program.

 

And thanks for the post.....this is 'THE UGLY' truth.....