I need some advice quick. I changed my oil and but I over tightened my oil pan drain plug and stripped the threads. I took it to my dealer (slow drip around the plug) and they said I need a new oil pan. Cost to do all of this will be $880+tax because they have to disconnect the tranny and lift the motor to get the pan off. Is there anything else I can do? I told them to hold off so I can try to think of an alternate plan. I have a 2001 3/4 ton 2wd 24v Cummins truck w/ auto transmission. I am sure I am not the first to do this.

One thought ould be to takr the plug and drill and tap it for a smaller drain plug and then weld the original plug back in place.

Thanks for any advice.

Brazos

 

Do a google for Timeserts.

A bunch of th guys running the older Ford V10 had problems with the plugs blowing out and stripping the threads in the heads. Either $2K for new heads or fix it permanently with the timeserts.

Here's a link:

http://www.threadkits.com/timeserts/timeserts.html

Check 'em out, they might save you a ton of bucks.

Rich

 

WOW .... do I remember this .....

Basically, what happened to you is exactly what happened to me, only I wasn't the one who did it.

I came home from a straight through drive from Key West pulling my trailer with 2 bikes inside. It was 24 hours total, and I was exhausted. I got home and crashed. The next day I didn't feel like doing anything, so I decided to take my truck to Pep Boys to change the oil. How hard can it be I thought. LOOOOOOOOOOng story short, they used the wrong oil when they did the change, and when I called them on it, the mecahnic panicked and because he rushed he stripped the plug. After a couple of attempts, they realized that I was going to need a new pan because the threads were stripped. I took it to a dodge dealer, and yep, 800 plus bucks was exactly what it cost Pep Boys. You are right, the tranny DID need to be disconected as well as something else, but I can't remember. It really sucked, but to Pep Boy's credit they DID stand up and do the right thing. Props to them.

It is because of this incident that I decided to start learning how to work on my Ram myself. So far, so good. I hate to sound like the reaper, but you very well may have to also replace the pan.

Good luck to ya !!

 

those timeserts look just like helicoils

you can tap the threads and get a slightly larger plug to put in, or get one of them fancy ones you dont have to pull the plug for, all you have to do is hit a lever and the oil comes out

 

Well I have decided I won't change my own oil on the dodge anymore. I have change the oil since I bought it 5 years and 130K miles ago. All the money i saved just went out the window. At least if the dealership does it they own it. No more than I change the oil its not worth it. Not to mention the hassel of disposing of all the oil. It would be nice if I could get one of the improved plugs with a valve to put in permanent and bypass having to unscrew the plug each time eliminating the problem of stripping the oil pan threads further. My fear is that if it not done right the plug could fall out driving down the road and dump my oil and trash the motor. I talked to a local mechanic that belives he should be able to make a drain plug work. If not he feels he can do the oil pan switch much cheaper than $880. I figure I have nothing to loose. If anyone has any other ideas I would like to hear them.

Thanks,

Brazos

 

Well I have decided I won't change my own oil on the dodge anymore. I have change the oil since I bought it 5 years and 130K miles ago. All the money i saved just went out the window. At least if the dealership does it they own it. No more than I change the oil its not worth it. Not to mention the hassel of disposing of all the oil. It would be nice if I could get one of the improved plugs with a valve to put in permanent and bypass having to unscrew the plug each time eliminating the problem of stripping the oil pan threads further. My fear is that if it not done right the plug could fall out driving down the road and dump my oil and trash the motor. I talked to a local mechanic that belives he should be able to make a drain plug work. If not he feels he can do the oil pan switch much cheaper than $880. I figure I have nothing to loose. If anyone has any other ideas I would like to hear them.

Thanks,

Brazos

 

Get one of these and you'll never have to take the drain plug out again.http://www.dieselsite.com/index.asp?...PROD&ProdID=33
Hopefully you won't need a new pan, but if you do, might as well pop for the extra $25.00. Good luck!
Scott

 

Can you get one of the valve type brazed / welded into place on the pan?

 

That is kind of what I am thinking. Why could i not get one of, what appears to be brass, valve type brazed into place? I mentioned that to the new mechanic I talked to earlier and he is open to trying solutions such as this. It would be nice if I could find one of the valve type that is oversized with self tapping threads. That way once the new valve plug is on I would never have to remove it again. So far I have not been able to find an oversized vavle type drain plug.

Brazos

 

I guess the only thing you would have to watch if you WERE to weld / braze it in is to make sure that you don't get it TOO hot. I'm sure there are probably some rubber of plastic pieces in there that would melt if you got them too hot. Kinda like what happens if you get a ball valve too hot while trying to solder it in on a common water pipe.