seafeye

Just as the title says. My bolt was a little rough. Tried it anyway and it pulled out the threads in the oil pan.
Has anyone fixed this issue themselves? Or does this mean removing the pan and making a trip to a machine shop?

curtisr

Why not drill and tap it yourself? For short term use you can buy rubber ones that work like the hole plug in the stern of your boat.

You can also buy a self-tapping drain plug that is, of course, slightly larger than the previous plug.

Time-serts and similar helicoil inserts is the choice of many a mechanic.

As a final thought, you can also buy drain plugs within a drain plug. This spigot-like option would need to be JB welded into place. Ask me how I ended up with us. Wait, never mind. lol

seafeye

I have looked into putting in a time-sert myself. Ouch the kit is $230+
Heli coil would be cheaper but to get the coil (M20 x 1.5) plus drill bit and tap. Then the install tool. I'm looking at $90. Having a hard time finding a m20 x 1.5 heli coil anyway.

But I like the idea of the self tapping bolt. Where can I get one of those?

Van

I think the Helicoil is the way to go. Cheaper than a new oil pan plus alignment.

While not idea to drill and tap while in the car, you can make a tube extension for your vacuum to suck out any chips when you're done. Also, you can coat the tap flutes with grease so the chips "stick" to it.

seafeye

The engine is on the stand. I can get the pan off. Which might be the better alternative. I also have another pan but it doesn't have the lindsey baffle welded in.
So....... Use other pan or take this one off and send to machine shop. I'm scared of the second option because who knows how long that will take.

curtisr

Eric the Car Guy has a that, as far as I can tell, suggests that the original drain plug doesn't use all of the threads so all you need do is get a longer bolt (similar pitch, thread, obviously) and your troubles are over. If you do watch the video, I would suggest leaving a nut on before grinding unless you own a thread-chaser.

YouTube also has a DIY drill and tap procedure . It took me a minute to realize that he was actually drilling into the oil pan!

Jeff951NJ

Since the motor is out of the car I see you have a few options:

1. Try and fix you current pan. My opion if you don't have the taps and tools already not worth it

2. Take your current pan and 2nd pan to a Welder and have him swap the baffle over.. Shouldn't take to long but alway run the risk of the welder making a mistake and ruining the baffle.

3. Buying another baffle kit from Lindsey and have it welded in.

I personally would never drill the pan when it's on the motor but that's just me. I think you just asking for trouble. You miss one metal shaving and it goes in the rod or main bearings and you just opened up a whole new can of worms.

KevinGross

Buy a good used pan.

Kevin
Catellus Engineering

extanker

agreed

divil

Just don't do this...

Hall of shame - VW Golf sump...with a nut and bolt fitted to seal the sump, with bolt fitted from inside the sump

MB968

Pull the pan, take it to a weld shop that also does some minor machining and have some new material welded into the drain hole. Drill it out and tap it back to stock. If you screw up the seal face, you can use a co-bore tool to cut a new seat face. This is how it would be done in a factory setting, probably including Porsche if they ended up with a bit of casting porosity in the drain hole area.

FRporscheman

Dude, if the engine is out of the car, you should definitely take off that oil pan. Either take it to a machinist / welder, or replace it with a good used one.

I would replace it.

william_b_noble

I think you are getting less than the best advice - if you have it out of the car, take the pan to any competent automotive machine shop and have them install a helicoil for you. Or have a friend with a metal lathe make an insert and tap it to some convenient thread on the outside, and a thread that matches the drain plug on the ID. I could certainly make the insert, my selection of metric helicoils is pretty limited though. You can also try Ebay for helicoil - the tap is what is important, the rest is just standard stuff. you can insert it with a pair of long nosed pliers and just a tiny amount of care. The helicoil will give you much much stronger threads

seafeye

I have a spare pan so I cleaned that up and installed it. It doesn't have the Lindsey baffle but that is ok for now. This week I am going to try find a machine shop that will be able to helicoil or time-sert it for me. Thanks for all the advice. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this boat. Ftr. I found a die on eBay for $14. It retreaded my plug easily. It was M20 x 1.5.