Image via Wikipedia The oil drain plug is far and away the most removed and replaced bolt in a vehicle. It requires special care when removing or replacing it because the oil pan that it bolts into is thin and the threads can be stripped pretty easily. Auto parts manufacturers realized this problem and began creating oversized, self-tapping drain plugs. These drain plugs have a tapered end and will cut new threads into the oil pan. This saves the time of removing the pan and using a die to cut new threads.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Floor jack
- Jack stands
- Drain pan
- Ratchet
- Socket set
- Flathead screwdriver
- Engine oil (weight and amount specified in owner's manual)
- Self-tapping, oversized drain plug
- Clean, lint-free cloth
- Combination wrench set
- 2 quarts 0W20 or 5W20 engine oil
- Funnel
- Oil filter (optional)
-
- 1 Jack up the front of the vehicle and secure it with jack stands. Slide the drain pan beneath the oil drain plug on the oil pan. Remove the oil drain plug, with a ratchet and socket. When the drain pan is stripped, you typically need to hold constant downward pressure on the drain plug for it to catch the the threads, by prying the head of the drain plug down with a flathead screwdriver.
- 2 Allow all of the oil to drain into the drain pan.
- 3 Coat the threads of the oversized drain plug with new oil. The oil provides the lubrication needed to cut new threads. Insert the tapered end of the oversized plug and rotate it two full turns with a combination wrench. Then back the plug back out.
- 4 Tighten the drain plug two rotations past where it was and back it out.
- 5 Repeat Step 4 until the oversized drain plug is fully seated in the drain pan. Stop at the halfway point to clean the plug with a lint-free cloth and re-lubricate the threads with oil.
- 6 Open the vehicle's hood and open the oil filler cap. Pour two quarts of lightweight engine oil, such as 0W20 or 5W20, into the oil filler hole, using a funnel.
- 7 Crawl beneath the vehicle and remove the oversized drain plug and allow the lightweight oil to drain from the engine. This rids the oil pan of any shards of metal created by cutting the new threads. Reinstall the new drain plug, with its new gasket attached, and tighten it with a combination wrench. If you wish to change the filter as part of this oil change, now is the time to do it.
- 8 Fill the engine with the specified weight and amount of oil, as recommended in the owner's manual of your vehicle. Remove the funnel and tighten the oil filler cap. Start the vehicle and allow it to run for approximately two minutes. Shut the engine down, wait two more minutes, and recheck the oil level, add oil as needed.
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Read more: How to Rethread an Oil Pan | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_8055942_rethread-oil-pan.html#ixzz1hThqf361
