Car folks- Oil pan bolt/threads stripped, how to fix?

[longskate88]

Originally Posted by Milhouse

Well, the oil pump is usually in the oil pan. The exception being dry sumps. . .

Milhouse, any way you know of to bypass an oil pan with an extractor, like park on a slope or something?

 

[Milhouse]

Originally Posted by longskate88

Milhouse, any way you know of to bypass an oil pan with an extractor, like park on a slope or something?

That is about the only thing I can come up with.

Where is your oil filter and what is it like? I wonder if you can't find a way to handle it from there.

 

[longskate88]

Originally Posted by Milhouse

That is about the only thing I can come up with.

Where is your oil filter and what is it like? I wonder if you can't find a way to handle it from there.

You mean somehow drain the oil through the filter port? I'll have to check and see where it is in relation to the bottom of the pan. I'm just going to take the Oil Changers guy a laundry list of ideas, and see if he can make any work.

 

[Milhouse]

I have no idea what your car is like. Some cars, have a filter housing. The housing has all the valves and such. If you remove the housing from the block, you could probably access the oil that way. But I'm not entirely sure, and definitely not sure for your car.

 

[longskate88]

Originally Posted by Milhouse

I have no idea what your car is like. Some cars, have a filter housing. The housing has all the valves and such. If you remove the housing from the block, you could probably access the oil that way. But I'm not entirely sure, and definitely not sure for your car.


Oh, gotcha, not the filter just screw onto the oil pan assembly, it's visible from under the car. Nothing else has to be removed when changing the filter.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

- Dont use a rubber plug, when it fails there will be 3 quarts of oil on the highway (Causing an accident no doubt) and you will without a doubt burn up the engine (IE seize the motor).

-My choice of action at this point, remove the oil pan, buy a new gasket and heli-coil kit.

-Clean the pan, and gasket surface on the engine.

-After the pan is clean, install the heli-coil, or have a machine shop install it.

-Replace the pan, fallow the instructions typically provided with the gasket, buy a factory or other high quality gasket (dont buy anything cheap).

-Problem solved

-DO NOT attempt to install the heli-coil with the pan attached to the motor, you will no doubt cause debris to be in the engine.

 

[longskate88]

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

- Dont use a rubber plug, when it fails there will be 3 quarts of oil on the highway (Causing an accident no doubt) and you will without a doubt burn up the engine (IE seize the motor).

-My choice of action at this point, remove the oil pan, buy a new gasket and heli-coil kit.

-Clean the pan, and gasket surface on the engine.

-After the pan is clean, install the heli-coil, or have a machine shop install it.

-Replace the pan, fallow the instructions typically provided with the gasket, buy a factory or other high quality gasket (dont buy anything cheap).

-Problem solved

-DO NOT attempt to install the heli-coil with the pan attached to the motor, you will no doubt cause debris to be in the engine.

Thanks. Two problems though, the hole has already been enlarged due to the oversize bolt they used awhile ago, and will all the labor related to the helicoil actually save any $ over buying a new pan? I can get the pan for $200, but labor was around $300 to install....plus labor for the helicoil, I'm not sure it'll save anything.

Oh, and the rubber plug...everyone I've talked to at parts stores says they're not recommended, but at the same time they say they've sold a ton and never heard of a problem. Does catastrphic oil loss = instant death, or will the engine survive long enough to pull over and shut it off?

 

[Hombre Secreto]

Them ASE certified shysters are gonna have fun taking your ass to the cleaners...

 

[ms244]

Generally by the time you notice the massive oil loss, the engine is toast.

At least from my understanding.

Your options are, either get a new pan or helicoil it. Either one can be done by yourself with a little work and a couple of tools.

GET JACKSTANDS if you don't have them, NEVER get under a car which is only supported by a jack, they do fail.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Originally Posted by longskate88

Thanks. Two problems though, the hole has already been enlarged due to the oversize bolt they used awhile ago, and will all the labor related to the helicoil actually save any $ over buying a new pan? I can get the pan for $200, but labor was around $300 to install....plus labor for the helicoil, I'm not sure it'll save anything. Oh, and the rubber plug...everyone I've talked to at parts stores says they're not recommended, but at the same time they say they've sold a ton and never heard of a problem. Does catastrphic oil loss = instant death, or will the engine survive long enough to pull over and shut it off?
$300 to install a helicoil? which includes Removal and reinstall of the pan..... oil loss = death usually.

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

$300 to install a helicoil? which includes Removal and reinstall of the pan.....

oil loss = death usually.

I've seen cars (VW 2.0L engine) have catastrophic oil loss when the oil pan exploded and end up just fine. The key is to get to the side of the road and get the engine off immediately. Assuming you arent pushing the engine in the high RPMs, you will have a little bit of time to coast/drive to the side of the road (especially since an open plug hole is a lot less bad than a blown open oil pan).

It might still kill your engine...but those honda engines should be resiliant

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Originally Posted by otc

I've seen cars (VW 2.0L engine) have catastrophic oil loss when the oil pan exploded and end up just fine. The key is to get to the side of the road and get the engine off immediately. Assuming you arent pushing the engine in the high RPMs, you will have a little bit of time to coast/drive to the side of the road (especially since an open plug hole is a lot less bad than a blown open oil pan).

It might still kill your engine...but those honda engines should be resiliant

I have also, but i'm not about to tell a novice that he's OK using a rubber plug in his oil pan and turning the engine off quickly if it fails.

I drag raced for 6 years, I worked for two very highly regarded (in racing) performance teams, and worked in an automotive machine shop. I know how to handle a catastrophic engine failure, or oil loss. This man, does not.

At best, you'll pull over safely and the spill gets fixed, at worse you cause yourself to get into an accident, you ruin your engine and possibly crash your car (oil + tires) AND possibly cause an unsuspecting person(s) to crash their car(s).

Fix it correctly.

 

[Ludeykrus]

Originally Posted by Milhouse

Well, the oil pump is usually in the oil pan. The exception being dry sumps. . .
Not in many/most modern imports. On Honda 4-cylinders, the oil pump is located on the side of the motor, near the water pump. They have an oil pickup tube that scoops down into the oilpan and sucks oil through passages up the motor to the oil pump. Longskate, I highly recommend replacing the oil pan with a used unit. Go to http://car-part.com and find a local junkyard with a cheap pan, it'll cost you probably 50 bucks. Check the bolt hole and the pan's general condition when you get it, because the salvage yard most likely wont. Go to the Honda dealership or parts store and get a new oil pan gasket. At the parts store, also get a tube of RTV Ultra Grey silicone sealant. You'll need it, and it's the generic of Hondabond, which is a damn ripoff at the dealership. The problem is that it is easy to strip out the bolt on Honda oil pans; they are thin stamped steel and the bolt threads don't have much reinforcing around them. Which also means there's not much 'meat' to drill out and retap or install a helicoil. What you'll do: Crawl under the car. Your downpipe runs under the oil pan, so you'll need to remove that. You'll disconnect the O2 sensor plug, unbolt around 6 14mm nuts, should be 3 at each end of the downpipe, and you'll need to muscle it out because things will be tight. You may need to pop a rubber exhaust hanger mount to get the downpipe off. When the downpipe's off, you'll have something like a dozen 10mm nuts and bolts to remove to drop the oil pan off. Remove them, and install the new pan. Reinstall in reverse order. Install the new gasket with the ribbed side up to the motor. Apply a thin/moderate smear or silicone to both sides and install. Tighten pan up in a criss cross pattern, starting in the center and working out to the left/right sides. Lightly seat all 10mm nuts/bolts by hand, then lightly-moderately tighten after about a half hour, after the silicone sets. You're only supposed to tighten down to like 8-10 ft/lb's. which is just a firm hand tight. Don't overtighten and snap the bolts off in the block. You may need a long thick screwdriver or small pry bar to get the downpipe back in. It should take an hour or two if you're unexperienced but have the tools. It's not hard. Your oil light will come on if oil pressure drops below about 5 psi. If you EVER see that light come on, kill the motor immediately. Assuming you're not at high RPM's, you should be fine if you turn the car off within about 3-5 seconds of no oil pressure. After that, things get really hairy. EDIT - Oh yeah, and if you do this, the exhaust will give you the most trouble. If you can park the car for a day, go to a parts store and grab a can of PB Blaster and soak all of the downpipe nuts down. They may give you some trouble, and a day of soaking in penetrating oil may save your ass. If not practical, at least soak them for 3-4 hours.

 

[j]

I haven't read the whole thread but for the prices you're talking about and having a mechanically inclined brother/friend/whatever with "free labor" why don't you just swap out the engine? You said it's old and it will need something else done soon that will cost more money (not to mention who knows what other else will go wrong soon). Get another engine, tear it down, freshen it up and call it good. May as well just do it all at once outside the car and drop it in and go.