Oil Pan Threads Stripped

so i was changing the oil this morning and i noticed aluminum threads on the drain plug after i removed it...not good. i grabbed a flashlight and looked at the oil pan, i found the rest of the threads were also out of place. i'm cheap as hell and i don't want to replace the oil pan.
has anyone tried the thread tapping drain plugs? how about cutting new threads for a larger drain plug? other ideas?
oh, i should mention that this was on the M3. the miata is way to trusty to have this stupid issue.

Mine has an oversized drain plug and has been retapped. Bob Palmer fixed mine for me at Meadowlake Enterprises. To change the pan means pulling the motor or dropping the cradle. Ack.

What year M3?

I didn't catch that it was an m3, my miata did this

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Originally Posted by Flyin96M

What year M3?

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2006 m3. i posted here because i'm way too lazy to join an m3 forum, plus the theory applies to any car really.

There are some oil change places out there that change the oil using a tool to suck it out the dipstick tube:
http://hostedmedia.reimanpub.com/TFH..._WINBOA_01.JPG

Once on a junker car I welded the oil plug on and then just took it to places that have that tool to have the oil changed.

Helicoil might work. I don't know if it has ever been done but you just re-tap to a bigger whole and put in new threads. You probably could do it if you had the right tools

I would try the oversized plug, if you cannot find the size you need then I would try a Helical insert or other type of insert.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-th...nserts/=i1b9s8

Drill/tap get a threaded insert kit (or helicoil) to repair. This is what a reputable shop would do.

I found this on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaNls0uuOUs

Didn't do it and hate it but this is what's on my miata ...
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...content=value4


If you tap do some research, many say tapping will leave shavings in the oil pan.

thanks for the tips. i'm leaning towards using a helicoil with the wet-insert compound (if i can get the surface clean enough...)

in case anyone else looks at this thread for advice: tapping the oil pan WILL create shavings. you can try flushing them out by pouring cheap, clean, oil through the motor without starting the engine. if i tap the oil pan, my plan is to buy 2-3 quarts of cheapo oil and filter it w/ a strainer/coffee filter type thing, then i'll pour it back into the top of the engine to get a second flush for free. after the second pass it will get tossed. once i actually do this, i'll let you know how it turns out.

Tap it. The helicoil is a leak risk. Aluminum is easy to tap. The shavings won't go far anyway, and your flush IDE should do the trick. You could even get a little vacuum tubing and hook it to a vacuum source.

You have to tap the oil pan when you install the oil return line for a turbo so it can be done. Load the threads of the tap with grease and some people even pressurize the motor with very low air pressure to force the shavings out. They also recommend flushing the motor with mineral spirits or something like that. Read the instructions on FM's website.

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Originally Posted by ryuu

Didn't do it and hate it but this is what's on my miata ...
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...content=value4

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Does this work? What do you hate about it? My bmw has semi-stripped oil pan threads and I'm looking for options.

curious how this goes, i have galled threads on my transmission i have been wanting to pass a tap through to clean up and hopefully keep the same size plug. does anyone know of a sizing chart or something to tell me what size they may be? this is a 95 miata

If you are going to tap that, use plenty of lube and go easy.

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

If you are going to tap that, use plenty of lube and go easy.

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Wasn't that the same advice on annother post about tranny fluid? I might need to limit my visits to the BMW forums where filthy cretins and underlings do not reside.

Wow, being a pompus douche has been surprisingly natural. I'm thinking of test driving a M3 this weekend.