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I have found a possible solution to my stripped oil drain plug hole dilemma. I purchased the next oversize drain plug over the original 3/4 in plug. It is a 20mm or 13/16 in drain plug. I also have the right tap set to re-thread the oil drain hole.My question is has any body seen the inside of the oil pan & is there enough metal material in the drain plug hole that it still will have proper strength when I tighten the new drain plug ?
Hopefully this will spare me the hassle of replacing the oil pan.I can get a good used one ($95)from Hirschindusties (They sell good stuff- bought good used strut housing from them for cheap).
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My 120 series Volvo is running an oversize plug, its something out of a plumbing supply warehouse. I didn't do it, it works fine. I trhink its a half inch BSP from memory.
Regards
Pete
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Thanks for the reply.What does BSP mean ?Does that mean there is a half inch of metal around the hole ?
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posted by
someone claiming to be sorenson-jr
on
Sat Oct 29 06:38 CST 2005 [ RELATED]
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Obviously no one who has perhaps tried this is reporting miracles here. It sounds like naive pie in the sky to my humble tho somewhat jaded sensibility, why would a part be engineered to be just as strong with .031 removed from its stamped wall even if the thread pitch matched?
Looks like if you take this approach you are on your own and can contribute your success or failure to the rest of us. I would absorb the lesson, whatever that may be, and get the pan replaced.
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If I recall correctly the threads aren't in the stamped steel of the pan itself but are cut in a fairly substantial chunk of reinforcement welded to the inside of the pan. So, with an appropriate tap there's a reasonable chance of success. And, if the pan needs to be replaced $95 US is exceedingly steep. Any indie Volvo shop would probably have a few toasted engines laying around, already out of cars, and could pull the pan in a few minutes. Not the same situation as a scrapyard that would have to spend an hour to get a pan off an engine that's still in a car - then not be able to sell the engine, either...
--
Chris, Dartmouth NS Canada 70 M-B 280SE, 83 245DL, 84 244 turbo, 90 780 turbo, 92 VW Golf, 90 740 Rex/Regina
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posted by
someone claiming to be sorenson-jr
on
Sat Oct 29 23:12 CST 2005 [ RELATED]
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I did not mean to imply the pan was a one piece stamping. It is indeed 3 piece including the baffle, but stampings nonetheless. The bung is a separately stamped and swaged part, can you imagine production threading a single piece pan? So yes, the threads are indeed in the stamped steel whether you call it the pan or a "substantial chunk of reinforcement". You are right about the economics of finding another pan, unfortunately that is the price you pay if you can't do the work yourself, or can't wait to get lucky. Don't mean to be a nay-sayer, but false hope is worse than an expansion stopper. What would an "appropriate tap" be? His question was "has anybody tried this" but all we have you and me both are theories to offer.
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Well said - I guess a more appropriate response would be "Theoretically it could work but I haven't actually tried it yet..." which is precisely what he's already figured out on his own. I don't suppose the oilpan is really a good place for experimentation at someone else's expense - but in his shoes, I'd give it a try if I had an appropriate tap and a plug to match it, and if the threads I cut were clean and solid. That is a lot of 'ifs'.
--
Chris, Dartmouth NS Canada 70 M-B 280SE, 83 245DL, 84 244 turbo, 90 780 turbo, 92 VW Golf, 90 740 Rex/Regina
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As was suggested in a similar thread, I would look into having another bung or a plate with a threaded bung welded on. Much cheaper and will get you more threads as so it shouldn't happen again.
-- Kane
--
While I would never deliberately mislead anyone, take into consideration that any info and advice was provided at no cost to you.
5 Volvos and a Roadmonster in SoCal, from '64 to '94. See profile for info.
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$95 sounds steep. Where are you located? Somebody in the area may be able to steer you to cheaper.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans in Brampton, Ont.
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I am in Brooklyn, NYC. Thanks.
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I would suggest placing a magnet on the oil pan to 'hold' any filings that may found their way into the pan while cutting the new threads. Before you fill the pan with new oil I would flush those filings out (after removing the magnet) with a quart or two of oil. Fellas, weigh in with your thoughts on this process.
--
1982 242 GLT 245k mi: 1985 245 205k mi.
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Sounds like a good idea,thanks. I was planning to place grease in the grooves in the tap to catch the the shavings as I turn the tap but I will use some strog magnets & Oil any how.
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posted by
someone claiming to be inlineFOUR
on
Fri Oct 28 19:42 CST 2005 [ RELATED]
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Why not go to the junk yard and get an oil pan? Doing so will give you the opportunity to drain most of the gunky oil from the block plus you can paint your "new" pan a nice bright red AND maybe install an oil temp sender for a gauge. Pans are definiteley not 95 dollars for a used condition item, my friend.
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What I am trying to do is avoid the hassle (Its a big job though I can do it) & exta cost of replacing the pan.If the rethreading does not "pan" out, I can go back to the universal plug I am now using in the meantime.Thanks any how.
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No, I haven't had to do this. And I've never had to get a view of the inside of the pan, happily! But may I comment anyway?
A 13/16-inch plug, in place of the 3/4-in (which is 12/16, also), isn't much bigger -- and that's good. It means that you really don't have to enlarge the hole very much -- only 1/32-inch deeper around -- so chances are that there will be enough metal to support the newly cut threads. But remember that it's only a guess on my part -- just want to give you some "moral support".
You didn't say whether the threads (type, pitch, etc.) are the same (albeit larger diameter, of course) ... I hope so, because you don't want to go to a larger pitch, which would mean fewer threads holding the plug. The same, or finer, is better.
And be sure to start that tap straight, right from the start. You don't want to mess up the first threads, because you don't have much depth to spare -- every thread counts!
Good luck.
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