Oil Drain Plug Stripped Heli-coil Time

[David Allaband]

Today's Tragedy:

Stripped the oil drain plug on my 1993 FJ1200. HELP! I've never had to Helicoil before. Can someone give me advice? I have a tap and die set, I have a drill. How do I go about this? What size insert do I need? Should I use something other then a Helicoil?

I'm thinking I'll pull the oil pan, drill it out with a hand drill (no drill presses among anyone I know), tap it, insert the insert, then race the bike like I'm chased by a banshee.

Seriously, I'm very worried about doing this. My bike lives on the streets of brooklyn so I have to do things all at once. If I pull off the oil pan I need to put in the insert and reinstall the pan pretty quick or crud WILL get in the engine.

I don't have much money, haven't even paid September rent yet. I almost gave up on the bike! I can afford the helicoil insert but not a lot else.

If I compare this bike to my past bikes the FJ is one tragedy after another, but it's the most fun to ride! I really want to ride it! Sorry if this post is less then eloquent, my head is still spinning. I had a lot of plans for this bike this weekend and I have NO OTHER TRANSPORTATION! I live in NYC and the L train is out this weekend (and last weekend, AND the weekend before that!)!

Help if you can! All help appreciated! Thanks!

[flips]

Hi David.
I recently had the same problem and also considered helicoil but after asking for advice from a number of sources the concensus was to change the whole sump.When I pulled the sump off and looked at the thread on the sump plug hole the thread does not go all the way.Theres a notch in it that I think is there to allow as much oil as possible to drain out,and this I think would make helicoil installation difficult and may not allow the insert to stay put.Maybe you should do a temporary "fix" until a replacement sump and gasket can be found(ebay..etc}.My temporary solution was plumbers thread string which worked quite well.Would seep a little when hot but no big problem.
this is the stuff
http://www.screwfix.com/p/loctite-55-pipe-seal-cord-50m/42142

Goodluck & cheers

[racerrad8]

David,
    Over a 16 year period I have probably installed 25-30 Heli-Coil inserts in the oil pan drain plug. The Heli-Coil will still allow the maximum amount of oil to drain as the oil can still pass through the insert and drain. If you use the "time-sert" brand they are solid and you will need to pull the oil cooler line to get the pan completely drained.

The size is 14 x 1.5. Make sure if you use a hand drill that you drill precisely and not allow the drill bit to grab and elongate the hole. The Heli-Coil requires a tap made by them for that Heli-Coil, so you will have to find a kit.

Or I have a new oil pan listed here; Oil Pan and don't forget the oil pan gasket which can be found here; Oil Pan Gasket

You might also need both of these parts when you take than pan off too;
Pick-Up Screen
Pick-Up Gasket

And finally don't forget to install a new oil plug drain gasket

Randy - RPM

[Dan Filetti]

David,
    Over a 16 year period I have probably installed 25-30 Heli-Coil inserts in the oil pan drain plug. The Heli-Coil will still allow the maximum amount of oil to drain as the oil can still pass through the insert and drain. If you use the "time-sert" brand they are solid and you will need to pull the oil cooler line to get the pan completely drained.

+1 Yup, that's what I did.  Many years ago, I paid a dealer a measly $40.00 to do this for me, after I had done the same thing.

I never had an issue thereafter.

Dan 

[David Allaband]

Thanks all three of you for the input and ideas!

To what Flips said, can I use regular teflon tape (I already have some)? I'm all for a temporary fix! I even thought of JB welding the darn thing in! At least I get to ride it until the next oil change! Teflon tape sounds better then a permanent plug (JB Weld) but the stores around here don't have the teflon string you were talking about. Anybody know if I can use regular plumbers teflon tape? I've read the FJ engine runs about 250 degrees, will the teflon tape hold up?

To what Randy said, thanks for the size of the insert and other info! I watched a Youtube video on how to do this. There are a LOT of specific tools to accomplish a Heli-Coil insert! Is there anyone in NYC who has done this and could loan me the tools? Anybody have a set they don't need anymore? If I have to buy all this stuff it'll be cheaper just to get a new/used pan from ebay! I would rather Heli-coil this pan so I don't have to worry about this problem again. I was using a torque wrench when I put this plug in and it stripped at half the recommended torque. The Heli-Coil would permanently solve the problem.

To what Dan said, considering all the special tools you need to do a Heli-Coil I think it might be worth $40 to have someone else do it. Did you pull the pan and take it in or just take in the bike? Does anyone know a mechanic in NYC they trust for these things? Preferably in Brooklyn? Preferably in West Brooklyn? I have never found a mechanic I trust as much as myself, I like doing my own work because you get to know your machine that way, but this is less like mechanics and more like machinist work.

This problem is aggravated by my location. Nobody I know has any kind of transportation, car or bike. Nobody has a trusted mechanic to recommend for that reason. Nobody has tools or know how because everyone rides the subway. The most mechanically inclined people in my life know how to ride a bicycle.

Thanks for everything!

Dave.

[flips]

Hi David
You could try the teflon tape but the string does a much better job at holding the plug into the damaged thread and is unlikely to come loose.

Goodluck & Cheers

Jeff.

[FJmonkey]

Hi David
You could try the teflon tape but the string does a much better job at holding the plug into the damaged thread and is unlikely to come loose.
Goodluck & Cheers
Jeff.

You could take the tape and twist it into a string. Not sure if that would work, just thinking out side the box to help you out.

[SlowOldGuy]

If you're in that much of a time and money bind then JB Weld the plug in and use the oil cooler line for future oil drains.

DavidR.

[Dan Filetti]

To what Dan said, considering all the special tools you need to do a Heli-Coil I think it might be worth $40 to have someone else do it. Did you pull the pan and take it in or just take in the bike?

Dave.

Dave-

My $40 dealer fix was many years ago, (12 actually) and in Augusta, GA.  I suspect you'll pay considerably more in NYC.  FYI.

As to how I did it, I trailer-ed the entire bike to them.  I do not know if they removed the pan.  For the $, I had assumed they did not.

HTH

Dan

[Scooterbob]

I'm fairly certain I have the correct tap and drill bit for doing the quick "oversize" fix.  It worked great on mine and I've been through many oil changes since, without any issues.  Send me your address and I'll drop it in the mail if you want to be the new holder of "the tap".

Here is a past discussion we had on this very same issue ----> http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=2482.0

[David Allaband]

Thanks for all the help everyone! I love the idea of twisting teflon tape into string! I also like the idea of JB welding the plug in and using the oil cooler line to drain oil! Do you think I could use threadlocker (Red) to stick that plug in?

I got a lot of great offers for help! Randy at RPM is going to put in the Helicoil insert for me! I have one more question. What years of oil pans will fit my 1993 FJ1200? All the pans I see on ebay are from the 80s.

Thanks!

[RichBaker]

IIRC, they're all the same....

[Alf]

I see that there is a new member at the Stripped Oil Plug Club. Welcome!
I must be the honorary member because i´ve stripped 3 of my 4 FJ plugs. No, I´m not have an arm like Conan the Barbarian, and it only happens to me with the FJ
In my 4th FJ It seems that I´ve learn at the end 

[David Allaband]

I see that there is a new member at the Stripped Oil Plug Club. Welcome!
I must be the honorary member because i´ve stripped 3 of my 4 FJ plugs. No, I´m not have an arm like Conan the Barbarian, and it only happens to me with the FJ
In my 4th FJ It seems that I´ve learn at the end

I hear ya on that! I have pulled the drain plug on 40 year old BMWs literally HUNDREDS of times and NEVER stripped threads! In fact I only stripped threads once before on anything anywhere. Here's the real kick in the ass, I was using a torque wrench when I stripped it! My book says I need some 30 odd foot lbs on that plug. I got up to 25 and my heart stopped because it felt REALLY TIGHT. At 26 the threads blew out. I think the book must be wrong.

Has anyone used liquid gasket on the oil pan of their FJ? How did it work? Has anyone used it on that oil sump pickup thing? Hate to bring up BMWs again but my 40 year old BMWs would drop an oil pan with an in tact gasket almost every time (AND there was no need to remove the exhaust system). People keep reminding me to get a gasket for the FJ oil pan so I'm worried it's also a weak link.

Thanks again!

[Flying Scotsman]

Just my 2c worth but why would you want to torque a plug to 30 lb 

I suggest you go hand tight and give it a little more.Let her heat up and snug it up one more time.
30 lb is asking for trouble