AW MAN! Oil drain plug cross threaded.

[Huney1]

Bought the 03 last April and when I went to change oil the darn plug was cross threaded by some dunder head. The former owner had receipt for the last oil change before he traded it in and the Hyundai dealer changed oil before delivering it to me, so one or the other cross thread it. Anyway, it doesn't matter which dummy did it, but they did and I have to live with it.

I backed the plug off maybe five or six turns and it was still *real* tight so it has to be X-threaded. Backing off six turns the oil flows out fairly freely and will drain to a slow drip in about 30 minutes, but I'm afraid to take it all the way out for fear when I put the plug in and torque it tight it will do a slow drip. I know Telfon tape is a drip stopper and would probably solve a drip problem. I have a torque wrench but what is the correct torque for the drain plug? Maybe 40 ft lbs?

So what's the norm here? Do they drill out then re-tap the hole then use an oversized plug or what?

[wrightz28]

I've just used teflon tape and a gasket with no problems before. Never used nor looked fo ra torque spec either, usuall just snug it up and be done.

[Huney1]

Yeah, roger all that wrightz. But have you ever taken a plug all the way out that was cross threaded when it came out? Meaning, when the guy that changed oil before cross threaded the plug when he put it back in. JJEESSHH! What a dunder head because it only takes a little bit of twist to get them down to contact the drain pan and then you use the wrench. I was wondering if I took it all the way out and it leaked could I stop it with Teflon tape. BUT, if Teflon tape will stop a high pressure gas leak it should stop oil sitting in the crankcase oil pan with little to no pressure on it. I was using Teflon tape and an old guy said, "You're putting it on backwards." I said, "HUH?' He said, "let me show you the right way," and I said, "well I'll be dog gone, now ain't that a knee slapper."

I Googled and found tighten the plug until it makes contact the then turn 1/4 turn more. More Googling revealed; Oil Pan Drain Plug 22-30 ft lb and another forum said 25 ft lbs.

Wheel lug nuts torque 90 ft lbs so I guess 25 for the drain plug sounds about right. I worked on single engine private aircraft for awhile as an apprentice and got use to using a torque wrench and never got out of the habit. Interesting to take a regular wrench and say I'm going to tighten this 25 ft lbs then put the torque wrench on it and find out what you really torqued it to. Sparks plug only go 22 ft lbs and if you over do it and strip one of those, woe is me. Think I paid about $25. for mine 15 years ago. Get the 'beam' type not as bad if you drop it as one with a dial or spring loaded because you have to get them re-calibrated.

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

Originally Posted by Huney1

I have a torque wrench but what is the correct torque for the drain plug?

OHV = 9 to 12 ft-lbs.

OHC = 16 to 22 ft-lbs.

If it were me I'd remove the bolt and retap everything. Just get all of your ducks in a row before you start. I think some parts stores have new (larger) bolts just for such a use.

[Huney1]

'Prolly won't need oil change until March or April so nothing urgent, but I'll keep all that in mind. Thanks.

[shorod]

With any luck, the drain plug will be of a softer material than the oil pan. In my experience (which is limited in the area of cross-threaded drain plugs) the drain plug threads will be garfed up, but the threads in the cast pan will still be fine. Running a thread chaser packed with grease to catch any filings is a good idea, but you'll probably find you just need a new plug and gasket. I always use teflon tape too just to be on the safe side.

-Rod

[Huney1]

" . . . you'll probably find you just need a new plug and gasket. I always use teflon tape too just to be on the safe side." Good info there and I 'preciate it.

Shorod - F Y I: Remember I was having an interim starting problem? It was the starter slowly dying and it finally gave up the ghost and had it towed to a auto electric shop about half mile away. Guy owns it I've knows since school daze R&R rebuild labor included $138. Said something about brushes & holders and the armature, but whatever he did it spins over fast now. He said there was some oil in it and I told him drain plug cross threaded so I had changed oil by loosening filter and blowing out the oil and it ran down on the starter. He said if you do that again be sure and cover the starter with a piece of plastic sheet because oil doesn't go good in a starter.

I thought that was strange oil got in it because it seems to me the factory starter should be factory sealed to keep water and dirt from getting in it. I mean, how hard could it be to seal it with some silicone caulk or whatever. I wonder if Toyota, Honda and Hyundai seal their starters, or are American cars the only ones that don't? If you think about it, the water splashing up from the tires must get all over the starter, and what about when you drive through deep water and it gets up to the starter. DUH? Seems to me it would be real dumb for Ford or any other car company to use a starter that is not sealed. My .

By the way, I checked around and found NAPA has a life time warranty rebuilt starter $132. cheapest I could find. Labor to install it was $60.00 at Jiffy Lube, so my buddy at the electric shop saved me $66.00

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

Originally Posted by Huney1

I wonder if Toyota, Honda and Hyundai seal their starters

I have never heard of a sealed starter from any company. I don't even think that Baja race cars have a sealed starter.

what about when you drive through deep water

Every emergency rescue, police, and media outlet that I have ever heard talk about this warn you to never drive through deep water. My brother did it last summer and ruined the engine in a brand new Pontiac G6 and the water wasn't even all that deep.

I checked around and found NAPA has a life time warranty rebuilt starter

Call them up and ask them if it's sealed. I'd be very surprised if they said it was.

[Huney1]

When I sasy "deep water" I mean like 'bumper deep' because on mine the starter is almost as low as the bumper and if you don't go to fast I don't believe water bumper deep would ruin the engine. However, it sure is dep enough to splash up on the starter and water and electricity do not good bed fellows make. You get enough water in a starter or any electrical motor or component and it's toast. I see cars on TV in news driving on flooded streets from flood rain storms and if they're not sealed why the next time they crank it up it doesn't fry.

I also see people driving through water half way up the wheels or three feet deep and water gets sucked in the intake in the cylinders and all kinds of bad stuff can happen. We're right on the coast with rivers all around and flooding no problem here. All I can say is, I learned something new again today.

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

Originally Posted by Huney1

When I sasy "deep water" I mean like 'bumper deep'

Geez.... deep to the agencies mentioned above is 2-3 inches

I see cars on TV in news driving on flooded streets from flood rain storms

They showed one lady who died because she drove through a few inches of water and ended up driving over the edge of a bridge. Water tends to hide those surprises lurking below. I don't drive through water not because of any damage threat, but because you simply don't know what is below the water

why the next time they crank it up it doesn't fry.

Evaporation. If there was water inside still making a connection it would blow a main fuse, short out the electrical system, or fry the starter (basically using the starter as a fuse or a toaster).

All I can say is, I learned something new again today.

PLEASE don't drive through more than a few inches of water unless you have a Hummer. You could get seriously hurt and we certainly don't want that. Don't forget, your brakes will be affected too! HERE is the official word about the topic Next time there's a flood we expect to see you safely here

[Huney1]

One more thing then I'm done. Charleston, SC some parts of the city below sea level and on what we call 'spring tides' full of the moon the salt water backs up throught the storm (rain) water drains and cars plow through it like crazy.
If you buy a used car run a car fax and if it lived there you best scope it out real good for rust. Yes indeed, salt water is exactly what you want splashed under your car and on the brakes and rotors and everything that gets wet from water splashing up under the car. Fresh water is bad enough, but sea salty water. ? ? ?? I don't think so Tim!

[wrightz28]

Chicago Streets & Sanitation Dept. takes care of creating sea salt on their own. We're supposed to see our "first" snow on Sunday, which in reality means probably a dusting only of less htan a 1/4". Chi S & S tho, will dump a whole inch of salt tho, just to be prepaired for the worst

I dunno know wihich is worse, the salt or sand that Iowa uses.

[shorod]

I've had a few starters apart, I think they were all domestics, and never ran into one that was designed to be water/oil tight. I think the real issue with oil is the viscosity, filminess (is that a word?), and duration. The occasional puddle of water will likely run off the starter and never really have enough exposure or volume to soak into the starter. Also, water will evaporate much more quickly than water.

Oil on the other hand will stick to the starter and, since it doesn't evaporate, may have enough exposure and, in the case of draining an oil filter above it, enough volume to seep into the starter. Once inside the starter, it won't readily evaporate, and the film outside may actually trap any pre-existing moisture inside, preventing it from continuing to evaporate.

Take this with a grain of salt (no pun intended to the sea water comments) as I've never really analyzed the construction of a starter assembly for environmental surviveability.

-Rod

[Huney1]

Rod - HeHeHeHe . . . Changing it by loosening the filter and blowing it out is indeed squirrley and not exactly the right way to do it, so henceforth I'll use the drain like I should'a did in the first place.

Wrightz28 - Down here in winter we see dark coloerd vehicles from up North with the tell tale white on the side from salt and I did a military tour at the Pentagon, so I know about salting roads and the nasty, ugly slush ice and mud it creates. Every 10 to 15 years or so we get snow that sticks and local people don't know how to drive on snow and unpteem hundred wrecks and running off the road into the river or ditch and wiping out telephone poles. Somehow they can't grasp the concept that the white stuff is pretty but slick and when you apply brakes the law of inertia is in command. But, inertia is unheard of and not in their very limited vocabulary.

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

Originally Posted by shorod

water will evaporate much more quickly than water.

OK, this is a trick statement right?