oil pan question

[danielc24]

i have a 2002 dodge neon base model, my oil drain plug is stripped bad and now there is nothing left. I'm going to take my pan off and drill it out, Where can i get an oversized plug that will thread itself into the pan??

[ikeyballz]

look into something called a HELicoil..

also, dont drill it too much cuz it might get bigger than what youre looking for..

[denisond3]

A good auto parts place should have a selection of oversized bolts, and there are rubber plugs that you put in, then tighten a nut to squeeze the rubber and stop up the hole. Not all auto parts places will carry these things, since they arent large volume items. Both of them are really emergency solutions, not the best. ikeyballz solution is the best one. It involves a little more work, as well as getting a new drain plug once the helicoil is in place. Whatever you replace it with, the best way to tighten oil pan drain plugs is with a torque wrench set to the correct 'torque', and with a new plastic washer. The torque for the bolt should probably be about 20 lbs-ft. If its leaking oil at that torque, the best fix is a new washer and bolt - not tightening it more. (Not that I havent done it myself sometimes!)