Stripped thread in the oil pan

TTUFTS5

MEMBER
1999 PONTIAC FIREBIRD
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
130,000 MILES

Hello. My friend has an old Pontiac Firebird that has been leaking oil for a while. I changed his oil recently and when I went to replace the drain plug after draining, the plug did not tighten or get snug. The thread on oil drain plug itself is not stripped. So, I assume that the thread inside the oil pan is. Without replacing the entire oil pan, is there anything I can do to get the oil drain plug to tighten in the oil pan? Thank you.

1 Reply

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

The best thing to do is rethread the hole so that you can add a Heli coil. In fact, there are many options out there and if you use a product called Time Serts, you will actually drill out the threads and add a new insert that has stronger threads, and this will never happen again.

Here is a guide that will help with doing this. This is how to drill out and tap the threads, but you will need to do all of this with the Time Sert as well, just not put a coil in it. They will provide you with the new insert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDt5OUIZTs0&t=288s

Just make sure you coat the drill in axle grease or petroleum jelly and that will grab most of the metal shavings.

Then flush the oil pan out with the oil that you just drained out and that will get the rest of any metal.

Please run through this and let me know if you have other questions.

Thanks