cross-threaded - (warning)

[fatlad]

hi all
just thought i'd give a cautionary "heads-up" if you're changing the oil yourself...

I've just had the car serviced & on removal of the sump bung found that the bung had been over tightened on the previous service.
consequently, as the bung was being removed it brought the thread out with it!!

now because of the position of the drain hole it wasn't possible to redrill & thread without dropping the engine mount first due to cross-member/subframe being in the way.

after drilling, rethreading & refitting the engine mount, the mechanic had to replace with a larger bung (16mm as apposed to 14mm standard),replacement of new bung was a doddle.

im just so glad i hadnt decided to change the oil on my driveway or i wouldve been snookered!!!

please be careful not to overtighten the bung.

[bobby boy]

That's why I use a vacuum oil extractor, the Jazz cast alloy sump looks expensive and vulnerable to thread damage. I think many garages use pumps to change oil these days.

[madasafish]

I have changed oil on Minis (aluminium gearboxes/sump) in the 1960s through to my Jazz .- A period of some 60 years of mechanicking.
Never damaged a sump plug/housing.

There must ne some gorillas posing as mechanics..

[Jocko]

My dad could shear a 2" Whitworth. I never let him tighten anything up.

[Rory]

There must ne some gorillas posing as mechanics..

I think some of them do absolutely everything with power tools.

[cornishpasty]

I think most of them seldom use a torque wrench.

[madasafish]

A sympathetic mechanic can tighten up a sump bolt without a torque wrench. But of course, if you use an impact driver for everything...

[culzean]

A sympathetic mechanic can tighten up a sump bolt without a torque wrench. But of course, if you use an impact driver for everything...

Totally agree,

Socket wrench handles are made the length  they are for a reason, to give roughly the right amount of leverage for an average person,  note that 1/4" drive, 3/8" drive and 1/2" drive etc.... are all different lengths,  just like allen keys and normal spanners get longer as the bolt gets larger diameter.  The minute you start adding pipes etc to give more leverage you are in trouble.  Sure I have a 600mm breaker bar in the garage,  as well as a telescopic wheel nut wrench in the car,  but longer length is for undoing stuff,  always use the short wheel wrench for tightening.  Don't get me started on impact drivers..........  and if I see an adjustable spanner in a mechanics tool kit - run for the hills.

There is plenty of thread length on sump plug, and it is a fairly fine thread,  but would still need someone with no mechanical sympathy at all to strip the thread. 

The main thing with sump plug is to fit a new crush washer every time ( they get work hardened being left under pressure ) - I use copper ones on bikes and cars, easy to anneal,  just get them red hot in gas flame ( copper melts about same temp as steel ) and drop them in cold water to remove worst of oxidation / scale, then polish faces with a bit of wet and dry emery paper on bit of glass, the annealed washer will be soft enough to mould to sealing faces, and will have more grip to stop plug trying to unscrew.   You can buy sets of various sized copper washers online or from Halfrauds.   

https://www.halfords.com/tools/fuses-electricals-and-fixings/fixings/halfords-assorted-copper-washers-929018.html

[E27006]

The 2000 - 06 Honda Insight has a sump made of  magnesium, the dealer workshops  were the culprits for stripping the sump plug thread, the sump pan was north of £1000 to replace

[embee]

........  and if I see an adjustable spanner in a mechanics tool kit - run for the hills.

Nowt wrong with a big adjustable. What else are you going to use to hit the screwdriver in order to take the heads off the pop rivets?

[Jocko]

I was working with an American from our parent company and he asked me if we had a Crescent wrench. I went off and came back with a C-Spanner. "No, no no", he said. "There was one here earlier". It was an adjustable he was looking for. Like we talk about a Mole wrench, Crescent is the generic name for an adjustable in California. Then we gave it a good Hoover out!

[fatlad]

That's why I use a vacuum oil extractor, the Jazz cast alloy sump looks expensive and vulnerable to thread damage. I think many garages use pumps to change oil these days.

so do you put the pipe down the filler or after removing the bung to get all the remaining oil out?

im intrigued 

[culzean]

That's why I use a vacuum oil extractor, the Jazz cast alloy sump looks expensive and vulnerable to thread damage. I think many garages use pumps to change oil these days.

so do you put the pipe down the filler or after removing the bung to get all the remaining oil out?

im intrigued 

I use a vacuum extractor it comes with a pipe that fits down dipstick tube ( like those plastic covered springs used to hang net curtains ) , reached bottom of sump, I measure what comes out and what goes in,  it sucks everything out.  This screwfix one looks exactly the same as the Sealey 6 litre one I have used for about 5 years now, but cheaper.  No need to go near the sump plug

https://www.screwfix.com/p/oil-fluid-extractor-6ltr/21663?kpid=21663&ds_kid=92700031520411331&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1243318&ds_kid=92700031520411331&msclkid=f3cf95c4172615984928f4c7183a7c06&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PX_Shopping_Auto%20%26%20Cleaning&utm_term=4583863977261301&utm_content=G%20-%20Everything%20Else&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=f3cf95c4172615984928f4c7183a7c06&gclsrc=3p.ds

[bobby boy]

Mine is like the Screwfix one but branded Pela, seems to get as much oil out as draining. Brilliant for draining lawn mower engines saves a lot of mess.

[Steve1962]

Heavy handed.......that's me alright......in my yoof I had a Peugeot 205 diesel and decided in my infinite wisdom that I would save meself some money by changing the glow plugs myself......after all, what could possibly go wrong.......

So after much faffing about and cursing I managed to get the old glow plugs out, and put the new ones in......pleased as punch I was......then decided to "nip them up".......zut alors........10 stone wet through me managed to snap the last one I was tightening up.....slammed my knuckle against the engine block, banged my head on the bonnet, knocking it off the stand, then banging my head again as the bonnet slammed me on the skull on the way down.......

Just off now to rewire the house electrics........