oil pan bolt or pan threads stripped, options?

[2.5-12]

my newest acquisition, the 1990 E34 525i has a pan bolt that isnt sealing.

The PO obviously over torqued the malleable aluminum bolt or pan (not sure which yet). doing the oil change a couple of days ago, I noticed that there was a small drip from the pan which I thought was just a loose plug, as it turns out, when I started putting the plug back in, it would hardly torque at all, maybe 1in/lb. probably not even that.

I have a few questions that I am not sure about myself;
1.) do E30s and E34s share oil pans on the M20B25?
2.) does the engine need to be moved at all to replace the pan?
3.) I have read that in some cases, BMW engineered the plug threads to fail before the oil pan threads, could that be the case here? both the pan and bolt looked fine at a glance but I didnt look at them closely.
4.) there are universal plugs that basically hold on to the inside of the plug opening and have a rubber seal with a metal backing plate and a wing nut, is that an acceptable fix for this problem, or should I just order a new OEM plug, try it and if the pan is stripped instead just replace the pan?

thanks!

[RangerGress]

The pan will fail before the bolt. Aluminum pan, steel bolt.

Drill the hole out and install an EZ-out or other thread repair device. Use some imagination to get the metal shavings out. What metal shavings you don't get out "should" be trapped by the oil filter.

If you do some searching around the Web for "oil pan repair", you should find some good tips.

[2.5-12]

alrighty -- thanks

[JGood]

That's the theory. But they do strip out. Back in the day I worked for a oil change shop, and saw many, many stripped pans.

I replace my drain plug every 10 oil changes or so. It's only a few bucks. You also need to use a new drain plug washer every oil change. They are crush washers, and once they are crushed a few times, the correct torque spec on the drain plug goes out the window. Not to mention it will probably start leaking.

[2.5-12]

That's the theory. But they do strip out. Back in the day I worked for a oil change shop, and saw many, many stripped pans.

I replace my drain plug every 10 oil changes or so. It's only a few bucks. You also need to use a new drain plug washer every oil change. They are crush washers, and once they are crushed a few times, the correct torque spec on the drain plug goes out the window. Not to mention it will probably start leaking.

indeed. this plug baaaarely grabs onto the pan its so stripped, I pulled off the crush washer and put on a rubber o-ring so it would stop leaking so much and hand tightened the plug to the maximum torque it would torque (About 1.5 in/lb)

I'll have to get a helicoil plug or something, I have been told the oil pump needs to be removed to pull the pan on these cars and I am just not in the mood at this point

[jlevie]

'll have to get a helicoil plug or something, I have been told the oil pump needs to be removed to pull the pan on these cars and I am just not in the mood at this point

It isn't necessary to remove the pan to install a HeliCoil or Timesert. To keep shaving out of the oil pan, pack the drill or tap with grease, use it just a bit, with draw it clean and re-pack with grease. Don't fret about a few shavings that wind up in the pan. If picked up by the pump they'll be trapped by the filter. Otherwise they'll come out on the next oil change.

[SpecM]

this was the first thing I fixed on my first e30

I just used a self-tapping single-oversized drain plug

I poured one quart of oil in the engine with the drain plug out to wash out the shavings

[E30Nova]

Anyone happen to know the size of the helicoil needed for an M20 pan? My pan has been stripped every since I got it, and I've tried using an oversize bolt but it still leaks. I think I need an M12x.50 or something, but I can't remember.

Matt

[akorcovelos]

http://www.timesert.com/html/drainplug.html

[2.5-12]

Ive never seen that timesert product, looks nice

what thread and pitch is the BMW kit on that page?

[akorcovelos]

m12-1.5

[blocke]

After having to deal with this problem when I first got my e30, I fixed it, and then bought one of those "quickvalve" things. Its a little valve that screws in place of the drain plug. Doesn't leak, and I never have to remove it and worry about the threads stripping again. And oil changes are even easier now.

[E30Nova]

http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/

These things?

That looks like it makes it ridiculously easy for someone that hates you to ruin your day.

Matt

[xwill112x]

just leave the bolt out if it isnt leaking. thats what i did.

[erik325i]

One alternative to replacing the pan is to drill and tap the hole to 14mm and then use a 14mm drain plug from a Mercedes or Honda.