First disapointmnet with DC on my Magnum RT

I am curious - did the head of the plug round off or were its threads
damaged? I'm curious because it is steel, and it's hard to believe the
aluminum pan threads not stripping out before damage to the plug
threads, especially since it did it three times. Can you clarify?

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

Sure. Nope, the head was (eventually) rounded off. I tried furiously
to remove the bolt: I saturated it with liquid wrench, used a pipe
wrench, picked up some rounded bolt removal sockets (they cut into the
bolt) until the bolt head was completley rounded and diminished. When I
finally broke down and tacked a wrench to it, it still took everything I
had to push the wrench (I'm no weakling either).

In my opinion, the lack of a teflon or masonite washer caused this.
This could explain why there's no damage to the pan threads, since the
jamming point was the bolt head flange to the face of the pan. As far
as I know, the pan threads are completely in tact.

 

Liquid Wrench comes in a cool yellow can, but it's useless as a penetrant.

Get yourself a can of Kano Kroil. I was a skeptic for a decade, then I
used it *once* and was an instant convert.

Haven't looked at a late Intrepid's drain plug, but the last time I
checked, all Chrysler products used a very nice unitized drain
plug-and-thick-rubber-coated-metal-washer assembly. Was this the original
drain plug you removed, or maybe a replacement?

DS

 

Thanks! I'll check it out.

It was at least the third once since factory. The replacement one I
bought was just metal, and I installed a separate washer just to feel
good about it.

 

I guess my terminology is a little lacking. I've always called a
rounded nut "stripped".

 

Ah...this is one of those parts it's very much worth getting from the
dealer. The official Chrysler drain plug is a really robust, nicely-made
part. I have not seen its equal in the aftermarket.

DS

 

If you're saying the washer is like a seemless 'U' channel that
surrrounds the head, that's what came on the brand new oil pan I just
got, and it is soft rubber. It seems that would cause even an imbicile
to not overtighten and strip the threads or round off the head just for
the fact that the soft rubber would be totally crushed and destroyed in
the process, but apparently not with some of the people working in the
dealearships and oil change places. I didn't realize that that was the
type of washer that came on them until just now when you said what you
did. I bought my Concorde used with the pan threads already having been
stripped, but the plug had no such washer on it as this.

This is actually a pretty good design - maximizes trhe chances of
getting the mechanic's attention that:
(1) The washer will be damaged by overtightening, and
(2) With the large land area of soft rubber, the plug will certrainly
seal with very little torque.

Besides that type, my other favorite type is the embedded or insert
molded o-ring. Great because, again, the soft rubber will seal very
reliably with little torque, and it is a controlled crush. Downside of
any plug and washer design is that no matter what, if an idiot is
determined to do damage, there's nothing to prevent it.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

Daniel - go here: http://www.cgenterprises.com/drain_plugs_metric.htm
and check out no. 1078 at the bottom of the page. I wonder if they sell
onsey-twoseys or if you have to buy in bulk. Why can't auto parts
stores carry good stuff like this instead of the junk they have for
drain plugs? (That's a rhetorical question because I know the name of
the game for commodity items is to get the lowest cost regardless of
performance because the consumer is too stupid to know or appreciate the
difference.)

I found a place in North Caroline that sells drain plugs that they
advertise as replacements for Hondas - M14-1.5 - the type with an
honest-to-goodness o-ring that fits into a groove machined into the land
area of the head. The o-rings are a standard size so you can replace
them using the same plug over and over.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

Agree.

-DS (How're those bulbs?)

 

Hey Daniel - I just realized that C.G. Enterprises is in Ontario - isn't
that near you? Go check them out!

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

Heh heh - haven't installed them yet. Just replaced my oil pan last
weekend; will do a little brake work this weekend (putting in Akebono
ProAct ceramics on the front and replacing the caliper slide bushings
all around).

I've only got one of the bulb sockets modified to accept the angle base
(one on the replacement headlight assy.). It's going to take at least a
full Saturday to get the headlight assys. out and mod the other three
holes (some delicate and precise chop work with a MotoTool and some
epoxy), so I need to pick a good weekend when there's not going to be
interruptions with family goings on, etc. Guess I'll do that before I
replace all my coolant hoses and the disconnected (worn out) radiator
fan motor - another Saturday needed for that.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

Donno, but I just proved myself wrong. Dorman (the orange-drawer people)
sell this very drain plug individually-

1/2"-20: 090-058
M12: 090-059
M14: 090-098

Well, Ontario's a very large province...Orillia's not far, but I don't
change my own oil (no facilities where I live!).

DS

 

Man, this is getting exciting! 8^)

Good to know - I'll have to scout my local parts stores for Dorman.

Now the other thing that is lacking is a decent washer for an
**oversize** M14-1.5 plug for the poor souls who have stripped out oil
pan threads. The parts stores have the plugs, which work adequately,
**except** the only washers they carry are made of really hard materials
that can't conform to the minor surface imperfections of the land area
unless you really tighten them hard - not a good idea with partially
restored threads.

A lot of people have trouble with the O.S. plugs leaking for that reason
- I was one of them. Hmmm - I wonder if you can remove the washers from
the C.G. 1078/Dorman 090-098 plug without damaging it and if the head
dimensions of the cheapy O.S. plugs are such that they'ed accommodate
that washer? That would be nice. I may try it even though I personally
don't need it now because I just replaced my oil pan with a new one.
Would be a nice thing to post to 300M forum as a solution to those who
complain about the O.S. plugs constantly leaking.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")