I almost always change my own oil in my 08 F150 5.4. But before I went on vacation in July, I let Walmart change it (should have known better) cause I didn't find the time. Today I started to change oil for 1st time since Walmart. I had a little trouble with oil plug. When I got it out, it was covered with loctite & will not tighten back up in the pan. I'm gonna try new plug 1st. But if its the oil pan stripped out, is there a fix for that without installing a new pan?

Thanks for your help. I'll check back in a little while after I call Walmart and GO OFF!!!

 

I am not completely certain this can be done but it might be possible to have the hole rethreaded. This would typically make the hole just a bit bigger requiring a new plug but this might be an option to explore before replacing the oil pan. I know it can be done on many things just not sure if its possible to do on the oil pan.

 

I seen one with a re tapped or heli coiled drain plug. Similar problem took it to a budget shop and a newbe put the nut on with a air gun.

It always leaked a bit of oil after but at least it sealed.

Can the pan be replaced without moving the engine?

 

Due to you working with a metric thread, Try taping a 1/8" pipe thread into it with a pipe plug coated with thread sealer. 1/8" may be too small a pipe tap to tighten up the pipe plug? If you have to go to 1/4" tap, feel it out is the best way. 1/8 will open it up and possibly a short nipple sealed into the threaded hole with a pipe cap will work. Maybe end up with teflon tape too but not so good if it gets loose inside the engine. Remember the further you run the tap in the looser the pipe thread will be, but a short nipple has a long tapered thread maybe ran in all the way to bottom with sealer? Magnet and draining willhelp remove the small chips, along with slow you go.

 

An "over-sized" self tapping plug is available just for this problem.

 

There you go a nice easy fix!

 

Time for me to eat crow. False alarm. Turned out to be the plug stripped instead of the pan. No way I thought I would get that lucky. But now I gotta brag on Walmart a little. When I called to tell em what had happened, the guy who stripped it out don't work there anymore. Imagine that. The tire/lube manager came to my house (about 10 miles) with a couple oil plugs. New plug tightened up good. Thanks for the help.

 

I would worry about that though? Unless maybe he put the wrong one back in. Now that's an explaination I can go with.

 

Hey that's great! I would say he put the wrong one back in and could not find the other so he used loctite to get it to seal up and stay put. What a true genius we are talking about here.

 

That used to be the standard regarding standing behind your work/service. Too few people or businesses do that anymore.

 

It also shows to the business manager and the owner the real facts of the incident. Business was responsible for damage. If the threads fail they should replace the pan if and when.