Determining "who" stripped my oil drain plug

The good news is my Honda dealer is going to heilcoil the pain for me…and return the new oil pan. I tend to agree with the sentiment that it doesn’t make any sense that these things wear out that often. I’ve been using synthetic oil since I got the car with 72k miles on it and changing the oil every 4-5000 miles. The Goodyear shop has been really good and said they’d be willing to put in writing what they found when the car came in. I’m dealing with the BBB right now and my biggest loss is my time and rental car costs while trying to find a new job here in Tampa. I’m guessing when Honda removes the plug they’ll be able to tell what caused the leakage of 2.5 qts of oil - they also said, the engines are pretty rock solid and have run on very little oil without damage.

I’ve owned three Civics (each taken to about 100k) and my current Insight. I never got comfortable with those aluminum washers and 29 ft-lb (yes, I use a torque wrench). I finally put a Fumoto oil drain valve on my Insight.

Kudos to the dealer. It’s a pleasant surprise to hear that they’re willing to do that. Many dealers go for the gold.

I took care of the oil changes on my daughter’s 2001 and 2002 Civics, and I seem to recall that they used a cast aluminum pan, but to their credit they also provided plenty of tread for the plug to secure to. I seem to recall horizontally oriented holes with pleasantly deep tread. Is my memory correct?

I myself bought a Civic in '82… loved it… … but my memory doesn’t store details that long…

Since They’ll Be Rethreading For A Heli-Coil, Why Not Just Rethread For An Over-Sized Plug, Instead?

I’ve seen better results with heli-coils used for bolts/plugs that aren’t frequently removed and replaced.

SteveC76 suggested a Timesert. The key word here is Time . Although I’ve never used one myself, I have been attracted to them when trying to decide how to handle rethreading a bolt hole. This could be an option, but possibly not one the dealer is familiar with or willing to use.

I don’t know if they weren’t done exactly right, bolts were overtightened, high heat was a problem, dirty threads, or what, but I’ve seen heli-coils break up and come out.

CSA

Most dealers have timeserts in stock and may refer to them as a helicoil. I can install one in an oil pan on most cars in less than 5 minutes. I would be willing to bet Honda installed a timesert.

@SteveC76

Then I guess Heli-Coil could be synonymous with Time-Sert or thread repair, the way Kleenex means tissue. I see what you’re saying.

CSA

A Helicoil (Time-sert) is one type of thread repair. Oversizing/recutting and chasing are other types of thread repair (the latter not appropriate for oil pan holes). I point that out because a thread repair does not automatically imply a helicoil.

I came from the manufacturing industry and Time-Sert was considered a registered name for a company’s specific helicoil, whereas helicoil is the generic term. It should also be known that helicoils can be purchased for just about any thread size… well, except the tiny ones such as 0 and 00 size.

Good idea on getting the pan repaired instead of replaced. There is no reason to pull the pan unless the gasket was leaking, then it might not be such a bad idea to replace it if it gives you peace of mind.

As long as the low oil light didn’t come on, odds are you are good. Low oil light isn’t really the correct term as it is really a low oil pressure light. As long as the oil pump pickup is fully in the oil and you aren’t sucking air, no damage was likely done. Sure, less oil will be doing all the work so changing it is order. The oil will have to come out no matter the repair so count on the cost of another oil change with the repair. The oil pump is like a straw in a way. If you are sucking on a straw in a cup of soda, you can get the same amount of drink per second no matter how full the cup is unless you are nearly empty. The oil pan and pump are much the same way. The only engines where low oil is a really serious immediate problem are the splash lubricated models that count on the level being right near the top. This being said, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on the oil level and double check the work of the shop you use.

More and more parts on cars are going to aluminum and other lighter metals to save on fuel so that is why oil pans are going that way. I figure it would cost more and be more of a hassle to make plugs out of a softer metal than aluminum. There might also be issues with then working loose during normal use??? I totally agree with sacrificial parts but but it seems better to stick with what we have now.

On the topic of sacrificial parts, I work on computers including laptops. One thing I hate about most designs is how the power cords/ports are designed. People always end up leaving the cord plugged into the laptop when they transport it or they, the kids, or the dog trip over the cord with it plugged in. This always seems to break the port internal to the laptop and never the cord which is much easier and cheaper to replace. Fixing the port involves a costly disassembly of the laptop and replacement of internal parts. Sometimes depending on the design and extent of the damage, a motherboard replacement is needed. Unless it is a new or higher end unit, this will total the computer. Apple has a magnetic power cord. It simply sticks to the side of the computer so if something happens, the magnet just pulls away from the computer. Say what you want about Apple but this is a great design and I am sure there is a patent as no one else uses it.

Also, on my Chevy S-10, the cast al oil pan is essentially a structural component of the engine. I cracked it and it was going to be a pain to replace so I patched it with aluminum patches and JB Weld. I already had a god used replacement on hand which I still have so figure if I ever do the pan gasket or clutch, it will come off then. I drained the oil, cleaned, and roughed up all the surfaces as part of the prep and this repair seems as good as new for now which has been several years.