My oil pan leaks

Adelard of Bath · Post by **Adelard of Bath** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:36 pm

My oil pan leaks around the drain plug and I don't like it! I have seen this on other Toyotas, I heard it is from over-tightening the drain plug? Perhaps due to the way they welded that nut/threaded insert inside the pan at the factory? Well regardless, when I bought it a couple months ago, it was like that. I "fixed" it with silicone sealant but I see it is leaking again.

Anybody have any ideas that DON'T involve removing the pan?

I was thinking a large rubbery washer, like garden-hose style heh heh.

takza · Post by **takza** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 4:52 pm

My drain plug has a nylon washer on it...at least once when I changed oil and left it in the bottom of the drain pan...it wouldn't stop leaking...had to drain it again and put it on the plug....have heard of these stripping threads...but you do need a washer...probably nylon. Rubber is too soft. Maybe copper.

Adelard of Bath · Post by **Adelard of Bath** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:20 pm

That is good to know....but when I "fixed" it before with the sealant, after discovering the leak, I noticed that there was a large depression next to the threaded hole...in one spot, deep enough to see and feel. So the washer would have to be able to fill that gap...
I will probably spin by the parts place or whatever and get an appropriate washer

takza · Post by **takza** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 5:50 am

Need to be careful...rubber might "squeeze out and you could lose lots of oil fairly fast.

I need to find one that won't fall off the plug....real pain to redrain the new oil just to put the washer back on.

Logbear · Post by **Logbear** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 8:10 am

Some of my past Tercels had this same leaking problem. My current Tercel was evidently fixed by the past owner. The large drain plug is welded in place and a smaller threaded hole is drilled right in the middle of the old large drain plug. A smaller plug screws in there. I just drained the oil a few days ago. The oil comes out a little slower, but there are no leaks when the little plug is back in.

takza · Post by **takza** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 6:46 pm

Adelard of Bath wrote: That is good to know....but when I "fixed" it before with the sealant, after discovering the leak, I noticed that there was a large depression next to the threaded hole...in one spot, deep enough to see and feel. So the washer would have to be able to fill that gap...

I think I saw the same thing on mine and wondered why it was there...but the nylon washer seals it OK. You could save yourself a lot of trouble by finding one that is a snug fit on the threads...mine will probably never get "fixed"...who's going to drain the oil just to take the plug somewhere to find another SNUG washer?

It's the small PITAs that add up.......

russkiypenguin1 · Post by **russkiypenguin1** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 8:12 pm

I have so many other leaks that I don't even notice this one.

Adelard of Bath · Post by **Adelard of Bath** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:46 pm

Takza, here's a cool idea I did one time to put a washer on a different car when it didn't have one: I unscrewed the plug enough to measure the diameter with my calipers (the cheap six dollar calipers from the home improvement store, I don't need to be sticking my Swiss machinist's ones in there) and then screwed it back in... didn't lose any oil...then I found a washer, and then the real fun begins! Put a drainpan under the oilpan, put rubber gloves on....then I unscrewed the plug and when it popped out, I plugged the hole with one of the fingers of my left hand! That's why the gloves...it dripped a little bit as I moved around but oh well...then with my right hand I struggled to get the washer on the bolt one-handed but it worked....when I removed my left hand, I put the plug in the hole as fast as I could and I lost a small amount of oil but no big deal, it went into the drainpan and then I checked my oil and didn't even have to add any.

takza · Post by **takza** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 6:25 am

Darn...you're FAST & CREATIVE!

But...actually I'm thinking along those lines or maybe taking some kind of pill so I'm sure to remember the washer.

With cold oil that would work....I keep thinking HOT oil...mostly I just get burnt.

Could measure it...and whittle a tapered plug out of a tree branch...twist it in there and then leisurely drive somewhere and get another washer....with another car of course.

10-11 posts on upgrading drain plugs...hope we don't get into something complicated.......