Well, I am at Cummins and they took out the drain plug and the threads came with it. Oh no... the insert is 30 bucks plus labor and a new pan is 1600. The issue is it will take a day to get here. Seems to be an issue so I am thinking of putting that drain valve in next.
OUCH, My first thought is who put the plug in last time ? If Cummins, did they torque it to spec ? ( I already know the answer to that don't I ? ) John, I think you have the M11, am I correct that this is an aluminum pan and that many others have had the same problem? Surely there is a fix for something as important as this.
Gary B
Yes, Cummins Changed the oil last time. I had them order both and and will see which one gets in first. I have seen this in other M11s. They make the standard pan out of metal but the high clearance one is aluminum. You would think they could make it out of stamped steel the way they make the standard pan. I asked if the new pans had a fix and the answer was no. So, I guess 12 years old is ok for Cummins but not for me.
They said it is suppose to have 100 ftlbs of torq on the bolt.
100 ft-lb on a drain plug???
That is what I said....That is why I posted it.
John,
Not questioning what you were heard. Questioning that you were told the correct information. So I called Cummins: 800 343-7357, 0.
Obviously I don't have your engine serial number, but he picked a 2001 ISM engine to look up. He said correct torque is 65 ft-lbs.
You might want to call with your engine serial number to verify.
Just trying to be careful.
Brett
Thanks Brett. I will talk to them tomorrow. I talked to the tech and he said he looks up each engine he works on so he does not make a mistake. Then again it is 11 years of oil changes. Still, I will talk to them tomorrow.
Drain plug torque on the M-11 is 65 ft-lbs also.
On our previous coach, the little Isuzu Trek, a shop torqued the oil pan bolt down so hard, the next shop would not remove it, for fear of damage. That night, in the parking lot, I used a 24" pipe wrench, a 24" piece of pipe as an extender, and all the torque I could muster to get it loose. The last time I had anyone other than me or my near-home shop change my oil.
The shop that abused the bolt was a truck lube shop. The shop we were at was Walmart. They let us camp out in the parking lot, had a replacement plug in stock, and charged me $39 including labor, oil, plug, but less the $60 filter (I always carried one with me.)
Shouldn't an oil-lubricated plug last for about a jillion loose-tights if it is treated properly?
oldMattB
It is a known issue. The pan is aluminum and the bolt steel. You have dissimilar metals and the AL threads are much weaker than the plug.
Fumo valve is a excellent fix. You never have to worry about it again once it is installed.
Yes, for $25 or so, you don't have to worry about it again. See at Amazon: Amazon.com: Fumoto F-111 Engine Oil Drain Valve: Automotive (http://www.amazon.com/Fumoto-F-111-Engine-Drain-Valve/dp/B003VCES9I) This is an example only. Check to see which model fits.
Watched a guy cross thread a spark plug on his Ford Triton. Had to have it towed to the dealer and the total was $3000 to fix it.
Pierce
Yes, that is going to be my fix shortly.
Hi John S,
There is a repair kit available from a company called Time-Sert. They have many different kits available for aluminum oil pans. They are on the web. They may have a kit for our type engines.
Raymond
Thanks Raymond, I will look at them.
Right on Dave says the guy who just disassembled and repaired the timer on the house clothes dryer. I think a good tig welder could do this repair without removing the pan but shavings from drill and tap might be problematic.
I have paid to have oil changes three times and each time there was some stupid problem. On my Cummins pickup with a huge drain plug they actually tightened it so tight that the plug fractured between the threaded portion and the bolt flange. Found I was running down the road with three quarts of oil. Urge to kill....must control...
John, Not sure where I saw it but I saw a Expandable Rubber plug that can be inserted and then a screw tightened til it seals. Might be a fix til you can get in a place where you can either pull the pan, insert a threadsert or some other fix.
Good luck with it.
Gary B
Thanks Gary, I am at Cummins right now. The part is in so they are removing the pan to insert it.
John, I am SURE that they are doing this repair at their expense since they screwed it up in the first place.... RIGHT ?????
Gary B
Yes they are doing the insert at their cost. Oh and I get to have them pay for a trip to Xtreme too as they lowered the coach onto a metal step..... ouch
John, Do you remember the cartoon LITTLE ABNER ? Fellow by name of JOE BSFTLSFT had a little black cloud hovering over him, maybe you better look up to see it its now following you :-(
Gary B
YES, I do remember and feel that it has been on this trip so far.