Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Topic: Oil pan plug - striped threads. (Read 2785 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #25 – April 25, 2016, 09:31:21 am

Cost: Seven weeks ago Risch told me and another owner...new to FT ownership...about the drain plug potential weak spot. The new owner, who bought from an individual, said he planned to service himself, wanted ideas. Risch said be sure to take care with the drain plug, use a torque wrench as a new aluminum pan is about $1400 (installed?).

Told Risch i wanted to be sure to get the Femco drain at next change. Hope damage not already been done but none been reported for past four oil chsnges

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #26 – April 25, 2016, 09:38:06 am

Engine Drain Plug Insert

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #27 – April 25, 2016, 09:48:17 am

Thanks Brett - Called Cummins on the loop in Houston they have all 3 parts in stock. It sounds like he has a plan so we shall see what it is and what develops.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #28 – April 25, 2016, 11:57:44 am

When you get the insert if you apply green locktight to the outside of the insert it will never come out. That way you don't have to use
2 wrenches.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #29 – April 25, 2016, 12:13:11 pm

I do have available (in California) for sale: M26 x 1.5 tap ( $50) and M26 x 1.5 drain valve (Fumoto T207N for $42). These M26 x 1.5 items are 1.0236" by 17tpi, however, while the Oil drain plug in my 1996 M11 was 1 inch with 18 tpi, the oil drain plug in a 2001 M11 may be metric.

I also have for sale taps for 1 1/8 x 12 tap ($22), but these are in Canada, so I could not ship until after May 10th when I will be back in Canada.

I have driven 25,000 miles with a Fumoto oil drain valve with a nipple (has N at end of part number), which could be cut off, however, the transmission hangs down lower then the nipple of the drain valve. Sure does simplify changing the oil and the cost of the tap and drain valve is a fraction of a Cummins shop repair.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #30 – April 25, 2016, 12:42:45 pm

Thanks Wyatt will keep that in mind.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #31 – April 25, 2016, 03:54:52 pm

Pan is pulled, Beau is taking to local shop for machining. He will insert a SS bushing thread it and use the original drain plug. Says that his will never happen again. Decided against the drain valve plug as I don't want it hanging down for possible damage.

(Side Note: Although this drain pan thing is certainly not as consequential/important as Brad's and others PTO issue the problem is still the same. Known problem, poor design implementation, fix is available and not too expensive - but lets wait until it fails and fix it then and charge even more $$$$.

I would like to think that we live in a better world than that, but.......I guess I know better.

I wonder what else is lurking around the corner??

)

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #32 – April 25, 2016, 05:19:22 pm

I have issued a formal Customer Complaint to Rocky Mountain Cummins and it will be interesting to see what comes of it.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #33 – April 25, 2016, 05:37:12 pm

Scott, which Rocky Mtn shop did you have the oil changed last??
JohnH

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #34 – April 25, 2016, 05:48:13 pm

Last 2years at the Mesa shop. They have 2 in the Phoenix area. Guess I picked the bad one.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #35 – April 25, 2016, 06:04:41 pm

Scott,

Verify that he covered the bottom of the block with plastic or something to keep out dirt, water, insects.......

Doesn't have to be pretty-- couple of black trash bags and some tape would work fine.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #36 – April 25, 2016, 08:48:20 pm

Good suggestion Brett. Your comment came in about 15 mins. after Beau left and I am unable to get under there. He could not get a machine shop in this area to do what he wanted to do to the pan so he took it back to Nac and will be done in the am. He said he should be back here by 2/3pm. Rats..

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #37 – April 25, 2016, 08:53:21 pm

Scott,

If the crank and block have been open (no pan) overnight, I would suggest you go to an auto parts house and get an oil can (pull trigger and it squirts oil). Buy and extra gallon of whatever oil you use. Put a pan under the engine.

Squirt the full GALLON on it to make sure you "rinse" off any dirt, moisture, etc.

Does not make sense to reinstall the pan "trapping" dirt in the engine.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #38 – April 25, 2016, 08:58:46 pm

Brett - That sir I can do. Thanks a bunch. I will share that with Beau when he gets back here and have the necessary stuff for him to do the nasty.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #39 – April 25, 2016, 11:42:06 pm

Scott the reason for me asking was that I wondered if it was the one I used in Avondale. That's all.
JohnH

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #40 – April 26, 2016, 09:23:30 am

Thoughts were asked for so here is one,those of us that use synthetic oil will agree,the synthetic will give you at least double
the mileage of dino oils.This means your threads will last twice as long if your only changing oil half as much.This stripping is the main reason we do our own work,no imbiciles with an impact gun.
If you do not do your own work then the next best thing is watch these guys,this is a problem that could have been avoided.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #41 – April 26, 2016, 09:27:50 am

Also,would not spray oil but varsol,and would tell mr Beau to use anti seize on those oil pans bolts.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #42 – April 26, 2016, 11:02:13 am

TT Beau. His normal process is to spray the open pan area with oil to wash away unwanted stuff. He has a sprayer that attaches to his air compressor that will spray/wash the area. I will check with him about anti seize on pan bolts.

Thanks all. He'll be back in a couple of hours to replace the pan. RV Mobile Lube will be here about 5pm to refill engine with oil.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #43 – April 26, 2016, 10:58:50 pm

Done - Oil replaced and ready to go. 5 hours labor + $294.00 Service call charge (back and forth from Nac. 2 times) + parts. = Job well done at a reasonable cost. Would use his services again in a heart beat.

The "machine shop" in Nac would not drill out and thread the hole for him. Something about liability. Sounds like they will not "fix" the Cummins pans anymore.

He picked up the SS insert at Cummins in Houston, brought a drill bit and thread tapper. Completed it in the back of his truck, Cleaned the pan inside and out, used a compressed air sprayer to spray the open engine compartment with Rotella 15 40 and put it all back together. Used penetrating thread lock on insert and non seize on the pan bolts. No leaks. RV Mobile lube arrived about 10 minutes after Beau and his helper left, filled her up. Started engine. No leaks. 1 year guarantee.

Robert at RV Mobile Lube was amazed that the job was done so quickly and well. Robert wanted Beau's contact info so I gave him some cards that Beau left me.

So...........................all in all this was a needless repair. Had Cummins spent the money on the front side and spent $50.00+/- to insert a SS bushing and put in the drain plug we would not have had this discussion. Ain't life grand?

PS: He also adjusted our valves and injectors in Nac at Bernd's last year

For your reference:

Beau Reece - Reece Mobile Service
936-221-2055

Located in Cushing, TX, close to Nac. but "Have truck will travel"

Thanks to all for your contributions.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #44 – April 26, 2016, 11:31:02 pm

I find it hard to blame Cummins for a problem that has more to do with proper torque of the drain plug than as a bad design. My 3 977 Caterpillars all had aluminum oil pans and I changed oil every 100 hours on them, rebuilt the engines on them every 10,000 hours and never on any of them did I strip a oil pan. There are thousands of engines out there with aluminum oil pans and steel plugs without having to put inserts in them if the drain plug is torqued properly. There are also a lot of oil pan threads striped at EZ lube etc. Bad help is the difference.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #45 – April 26, 2016, 11:34:47 pm

Soooooo.....it's Rocky Mountain Cummins problem?

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #46 – April 26, 2016, 11:46:12 pm

Quote from: Carol & Scott – April 26, 2016, 11:34:47 pm

Soooooo.....it's Rocky Mountain Cummins problem?

If they were the only ones ever tightening the drain plug I would say yes. The threads must have been striped before as you said it had a helicoil in it. My guess is if they had used the proper locktite when putting in the helicoil the coil would not have come out when you had it serviced this time and no one would have known it was there except the mechanic that put it in.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #47 – April 27, 2016, 12:41:12 am

These subjects seem so timely.... Last year my International mechanic informed me the oil plug was stripped. MOT supposedly did it last when I bought it. He went back to the shop to get something to fix it. Thanks for posting these inconsequential (or seemingly so) topics. Who would have thought a weak point on an M11 would be an oil plug?

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #48 – April 27, 2016, 12:57:39 am

Allison trannys have the same aluminum drain pan / steel drain plug problem, which happened to us, probably caused by a well-known shop failing to do the right thing.
Allison has three remedies: drill-tap-oversize steel plug, longer plug to grasp existing non stripped threads located inside pan well above bottom threads, new pan. We made a temp repair with a regular bolt that was long enough to thread into the good threads further up in pan, followed by drill & tap. Now we are present for every tranny drain and torque wrench always used.
BTW, we installed Femco Compact drains for our generator Isuzu engine & Cummins engine. It takes longer to drain, but we can drain unattended into a large Rubbermaid container and no more striped pan drains.

Re: Oil pan plug - striped threads.

Reply #49 – June 21, 2016, 12:01:05 pm

Update:

As mentioned in another thread. Cummins after numerous emails and telephone calls has agreed to pay the repair bill and we should get a check in the next few days.

Received a call from Cummins Customer Care this AM. He was tracking down why I never received any communication regarding my original emails to Rocky Mountain Cummins as well as Cummins Corporate. It appears that their internal email, customer complaint, customer comment process was working, however, they are going to tweak the process to assure that complaints/comments when required/requested will be tracked to assure that ALL customer complaints/ comments are appropriately addressed and responded to.

In our particular case, I sent numerous emails to Cummins. Those were received by Cummins and routed to the appropriate shop. All of my emails dropped into the Black Hole because the Shop Manager received them and forwarded them to the shop. He did not keep track of these emails and were not answered and were not answered by the shop.

Cummins Customer Care will continue to track to assure that the check has been cut and received.

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