Stopping oil leak in drain plug. - Silicone grease?

[tkotitan]

This is borderline a OEM/ModTech question so I am just posting here.

After monkeying with my oil pan drain plug last year, I got an oversized self tapping plug and it leaks a tiny bit of oil on the ground. Maybe a quart in 1 month, but it can be more depending on temperature and how much I drive it.

Question: if I let it all dry next oil change can I use silicone grease on the drain plug to prevent the oil leak? Someone recommended this and the idea is after the oil drains, wipe everything clean, apply grease, let it sit for a bit and then add oil. Is this safe and will it work? I like being able to change my own oil so I need to get the plug off later by hand. I don't care about the oil loss so much as I just don't like polluting in my friend's driveway and it smells bad when the leak hits the exhaust during driving.

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If you're bored and curious about the whole debacle of my oil pan plug saga, I apparently am bored too so I will relay the story.
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It all started a few years ago when I stopped on a long road trip and checked my oil, and put a quart in. While driving, I said to myself "did I leave the oil cap off? nahh, if I did the oil pressure would drop and my dummy light would come on" well I DID leave the cap off, somehow it stayed on top of my engine in the intake area and I drove it 100 highway miles with the cap off. I lost over a quart of oil but it all concentrated in one spot under the hood. The 4.0 didn't even flinch.

I panicked - we had fresh snow so I couldn't do the change myself and I had to drive the next day so I bought the oil and went to a mechanic down the road to change it for me and he did.

Next spring, I went to change my oil and couldn't remember what I did last, I thought I always do my own oil. I drain the oil, and the plug was on there TIGHT so much that I almost couldn't get it off with the wrench but somehow it worked. Then I went to do the filter - it wouldn't budge. I end up breaking my nice flex-head filter wrench. I call my friend who has a socket-drive wrench, the cap kind that goes on the end, and we can't get the filter off. So I put the oil in with the dirty filter and then go to another mechanic who happens to be the brother of the guy I went to last winter. I start to recall that he was the one who did my oil and he over-tightened everything. He just saw his brother for the holidays and was like "man, if I knew about this I would have given him hell last week!" We end up having to tap a crowbar through the filter and somehow it comes off. The funny thing is these two brother used to work together and when the one left the other was like "all of a sudden nothing was over-tightened."

After that I started to have a slight oil leak but I didn't know from where. I would see oil dripping from the plug, so I assumed it was the plug since it was on there tight maybe it stripped a bit. But I was dumb - it was the filter adapter seal and the leak was beading on the plug.

So I just tell my mechanic to put in a single oversized self-tapping plug. Bad idea. He was barely able to get it fit and it was impossible to change by hand without a lift. I had a good grip on the wrench and I swear the bones in my wrist were going to snap before that plug came out. So now I can't change my own oil, and can't revert to an older normal plug.

Somewhere along the line, my rear main seal on the pan was leaking a lot too so that when I drove it, I was getting a free undercoat! The transmission was silver it was so purty.

So this past year, I change the filter adapter seals and the rear main seal, and I get a Fumoto plug from a friend. So all I need is my mechanic to re-tap the oil pan and it will be the end to this nonsense. My guy has two re-tap kits, and it turns out both matching bits are of different real sizes. He retaps and the Fumoto is barely too small. So we get a collection of oversized self-tapping plugs that are all too small and then finally one fits.

And it is loose enough that I can change my own oil again.

And it leaks constantly out of the pan. With the rear main leak, it only leaked when running and with the filter seal, it only leaked when running or until the filter drained. Now it leaks all the time and for some reason this bugs me more.

Hopefully this story has a happy ending where silicone grease saves the day. And if that sounds dirtry, it's because Jeeps are dirty.

 

[Miller88]

Not surprised that an oil change joint messed up a drain plug! They do that a lot, unfortunately.

If you have RMS leak and oil pan leak problems - I'd just either do it myself or bring it to a shop - and replace both the pan and the RMS.

 

[MoparManiac]

Was there no washer on the plug or anything?

If not, get one of the rubber infused steel pressure washers from mcmaster. I use them on my Dodge drain plug and they work perfect.

 

[tkotitan]

Not surprised that an oil change joint messed up a drain plug! They do that a lot, unfortunately.

If you have RMS leak and oil pan leak problems - I'd just either do it myself or bring it to a shop - and replace both the pan and the RMS.

It actually wasn't a quick-lube joint this time but I still echo your sentiments. I feel the same about tire change places ... except Wal-Mart. The tire service I get at Wal-Marts has blown me away - the put the lugs on by hand and use a torque wrench, and if they cannot get your lugs off after a couple minutes of trying, they have to stop.

If I get enough cash I may change the pan at some point.

 

[tkotitan]

Was there no washer on the plug or anything?

If not, get one of the rubber infused steel pressure washers from mcmaster. I use them on my Dodge drain plug and they work perfect.

Good question. It has a washer-like head. They don't have washers although putting one in would space things out more and my guess is that it would leak more, not less.

 

[MoparManiac]

Good question. It has a washer-like head. They don't have washers although putting one in would space things out more and my guess is that it would leak more, not less.

You have two metal pieces (pan and built in washer on bolt) that need to seal together.

Put something formable between them and it will seal them (i.e. silicone, rubber, nylon).

The rubber pressure sealing washers are reusable and will solve your issue.

 

[yossarian19]

^ what he said.
I got tired of the small drip from my drain plug & put a rubberized washer in there.
No more drip.
Valve cover still leaks w/ a fresh gasket but that's another story.

 

[Tony_SS]

Something like this?

 

[MoparManiac]

That's exactly what I use.

 

[tkotitan]

Ok I'll give the washer a try next change. No yeas, nays or red flags on the silicone grease idea?

 

[souske]

Use the washer

 

[Pelican]

OP, it might help to understand your concern now and in the future if you will explain why you don't think a washer will work. You mention that adding a washer would space things out more and likely cause it to leak more, not less.

I have no idea what the majority of vehicles come from the factory with but I know my wife's two Hondas have come with an aluminum washer on the drain bolt.

A metal to metal contact surface that is leaking is precisely what you use a washer for so how is your setup different?

 

[tkotitan]

OP, it might help to understand your concern now and in the future if you will explain why you don't think a washer will work. You mention that adding a washer would space things out more and likely cause it to leak more, not less.

I have no idea what the majority of vehicles come from the factory with but I know my wife's two Hondas have come with an aluminum washer on the drain bolt.

A metal to metal contact surface that is leaking is precisely what you use a washer for so how is your setup different?

Because after the failed re-tap job, the new plug is an odd fit. You can tighten it, but not over-tighten it for fear of causing it to strip more. It may have a little bit if a "skip" in the thread but I can't remember. So I have 2 reasons for concern - I may not be able to apply enough torque to hold the washer firmly in place, and the spacing itself may make this better or worse. Certainly worth a try, but I was just wondering if I can hedge my bets and try the grease as well since I don't have the funds to spare to do two oil changes and I would really like to stop this leak.

I really appreciate the washer recommendation and I will give it a try. I was just curious if anyone else heard of this silicone grease idea working or if it is a really bad idea for contaminating the oil, etc.

 

[souske]

The issue with.grease is it becomes less viscous with.heat.
I would be more.tempted to make a.mess with rtv than grease, but with the cure time on the rtv, a washer is mire cost effective.

If the bolt is so loose that you can wiggle it out without turning it.more than 1/4 turn, its time for a new.pan. if a pan sounds expensive, then think of what would happen of the drain plug.fell out while driving.

Trying to do 35+ on certain parts of S-22 have at least caused the front suspension to become unloaded, and I swear thenfront end has.caught air a couple times. Losing a drain plug out there would bring.the suck in.a big way,.and.its a paved road....