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Oil Pan replacement

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Taxi/Limo, Feb 10, 2020.

  1. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    I have rethreaded many an oil pan. I was changing oil a lot due to hard driving back in the day. Was getting to the point of getting one of those valve things.
     
  2. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    If there is no more thread to catch, then of course a longer drain plug won't work.

    But, OP said this.
    If the OEM plug was not long enough to catch the remaining thread, I think it is worth the try using a longer drain plug. It cost less than $5 and absolutely no more work than regular oil change, if it works.
     
  3. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    I just received my 2nd order from Amayama. This time I ordered some spares as they are not available from Toyota here in the US. I was expecting some sort of duty/tax but absolutely nothing. I think the time you get into issues is if you order for resale, not your personal vehicle...

    moto g(7) power ?
     
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  4. Nor'easter

    Nor'easter Member

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    I'm unfamiliar with Amayama... that's quite a catalog! Good prices too. Bookmarked for later use!
     
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  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Got a spin-on oil filter bracket last time, went well, good price.
     
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  6. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    There is a $1,000 value exemption on Customs Duties every thirty days for anything imported into the US for personal non-commercial use.
     
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  7. Taxi/Limo

    Taxi/Limo Active Member

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    That seems to me to be the easiest place to start
    Where do you get longer drain plugs that match up?

    Thanks
     
  8. Taxi/Limo

    Taxi/Limo Active Member

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    What do you mean here ?
    Thanks
     
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    What the drain bolt screws into is a nut welded on the inside face of the oil pan, or so Georgina claims. I think she's right.

    About 6 minutes he starts working on the oil pan removal, and around 8 minutes it comes off:



    He uses yet another novel FIP gasket application technique, and I see (contrary to Repair Manual instruction) he goes around the outside of the bolt holes. I think going inside does make more sense, as he's done, oil can seep through at all the bolt holes.
     
    #29 Mendel Leisk, Feb 11, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2020
  10. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    It means that there is not enough threads deeper into the hole. Honda oil pans are cast aluminum and are thick with a long thread into the boss.

    The nut used in the sheet metal oil pan is as thin as a regular steel hex nut in the same thread as the oil plug.
     
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  11. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    As pointed out, if the threads on the oil pan are completely stripped or very little is remaining, this will not work. My experience was with Honda vehicle, and it had fairly thick aluminum oil pan and the thread was all the way through while the OEM drain plug was very short catching only the first half of the depth of the threaded pan wall. I just took the OEM drain plug to NAPA auto parts store and asked for a longer drain plug that is the same diameter and pitch. You can do the same if you have the drain plug out, but if you know the length of the Prius OEM plug, any drain plug that is about 2x longer with the same diameter and pitch will work.
     
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  12. Taxi/Limo

    Taxi/Limo Active Member

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    How do I find out the diameter and pitch of my drain plug ? Thanks
     
  13. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Prius have M12x1.25 drain plug. I don't know what the length is.
     
  14. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    If you take a paper clip and bend an eighth and inch of the end over into a 90 degree angle and hook the upper part of the drain plug hole, you can measure the depth of the threads. Compare that measurement and the threaded part of the drain plug, and you will probably see that the treads are not even as deep as the length of the threads in the hole.
     
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  15. Taxi/Limo

    Taxi/Limo Active Member

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    If I understand correctly here a longer drain plug might fix the problem if a loose fitting original drain plug
     
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  16. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yeah, I see what you mean now on the video Mendel uploaded. Yap, thread on the nut welded on the sheet metal oil pan is much shorter than the drain plug itself.

    Screenshot 2020-02-11 at 10.27.16 PM.png
     
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  17. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    See the photo above. The drain plug on Prius is already longer than the threaded nut welded on the sheet metal pan. As @Georgina Rudkus pointed out, a longer drain plug is not going to help in this case.
     
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  18. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    M14x1.5 oil drain plugs are cheap.



    An M14x1.5 tap can be had for $15. And, most everyone has a 1/2 inch drill bit.
     
    #38 Georgina Rudkus, Feb 11, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2020
  19. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    You never said your car is leaking oil but is it?
     
  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    If it hasn't been mentioned: first try chasing the the threads with a M12x1.25 tap? Who knows, it might just be a little messed up, and the tap might clean it up.
     
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