HELP ! geno's brass drain plug snaps inside my oil pan !

[shendren]

what a nightmare. changing oil for the 1st time in my new truck.



pulled the oem plug and drained oil.



put the genos plug in by hand. nice and smooth.



put a torque wrench set at 30 ft-lbs on it and before it got to 30 the brass plug twists in half ! the plunger is still inside the pan along with half the threads.



best case:

i might be able to fish the plunger out with a paper clip.



i might be able to chisel the threads out.



worst case:

truck goes on a rollback and to the dealer to have the pan dropped?



what does this cost? roughly?



any suggestions?



thanks. scott.

 

[jwilliams3]

Scott,

To pull the pan on that engine, you have to lift it out of the frame.

At least thats what I am used to seeing.

I would estimate somewhere around a grand.



Is there anyway you can get a small vacuum to suck out the contents?



Sorry to hear about this!!!

--Justin

 

[Moterhead]

Let's hear from someone at Geno's about this problem. It's their product.



Can you get the remainder of the threads out with an ez out? If so, do that then try fishing the plunger thing out with a thin welding rod or coat hanger wire. Too bad it's brass. Magnets don't work too well on brass. Then just put the perfetly good stock drain plug back in. They work just fine!

 

[GFritsch]

30 ft-lbs seems really high. Is the part loose inside the pan or still partly threaded into the pan? Its not likely you will be able to fish the part out as it was threaded in and the diameter of the pan and part is the same. If it is still threaded into the pan use an easy out. I might be tempted to just let the broken part live in the bottom of the pan and replace the plug if the threads are o. k. Don't put a chisel to it.

 

[shendren]

will try an easy out tomorrow in the am.



i have had the genos brass plunger types in all 4 diesels i own. never had a problem til now.

 

[shendren]

30 ft-lbs is what the genos container says.

 

[TGreschuk]

Methinks Geno's should come to the party...



Trent

 

[shendren]

i just email genos and told them what happened.

 

[oilrunner]

[Scott,



Get yourself a good quality easyout, if you don't already own one. The last thing you want to happen is using an el-cheapo easyout and have it break-off inside the plug. You may have to drill the plug in order to get a good bite with the easyout, but the plug will come out. Once out, drain the remaining oil and remove your oil pan bolts. This will allow you to move and tilt the pan so you can get the rubber tubing inside your pan. Get a shop wet vac with approximately 4' of 1/2" rubber tubing. You can attach the tubing to your shop vac with duct tape. The tube won't be large enough to suck the parts up, but should be able to grab the broken pieces. You should be able to pull them to the side of the pan where they can be fished out. You may have to use a coat hanger or similar item to actually get them out. After you have removed the broken pieces use a swivel head mirror so you can look inside the pan to verify all broken piececs have been removed. Reinstall pan, fill with oil and drive to your local watering hole for a cold one, you will need it by now.

Some folks here have suggested starting and driving your rig, Don't do it, Bad Idea! Not worth taking the chance.

Be cool, it may take a little time, but worth saving $1,000 bucks. . Definately nothing worth taking to a dealer.

This is something you can do yourself.



Good luck,



TMan

 

[Moterhead]

Tman, great suggestion. I'd like to add that after you get the pan loose and tilted and vacuumed as best you can, pour some kersosene or diesel into the loose pan to wash it down as best you can. Kinda swirl it around to wash out any remaining bits of brass. Should be able to vacuum or oil suction gun that out also. Good luck from me also.

 

[shendren]

tried the vacuum this am. no luck. i am waiting til i can get my finger up in the hole to feel for the plunger. tried a piece of wire. no luck. am waiting to get an easy out to get the brass threads out. then i will try to get the plunger.



question: what size it the oem plug? would like to run a tap or something up in there if all goes well. what size is it?



btw. the oem plug is stamped 50 nm or 35 ft lbs.

 

[shendren]

well. i got the threads out with an ez out. the pan threads weren't damaged. the plunger is still in there.



have tried to get the little plunger out. vac, wire, magnet, etc.



question:



does the plunger have anything magnetic to it? if so i can probably get an earth magnet to pull it to the drain hole.



also, what is the harm in leaving it in the pan?

 

[bombero]

I have never seen the inside of one of these oil pans but i would ass-u-me that it has both verticle and horizonal baffles in it. The chances of that thing ever getting into the engine is probably pretty remote. Saying that, I would do everything i could it remove it. Good luck

 

[John - K5AWO]

Those of you who HAVE seen the inside of the oil pan, doesn't it have the strainer on the bottom just like my old six cylinder Dodge motors of the '60s ??



I should think that the oil pickup tube would have a strainer on it, and therefore, the chances of that plunger inside having any effect at all would be extremely remote.



The brass obviously isn't a ferrous material so magnets are out...



Do you have access to one of those flexible inspection scopes? The ones that have a flashlight on them, if you can borrow one of those things, you should be able to see what is still in the pan. Verify that a screen is in place, and if so, button it up and forget it.



John

 

[shendren]

flexible inspection scope... $500. no access yet.....



i'm with you... ... .



i was hoping there was some ferrous in the plunger. i will get a couple of the earth magnets and see what happens.

 

[Pawpaw]

Why not put the original drain plug back in, then put in 3 gallons of oil?



Let it sit for 30 minutes or so, then drain again through a strainer. That should wash out the plunger and the strainer will catch it.



Maybe there's a good reason this wouldn't work, but I don't see it.

 

[shendren]

i don't think the oil will wash the plunger "up" to the drain hole. there is a depression when looking from below. also the bottom of the pan is slightly unlevel. ??

 

[sag2]

If it were mine I would just leave it there. The only thing I would try to do is flush out any brass chips, and I would not be overly concerned with that. The brass is soft, and will be stopped by the filter. The oil pump should pass any fine shavings right through it.

I had to change the oil pump pick up tube on my 460 Ford motorhome over spring break this year in Phoenix. I had about three inches to work with because the pan would not come out without pulling the engine. It can be done, but it certainly was not a bunch of fun.

So I still say, leave it there and forget about it.

 

[curatchko]

I know this might not be the popular thing to say but... .



DRIVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





There's 12 quarts of oil in there and that plug isn't going anywhere.



Just my . 02.

 

[KD7GYJ]

Got a small mirror on a 45 degree angle and a flashlight? You can get the mirror at the local autoparts place. They have one about an inch in diameter and should have one smaller. They will be the cheap bore scope. Should be less than 10 bucks.



This might help locate the hiding pieces so you can fish them out with a home made fishing net... .



Good luck