Oil Leak By Drain Valve

65Corvair · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:28 am

I plan on changing my oil this weekend a fix a small oil leak on my jeep. It appears to be leaking out by the threads of the oil drain valve. This has been a problem since I bought it a few months ago, but now I am finally getting to it. I hope that it isn’t stripped, but the only way I will be able to tell is by removing the valve. So after I drain the oil, I plan to clean around the valve, and then remove it. If I don’t see anything wrong I will reinstall. Do you guys have any other ideas of things I should try or look for while I’m down there?

Thanks,
Phil

papaindigo · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 10:21 am

If you have the OEM drain plug it's supposed to have a copper crush washer see viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70816&p=751829&hilit=copper#p751829 . If that washer is left off or losses its "crush" there will be a slight leak and if it's left off the threads in the aluminum pan can easily be stripped. If stripped there are relatively easy fixes that make much more sense than the dealer reaction which is to install a rather expensive new oil pan.

geordi · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 10:32 am

As a replacement for the crush washer (especially if you don't have the stock plug anymore) a nice fat o-ring makes a great seal on the pan.

Randy B · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 11:13 am

geordi wrote:

As a replacement for the crush washer (especially if you don't have the stock plug anymore) a nice fat o-ring makes a great seal on the pan.

X2

Also many auto parts store stock the crush washers, just take the plug with you.

65Corvair · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 11:47 am

I should note that when I bought the jeep it already had a fumoto oil valve in it. I have never actually seen a drain plug for a liberty.
I should have made this more clear in my first post.

ChooChooman74 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 12:25 pm

My valve has a slight leak around it. Ot even enough to cause a drip. But it does bother me.

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Glend · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 6:15 pm

Next time you drain the oil, remove the valve, clean it up around the threads and the pan threads and put a smear of RTV around it before reinstalling. This will stop any leak.

65Corvair · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 12:01 am

I thought about using teflon tape, but that sounds much better. :pepper:

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 8:52 am

65Corvair wrote:

I should note that when I bought the jeep it already had a fumoto oil valve in it. I have never actually seen a drain plug for a liberty.
I should have made this more clear in my first post.

Just a FYI,

The original drain plug has a round head and requires either a Allen key or a Torex bit, I don't remember which and I can't find the original plug just now :dizzy:

65Corvair · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2012 12:39 pm

I went to work on this today, and it turns out the threads are so stripped that I cannot remove the drain valve. It just spins and spins. I am very surprised that it was not leaking more.
Anyone have any ideas on how to get this out?

kissfan79 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2012 12:49 pm

I had a similar experience with my original drain plug and stripped threads. I had gotten the plug in to the point where it started to tighten but then would spin and loosen a bit and not tighten down. It would just spin. If I tried to back it out....it would just spin in that direction as well and not come out. What I ended up doing was locking on a pair of vice grips to the plug and I had to pull down with the vice grips kinda hard while trying to back it out. It eventually worked and threaded back out.

Jim

65Corvair · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2012 2:07 pm

Vice grips are always the the best last resort!
but now my threads are royally jazzed up, what is the regular size so I can retread to the correct size?

papaindigo · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2012 2:10 pm

See viewtopic.php?f=5&t=66245&p=728122&hilit=thread*+drain#p728122 for how geordi repaired stripped threads for not too much $s

65Corvair · **Posted:** Sun Dec 09, 2012 7:33 pm

A bit of an update:
I used this to repair the threads, http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_m14-1-25-plug-saver-kit--1-each-insert-s-n-l-fix-a-thred_9020056-p
I also bought a plug to fit those threads.
When i did a oil change this weekend, I changed the plug out for a fumoto valve and have not seen any leaking. I used a F-111 valve.

Now that should keep it leak free.

Oil Leak By Drain Valve

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