How "screwed" am I, literally.

[Joe_Black]

PS - I have heard good things about the Snap-On brand troque wrench. So aside from the Snap-On truck, where can I get one?

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

Check eBay for reputable tool sellers as you can find some fairly discounted prices compared to the Snap-On web site, which isn't going to undercut their field reps.

[IndianaVX]

my .02...
a clicker torque wrench is better than the needle type, once you learn to read, or set the wrench to the torque you need. i just never really trusted the needle type.
although the needle type are cheper.

just throwin it out there...........

[Joe_Black]

The nice thing about a clicker is that you don't have to see it, whereas with a direct indicating ("needle type") torque wrench you have to not only be able to see the scale clearly but do so while applying the torque load. In most cases this requires you to crawl up into the dark greasy underside of whatever it is you're torqueing. But yes, they are significantly less expensive than a clicker. Much like how a bicycle is much less expensive than a car, and will accomplish pretty much the same task with considerable effort.

[Triathlete]

Much like how a bicycle is much less expensive than a car

News flash...have you been in a bike shop lately?



BMC Time Machine TT01 :_drool:
$12,250.00 for the FRAME ONLY!

[nfpgasmask]

So I've been reading....

Do we have a gasket on our oil pans or do we have silicone creating a seal?

Bart

[VehiGAZ]

Not sure about the seal, Bart - my guess would be gasket from Tobert's pics.

Speaking of which, he had the cross-member removed in those pictures, since you can see the whole bottom of the engine.

Good luck!

[Joe_Black]

News flash...have you been in a bike shop lately?



BMC Time Machine TT01 :_drool:
$12,250.00 for the FRAME ONLY!

Okay Mr. Smarty-padded-pants, it's not like that's the Yaris of bicycles. I can throw equivalent cars at you if you like, so don't get all finicky with my analogies. LOL

Now I have to go talk nice to my Trek so it doesn't feel insignificant after seeing that.

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah, I still need a little more confirmation before I take on the task of changing the pan. I haven't gotten any solid info as to if I can get the pan off without doing anything other than removing the bolts. I also need to find out about the seal, and if taking the pan off is going to be more trouble than its worth. I am still open to finding a solution without doing all of this. I might try a new plug and plastic gasket first, before I do anything else.

I wonder if I get a new plug though, if the threads are messed up, will I run the risk of making the problem worse? If the threads get stripped, is it usually the threads on the plug or the threads in the pan or both?

Still dripping,

Bart

[nfpgasmask]

OK, I called Lithia Isuzu here in Reno and inquired about a new pan. They quoted me $231.75, no plug or plug gasket included. Thay also confirmed that the seal is silicone. No gasket.

So, then I called Merlin. He is drop shipping the part to me from Isuzu for $183.58, new plug and plug gasket included. Almost $50 cheaper and the plug is included! Hooray for Merlin!

AND, I also got a reply from Tobert. He confirmed that the gasket is silicone and said the job is not that hard. I replied and asked him about the cross member, just to be sure. He also suggested I try a new plug first. So far, all I have done is change the copper washer.

So, my remaining questions are still:

1) Do I need to move the cross member. (So far I think the answer is no, but I am not 100%)

2) What type of silicone sealer is best for this job?

3) If I buy a new plug of the same size, do I run the risk of shaving off some metal into the engine? If so, doesn't that stuff get trapped in the oil filter???

Thanks everyone for your help.

Bart

[tom4bren]

I've never pulled the pan from the VX but I have pulled one on a Dodge (eons ago). Remember that the pan is just in fact that - a pan. The oil pump reaches all the way to the bottom of the pan to suck up oil. There may be a screen on the end as well which would be about as big as half a coke can - then again there may not be.

The bottom line is that the pan will probably have to be lowered at least the depth of the pan in order to clear the intake. If you don't have that much clearance between the bottom of the pan and the crossmember then the crossmember will have to be moved/removed.

I think I would try the nylon washer route before swapping out the pan.

[nfpgasmask]

Hey, well, I got another reply back from Tobert and he said it is a little tight but shouldn't be a problem to remove. The cross member isn't really in the way.

But anyway, I am going to try a new plug today or tomorrow and see if I can get away with that.

Bart

I've never pulled the pan from the VX but I have pulled one on a Dodge (eons ago). Remember that the pan is just in fact that - a pan. The oil pump reaches all the way to the bottom of the pan to suck up oil. There may be a screen on the end as well which would be about as big as half a coke can - then again there may not be.

The bottom line is that the pan will probably have to be lowered at least the depth of the pan in order to clear the intake. If you don't have that much clearance between the bottom of the pan and the crossmember then the crossmember will have to be moved/removed.

I think I would try the nylon washer route before swapping out the pan.

[VehiGAZ]

Re: #3) Yes, you risk shaving metal into the engine, but yes, the filter should remove it. Still, you never know...

Re: "If the threads get stripped, is it usually the threads on the plug or the threads in the pan or both?" Good engineering practice would be to make the smaller removable piece (the plug) out of a softer metal than the larger and harder-to-remove piece (the pan) so that the plug gets sacrificed. But I don't think they always do that.

Examine the threads on the plug closely - use a magnifying glass if you can - and see what there is to see. Are there some threads that seem crushed in? Are there some that look like uneven compared to the rest? Do any show a glint of fresh metal? If you've stripped the threads or cross-threaded it, you should see some sign of unnatural wear.

If the problem is the threads, a plastic washer isn't going to help. You'll need a new plug.

Good luck!!

[Triathlete]

If your worried about the shavings when you put the new plug in you could always buy one of the magnetic plugs. Then screw it in, take it back out, remove any shavings stuck to it, reinsert and fill with oil!

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah, that is probably the route I will take....

Thanks- Bart

If your worried about the shavings when you put the new plug in you could always buy one of the magnetic plugs. Then screw it in, take it back out, remove any shavings stuck to it, reinsert and fill with oil!

[Tone]

The motor WILL have to lifted part of the way out to change the main oil pan. I have a spare if it gets to that - let me know.