[SEL] Fooled again

[FRM8198 at aol.com]

In a message dated 04/03/2005 3:30:26 PM Pacific Daylight Time,  
transteck at earthlink.net writes:

My buddy  who is also a professional mechanic like me and has 
actually worked on  Honda's, says it is common for aluminum Honda pans to 
strip  out.


My Northstar engine has a cast aluminum pan.  However, the  boys at GM used a 
helicoil in oil drain.   I usually hand install and  tighten the drain plug 
before putting a wrench on it.
A friend (with a leaking drain plug) didn't realize that his  GM car (with 
aluminum pan) had a helicoil and he tried to use an oversize  self tapping drain 
plug.  Needless to say, it didn't work as he broke  off a piece of aluminum 
at the drain hole.  We fixed the problem by  installing a brass fitting (with a 
pipe plug) being held in place with JB  Weld.   

Francis Maciel
Santa Maria, CA