[SEL] Honda oil plug OT

[Vicki Page]

Tom

Never heard of wearing the plug holes in Honda's.  We have owned a 1971
Honda Z (TV Window type- about 3 years) a 1974 Civic and had this for some
23/24 years, a 1980 Accord - this for 19 years and our sons' have onwed the
same 1983 Prelude for the last nine years.

In all that time, with regular services, we never had any trouble with plug
holes.

I think you are right the service man made a mistake and is hoping you will
pick up the tab..

Ron
----- Original Message -----
From: <Germoamer at aol.com>
To: <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 11:16 AM
Subject: [SEL] Honda oil plug OT


> Here is a question for all you automotive mechanics out there.
>
> I own a 1993 Honda Accord we bought new, now has 160,000 miles, been
serviced
> only by the local Honda dealer with approximately 4000 miles between oil
> changes.  So, that is 40 times the oil plug has been screwed in and out.
We now
> use the car as a spare and only drive once in a while.
>
> About a year ago, the Honda dealer changed the oil and informed my wife
she
> had to get a new oil pan as the oil plug threaded hole was worn out.  They
said
> they once before had to go to an oversize plug as the thread had
previously
> worn and now since it was worn again the only recourse was to put a new
oil pan
> on.  They went on to tell my wife this was a common thing to occur and
they
> would not guarantee the bolt to not leak oil without the new oil pan.
>
> So a year has gone by and I finally decided to pull the plug myself and
see
> what was what.  The first thing I found was the bolt had been cross
threaded at
> some point messing both the bolt and pan threads.  It was cross threaded
so
> bad at some time that the pan was not level across the hole, but rather
pulled
> out on one side.  To correct the situation, I hammered the pan flat at the
> bolt hole and filed it a little to smooth it, went to the local Carquest
parts
> house and bought an oversize bolt especially for a Honda and everything is
now
> lovely!
>
>   In my sixty-one years I have never heard of anyone wearing out an oil
pan
> hole except from over tightening and stretching things or from cross
threading.
>  Remember, this bolt has only been removed and reinstalled about 40 times.
I
> believe the Honda dealer screwed up and then wanted us to pay for their
> mistake.
>
> Would anyone know about the wearing of oil plug holes in Honda's?  The
bolt I
> took out is approximately 9/16 thread diameter.  Would anyone know if this
is
> the original size?  We intend to have a frank discussion with the Honda
> dealer as we have bought a number of cars from them, owning two now, and
had a lot
> of service done there.
>
> Thoughts anyone?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tom Schmutz
> Concord, Va. USA
> Germoamer at aol.com
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