Hmmmmmm ......

I think I might try grinding the sides of the head on one of the 5/8" plugs so that it would fit inside the ring on the case and
carefully ... to a size that a wrench would fit.  Not seeing the plug, though, I can't really say if this is a good idea.

Good luck with it.

Mike
84GL

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jutta & Christian Knust" <knust-net@GMX.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2001 11:01 AM
Subject: Jerk made oil plug 5/8 thread - I guess I�m screwed!

> Well, I�m kinda ashamed although I didn�t mess it up.... I started to change
> the engine oil yesterday for the first time on my 2.1 l wasserboxer and I
> had wondered before why the oil plug had a four-sided head only and not a six
> sided (I think you call that six-point?). Well, the answer came when the oil
> plug came out to be an ordinary pipe end plug, with no rim or sealing ring or
> the like, but with some silicone attached.... I have no f...... idea who did
> this, but I am sure the PO had no idea either (he�s about 80 years old) but
> was screwed by some stupid "mechanic". Well, the not so "bad bad" part is that
> at least the jerk who did it had the decency to cut a new clean thread
> (helicoil would probably have been the better option) instead of wrenching the
> plug into the old thread with sheer force. However, they�ve been cutting a 5/8
> thread and now I�m screwed. There are 5/8 oil plugs out there, but their heads
> don�t fit into this ring which is on the engine casing around the oil plug
> hole, therefore I could not tighten the plug.
>
> I was planning to get a new engine from Boston Bob in late fall (I�ve been
> talking to him a couple of weeks ago and I must say I have rarely gotten more
> detailed and friendly advice) and I planned to use this one as an exchange -
> dunno whether Bob�s gonna accept this one now. Now, there�s the possibility
> to exchange the engine right now, but I�d rather not spend two weeks vacation
> to do this but rather do it on dark winter weekends. Therefore I�d like to
> plug the hole again and could obviously use that pipe plug again, which has
> probably been used for some years now and seems to hold the oil), but I do trust
> that someone here has a better idea what to do. Would it make any sense to
> use a tapered brass pipe end plug (the one used now is not tapered and AFAIK
> the original plugs are not tapered as well)? I would think it widens the
> thread with any use and makes it worse only, right?
>
> Frustrated like I�ve rarely been before
> Chris
>
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