I've posted this warning in the past, but I'll do it again for
informational purposes.  If you ever tighten a oil drain plug in a
Vanagon without the washer, you'll play hell getting it out.  Previous
owner had done this on my '85 and I had to have someone remove the
bolt--at some point I did an oil change and forgot the washer and had
the same problem again.
_____

Donald Baxter  Iowa City, Iowa
(319) 337-0494
www.mindspring.com/~onanov

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Tony
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 9:54 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: oil plug woes

Thanks for the info BUT the plug is a 1/2" or 3/4"
steel pipe plug - what happens when I get it out? I'm
worried if i try -- how will I get a good seal again?
I'm thinking of the mechanic/helicoil fix...any
opinion(s)

Thanks,

Tony

--- Joel Walker <jwalker17@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > 1. mechanic buddy who worked on vw's in one of his
> > lives:  warm engine -- put icecube(s) on oil plug
> 2
> > cool it - then try again
>
> forgot about that sort of thing ... i'd suggest 'dry
> ice' (carbon
> dioxide in solid form) ... a lot colder. that could
> work.
>
> > 2. shop mechanic: $40-50 to drill it out, helicoil
> a
> > new thread set into the hole - restore to factory
> > original plug..
>