There are two oversized plugs available that would be a much better choice.
Also, a soft fiber or nylon gasket makes a seal at much lower torque than
the copper.

Dennis

>From: Brian Jarvinen <brianvwagain@YAHOO.COM>
>Reply-To: Brian Jarvinen <brianvwagain@YAHOO.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: What do I need?
>Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:00:49 -0800
>
>--- JordanVw@AOL.COM wrote:
>
> > drain plug. (ps, the drain plug
> > is screwed into the bottom of the engine case..if
> > you strip the threads,
> > youve got bit problems these is no such thing as
> > "replacing the oil pan").
>
>actually it can turn out to be not too terrible.
>I stripped mine on the 30th or so oil change
>(247K miles when the odometer broke)
>I was doing; I had the wrench on the plug,
>forgot what I was doing momentarily and
>pushed the wrench the wrong way. Unfortunately,
>the plug moved! I knew immediately the
>threads would probably be stripped.
>And I think this is not too hard to do with
>an aluminum alloy pan?
>
>It was a dismal few hours of thinking
>about this situation. I went to my friendly
>local oil change place and they hooked
>me up with a new plug-in-plug. It is a
>little bigger than the original; you screw
>it into the pan and it cuts new threads
>on the way in. Inside the plug is another
>bolt that you use to drain the oil. It
>takes a little longer but it works fine.
>
>I had another scare when a mechanic
>who was rebuilding some shift arm /
>linkage parts for me went ahead and
>changed the oil too. (Oil only had
>1000 miles on it and I didn't ask him
>to do this). Anyhow I think he tightened
>that little bolt down with an air wrench
>or something because there was no way
>I could turn it. (And there is not a lot of
>space in this area with this new dual
>plug). I finally went back to the shop
>that sold me the plug-in-plug and
>asked for their help. They tried
>for a while and finally said the only
>solution is to take out the big plug.
>I was worried I wouldn't be able
>to thread it into the pan again, and
>it does now have a very slight
>leak right there.
>
>So far, somewhat good. I've changed
>the oil a couple times since then.
>I hope the plug holds together.
>Otherwise, it's finally time to put
>in that other engine I have.
>
>So, be careful putting a wrench
>on that drain plug. The 'pan' is
>not as strong as you might think.
>
>
>
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