Alister

        Correction ~ H2OBoxers ( that came with a Van' ) were 83.5 - 91 so
that would be @Most 30YrsOld & @Least 22YrsOld ~ {:~)

Definitely like your solution to the OilPlugStrip issue ~

                                                                                        ORR ~ DeanB

On 10 Jul , 2013, at 8:07 AM, Alistair Bell wrote:

> But Dave, you wrote "that's what that washer is for, to take that
> force to keep it from damaging the threads."
>
> :)
>
> One does not always get a copper crush washer with either a gasket
> set or if you ask at parts counter. Quite often it is a flat copper
> washer which does not have any crush at all.
>
> The drain plug is an iffy design in my opinion. It is too easy to
> strip the threads in the case. Steel plug into an aluminum hole is
> asking for trouble sooner or later. Especially since now most of our
> WBX engines are at least 32 years old, and if the oil has been
> changed regularly, the plug has been in and out more than 64 times.
>
> I stripped my plug last month, just after I got my engine back into
> the van (head job). I had been very careful with that plug. As a
> stop gap, till I get a timesert or similar insert installed, I made
> a new plug with longer shaft to engage the few un-damaged threads
> left in case. The stock plug does not seem to use up all the
> available threads.
>
> I took a 14 mm (thread size) bolt, that was longer than the drain
> plug, drilled and tapped for a 10 mm  bolt. The 10 mm bolt (13 mm
> head size) screws into the larger bolt. I turned down the head of
> the larger bolt so that it would fit in the recess in the case).
> Made a Delrin washer instead of using a copper washer, and ended up
> with a new plug that was longer and caught some of the remaining un
> stripped threads in the case.
>
> http://shufti.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/img_2311.jpg
>
> It is working fine, no drips.
>
> alistair