First disapointmnet with DC on my Magnum RT

Sure. Nope, the head was (eventually) rounded off. I tried furiously to remove the bolt: I saturated it with liquid wrench, used a pipe wrench, picked up some rounded bolt removal sockets (they cut into the bolt) until the bolt head was completley rounded and diminished. When I finally broke down and tacked a wrench to it, it still took everything I had to push the wrench (I'm no weakling either).

In my opinion, the lack of a teflon or masonite washer caused this. This could explain why there's no damage to the pan threads, since the jamming point was the bolt head flange to the face of the pan. As far as I know, the pan threads are completely in tact.

Liquid Wrench comes in a cool yellow can, but it's useless as a penetrant.

Get yourself a can of Kano Kroil. I was a skeptic for a decade, then I used it *once* and was an instant convert.

Haven't looked at a late Intrepid's drain plug, but the last time I checked, all Chrysler products used a very nice unitized drain plug-and-thick-rubber-coated-metal-washer assembly. Was this the original drain plug you removed, or maybe a replacement?

DS

Thanks! I'll check it out.

It was at least the third once since factory. The replacement one I bought was just metal, and I installed a separate washer just to feel good about it.

I guess my terminology is a little lacking. I've always called a rounded nut "stripped".

Ah...this is one of those parts it's very much worth getting from the dealer. The official Chrysler drain plug is a really robust, nicely-made part. I have not seen its equal in the aftermarket.

DS

If you're saying the washer is like a seemless 'U' channel that surrrounds the head, that's what came on the brand new oil pan I just got, and it is soft rubber. It seems that would cause even an imbicile to not overtighten and strip the threads or round off the head just for the fact that the soft rubber would be totally crushed and destroyed in the process, but apparently not with some of the people working in the dealearships and oil change places. I didn't realize that that was the type of washer that came on them until just now when you said what you did. I bought my Concorde used with the pan threads already having been stripped, but the plug had no such washer on it as this.

This is actually a pretty good design - maximizes trhe chances of getting the mechanic's attention that: (1) The washer will be damaged by overtightening, and (2) With the large land area of soft rubber, the plug will certrainly seal with very little torque.

Besides that type, my other favorite type is the embedded or insert molded o-ring. Great because, again, the soft rubber will seal very reliably with little torque, and it is a controlled crush. Downside of any plug and washer design is that no matter what, if an idiot is determined to do damage, there's nothing to prevent it.

Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")

Daniel - go here:

check out no. 1078 at the bottom of the page. I wonder if they sellonsey-twoseys or if you have to buy in bulk. Why can't auto partsstores carry good stuff like this instead of the junk they have fordrain plugs? (That's a rhetorical question because I know the name ofthe game for commodity items is to get the lowest cost regardless ofperformance because the consumer is too stupid to know or appreciate thedifference.)

I found a place in North Caroline that sells drain plugs that they advertise as replacements for Hondas - M14-1.5 - the type with an honest-to-goodness o-ring that fits into a groove machined into the land area of the head. The o-rings are a standard size so you can replace them using the same plug over and over.

Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")

Agree.

-DS (How're those bulbs?)

Hey Daniel - I just realized that C.G. Enterprises is in Ontario - isn't that near you? Go check them out!

Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")

Heh heh - haven't installed them yet. Just replaced my oil pan last weekend; will do a little brake work this weekend (putting in Akebono ProAct ceramics on the front and replacing the caliper slide bushings all around).

I've only got one of the bulb sockets modified to accept the angle base (one on the replacement headlight assy.). It's going to take at least a full Saturday to get the headlight assys. out and mod the other three holes (some delicate and precise chop work with a MotoTool and some epoxy), so I need to pick a good weekend when there's not going to be interruptions with family goings on, etc. Guess I'll do that before I replace all my coolant hoses and the disconnected (worn out) radiator fan motor - another Saturday needed for that.

Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")

Donno, but I just proved myself wrong. Dorman (the orange-drawer people) sell this very drain plug individually-

1/2"-20: 090-058 M12: 090-059 M14: 090-098

Well, Ontario's a very large province...Orillia's not far, but I don't change my own oil (no facilities where I live!).

DS

Man, this is getting exciting! 8^)

Good to know - I'll have to scout my local parts stores for Dorman.

Now the other thing that is lacking is a decent washer for an

**oversize** M14-1.5 plug for the poor souls who have stripped out oil pan threads. The parts stores have the plugs, which work adequately, **except** the only washers they carry are made of really hard materials that can't conform to the minor surface imperfections of the land area unless you really tighten them hard - not a good idea with partially restored threads.

A lot of people have trouble with the O.S. plugs leaking for that reason

- I was one of them. Hmmm - I wonder if you can remove the washers from the C.G. 1078/Dorman 090-098 plug without damaging it and if the head dimensions of the cheapy O.S. plugs are such that they'ed accommodate that washer? That would be nice. I may try it even though I personally don't need it now because I just replaced my oil pan with a new one. Would be a nice thing to post to 300M forum as a solution to those who complain about the O.S. plugs constantly leaking.

Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")