Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Dr Jones on 24 July 2008, 17:58:43

Title: Sump plug
Post by: Dr Jones on 24 July 2008, 17:58:43
Hi all,

My sump is leaking - the plug is likely to be cross-threaded so a local garage tells me, although it might be on the sump itsself.

Can anyone tell me the diameter of the plug (so I can either replace it or get a slightly bigger one)

Many thanks

Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: ians on 24 July 2008, 18:30:52
Best just get one from Vx.   Those things are always over torqued by garages in my experience.
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Richard A on 24 July 2008, 18:59:33
Also when I had the same thing happen it was the thread on the sump plug which was damaged, ie not sump pan thread as the Vx dealer suggested.
P.s. explain to the dealer what type of plug you have, torx drive or hex head etc
regards
richard a
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Andy B on 24 July 2008, 20:05:21
Quote
Also when I had the same thing happen it was the thread on the sump plug which was damaged, ie not sump pan thread as the Vx dealer suggested.
P.s. explain to the dealer what type of plug you have, torx drive or hex head etc
regards
richard a

Having had to replace a lower steel sump pan I'd have gone with Vauxhall's theory. The steel pan has for some strange reason an ally insert pressed into it that carries the female thread. The steel plug, obviously, screws into that. There have been a few instances on the forum where the plug goes round and round and round without actually coming out.  :(
The lower sump pan wasn't too expensive to replace & come complete with a new plug. (£40 ish IIRC)
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: maria on 24 July 2008, 20:13:52
On the ones with the rubber seal - the torque is only 10nm...
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: ians on 24 July 2008, 20:59:23
Quote
On the ones with the rubber seal - the torque is only 10nm...

Yes it is - on one of my cars I needed a breaker bar to loosen it off :o >:(
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Dr Jones on 25 July 2008, 10:40:50
Vx want £120 to repair it, if they need to cut a new thread in the sump. Hour and a half labour, apparently. New sump pan plus gasket is about £240 (from dealer; could find cheaper by shopping around and waiting)

Found out the sump plug is 14mm - the old man (who is a mechanic) suggests tapping a bigger hole into the sump and fitting a 16mm plug.

Going to let him try that one!
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 25 July 2008, 10:46:29
My approach is to use a spark plug repair helicoil insert and use a peugeot sump plug......takes about 10 mins!
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 25 July 2008, 10:54:15
Should have said, the standard sump plug is M14 x 1.5

Spark plugs are M14 x 1.25 but, this is the same as a peugeot sump plug.
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Andy B on 25 July 2008, 14:59:14
Quote
My approach is to use a spark plug repair helicoil insert and use a peugeot sump plug......takes about 10 mins!

But there's next to f*** all to helicoil if it has a 2 part sump. As said the lower pan is steel with an ally insert. By the time you've fannied about trying to put another thread in, you might aswell remove & replace the whole lower sump pan .... assuming that all V6 sump pans are as mine.
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Andy B on 25 July 2008, 15:02:05
Quote
Vx want £120 to repair it, if they need to cut a new thread in the sump. Hour and a half labour, apparently. New sump pan plus gasket is about £240 (from dealer; could find cheaper by shopping around and waiting)

Found out the sump plug is 14mm - the old man (who is a mechanic) suggests tapping a bigger hole into the sump and fitting a 16mm plug.

Going to let him try that one!

The lower sump pan is more like £40. I suspect they're talking about the main ally casting. I replaced the lower sump pan at Bolton Council's expence for less than £60 inc more oil.

Mark is going to tell me now, that not all car's have the same sump as mine!  ::)  :y
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Dr Jones on 25 July 2008, 15:02:33
Trying it tomorrow morning...I'll let you know what happens.... :-/

Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Andy B on 25 July 2008, 15:13:39
Quote
Trying it tomorrow morning...I'll let you know what happens.... :-/


I've tried to find the reciept .... but can't. I'm sure though that if someone was to have access to EPC  ;) they could sort you out with a part number. It's 'glued' in place with the grey sealnt in the mini mastic tube.
Have a  look at your sump. Does it have a seperate trapezium shaped steel sump pan?
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Richard A on 25 July 2008, 19:42:54
Why do bother posting answers !!!! I have posted that the same thing happened to me, I bought a secondhand sump off 'Issunaz', took off the damaged sump only to see the thread was ok and  IT WAS THE SUMP PLUG THREAD that was stripped, a new sump plug would have done the job.
P.S. Helicoil, don't both to little material.
Buy a new sump plug first.
regards
richard a
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Andy B on 25 July 2008, 19:53:08
Quote
Why do bother posting answers !!!! I have posted that the same thing happened to me, I bought a secondhand sump off 'Issunaz', took off the damaged sump only to see the thread was ok and  IT WAS THE SUMP PLUG THREAD that was stripped, a new sump plug would have done the job.
P.S. Helicoil, don't both to little material.
Buy a new sump plug first.
regards
richard a

Dons hair shirt & skulks to a corner of the garden with flail in hand.  :(

PS Have you missed a word out?   :-?
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: TheBoy on 25 July 2008, 21:01:22
Quote
Should have said, the standard sump plug is M14 x 1.5

Spark plugs are M14 x 1.25 but, this is the same as a peugeot sump plug.
If it can be helicoiled, and I suspect it can, its a very good solution.

The TD sump suffers badly from stripping due to being made of BMW's normal monkey metal.

Marks DTM helicoiled mine, all good.  Until I launched the tractor and it landed on the sumpplug (a slightly bigger 'quick drain' type) at about 80mph.  The quickdrain plug was never found, but I popped a sparkplug in the hole and was amazed how good the thread was - perfect.

Certain Pugs use a 14x 1.25mm sump plug that works brilliantly with a Sparkplug helicoil kit.
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Jimbob on 25 July 2008, 21:17:27
Quote
Quote
Should have said, the standard sump plug is M14 x 1.5

Spark plugs are M14 x 1.25 but, this is the same as a peugeot sump plug.
If it can be helicoiled, and I suspect it can, its a very good solution.

The TD sump suffers badly from stripping due to being made of BMW's normal monkey metal.

Marks DTM helicoiled mine, all good.  Until I launched the tractor and it landed on the sumpplug (a slightly bigger 'quick drain' type) at about 80mph.  The quickdrain plug was never found, but I popped a sparkplug in the hole and was amazed how good the thread was - perfect.

Certain Pugs use a 14x 1.25mm sump plug that works brilliantly with a Sparkplug helicoil kit.

That quick drain was never going to last!

surprised it got you home  ;D
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: TheBoy on 25 July 2008, 21:26:56
Quote
Quote
Quote
Should have said, the standard sump plug is M14 x 1.5

Spark plugs are M14 x 1.25 but, this is the same as a peugeot sump plug.
If it can be helicoiled, and I suspect it can, its a very good solution.

The TD sump suffers badly from stripping due to being made of BMW's normal monkey metal.

Marks DTM helicoiled mine, all good.  Until I launched the tractor and it landed on the sumpplug (a slightly bigger 'quick drain' type) at about 80mph.  The quickdrain plug was never found, but I popped a sparkplug in the hole and was amazed how good the thread was - perfect.

Certain Pugs use a 14x 1.25mm sump plug that works brilliantly with a Sparkplug helicoil kit.

That quick drain was never going to last!

surprised it got you home  ;D
Not too many options for launching down the M1 ;) - though saying that, was that the night I made it home in record time ::)
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: OhmyOmega on 25 July 2008, 22:17:43
Hey guys.  This all looks too heavy.

I had the same problem last time I did an
oil change - first time on this car.  Plug thread stripped so wandered to my frendly local after market supplier and picked up a replacement plug with o ring for about £3.  

Isn't that worth a try?
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: ians on 26 July 2008, 10:23:56
That would be my first idea too, assuming he can get the plug out ok.
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Richard A on 26 July 2008, 18:12:49
Sorry 'Andy B' for having a go!, maybe I should have said the material was to 'thin', any way sorry. I've been made redundent and the company have not paid out so I am in the 'sh1t'. This site keeps my mine occupied.
regards
richard a
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Richard A on 26 July 2008, 18:14:24
'mind' - now the spelling is going aswell.
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Andy B on 26 July 2008, 18:28:51
Quote
Sorry 'Andy B' for having a go!, maybe I should have said the material was to 'thin', any way sorry. I've been made redundent and the company have not paid out so I am in the 'sh1t'. This site keeps my mine occupied.
regards
richard a

You were having a go? You need to do better than that!  ;)  ;)
You have my commiserations on your redun dance. It's not very nice. I was in the same position 2 years back.  :(
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: philhoward on 26 July 2008, 19:18:19
Quote
Quote
Sorry 'Andy B' for having a go!, maybe I should have said the material was to 'thin', any way sorry. I've been made redundent and the company have not paid out so I am in the 'sh1t'. This site keeps my mine occupied.
regards
richard a

You were having a go? You need to do better than that!  ;)  ;)
You have my commiserations on your redun dance. It's not very nice. I was in the same position 2 years back.  :(

If any consolation, I know what its like - except in my case the firm went into Adminstrative Receivership.  Finally got some money back in dribs and drabs from the Insolvency Service but over the next few months - last summer was a bit tight..
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Richard A on 26 July 2008, 20:00:29
I'm 57, this is the third time it has happened to me, once in 1982, then 2000 and now, so ok i've been there before, however in the past the companies have paid out. Good thing is (touch wood) the Omega with 147k on the clock is running well.
Thanks for your comments people, they really do help.  :y
regards
richard a
Title: Re: Sump plug
Post by: Dr Jones on 26 July 2008, 23:41:15
Well..

Vx told me that the sump plug was 12mm...THEY LIED (it was 14mm)

They also sold me the WRONG TYPE OF OIL FILTER despite taking the reg and looking it up...

Resulted in me spending the morning driving around Banbury and viullages looking for a 14mm sump plug - found one in Halfrauds but no-one in the shop could say what size it was, only the models it would fit...borrowed some callipers from the bike dept and measured the selection until I found a 14mm one...

THe old man (wizard mechanic) managed to tap a 14mm thread into the sump and fitted the new plug in about 1- minutes - over the years he's saved me thousands of £££s!

Thanks all for your advice