How To Change Oil Pan On Honda Odyssey

Updated date:

Oct 17, 2019

Three Ways to Deal With a Leaking Oil Pan Bolt or Stripped Threads

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Eddie spent 35 years in the automotive business with Honda. He is an ASE Certified Master Technician and has bruised knuckles to prove it.

Every now and then, you will find a mechanic who thinks the oil drain bolt should be tightened with an impact gun. An oil pan is made from either stamped steel or aluminum, and either metal can be damaged if the oil drain bolt is over-tightened or cross-threaded. Stripping the threads in the pan can cause the oil to leak out around the bolt.

It's unfortunate when a customer comes in for a simple oil change and ends up walking out of the dealership with a bill for over $200. Usually a customer will never even know the oil pan or its bolt are damaged until the next visit to the garage, because if the mechanic who caused the problem tells you about it it makes him look like a bad mechanic.

Here are three options for dealing with a leaking oil drain bolt and damaged oil-pan threads.

Option 1: Use a Rubber Plug as a Temporary Repair

If you are in a tight spot and you don't have time to repair the threads in the oil pan, you could install an rubber drain plug for the oil pan. The rubber plug is used as a temporary fix, and it's not meant to be a permanent fix. There are several different styles; you just need to choose the correct one for your application. Once the rubber plug is installed, be sure to tug on it and push it to make sure it is installed correctly. Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature—that is, until the engine cooling fan cycles twice—and check for leaks.

Keep reading: options 2 and 3 give you peace of mind and they are permanent.

Option 2: Repairing the Oil Pan Threads With a Helicoil

Using a helicoil is one option for repairing threads. The helicoil is a hardened steel thread insert that comes in many different sizes and thread pitch. Repair with a helicoil is strong and permanent. I have used helicoils to repair head bolts without regret.

Option 3: Repairing the Oil Pan Threads With a TIME-SERT

The third and best option for repairing oil pan drain bolt threads is to use a drain bolt repair kit made by TIME-SERT. The kit comes with everything you need to produce a professional repair that will last for the life of the car—as long as nobody screws it up again.

How to Install the TIME-SERT Threads

Replacing Missing Threads on an Aluminum Oil Pan

If you are repairing aluminum oil pan drain bolt threads, no problem, TIME-SERT works extremely well during this application and the repair looks like it came from the factory. I have had to make at least 50 repairs on oil pans during my automotive career, and Time-Sert has been the best oil pan drain bolt repair kit on the market that I have used. The TIME-SERT kit is a bit expensive, but it doesn't compare to the cost of replacing the oil pan—or the cost of replacing the complete engine because you lost all the engine oil.

The cost of replacing an aluminum oil pan can easily exceed $500 for parts and labor. You need to remove the sub-frame on some vehicles to remove the oil pan and that alone can get costly. Using a Time-Sert repair kit will take about 30 minutes from start to finish with professional results.

If you have any questions leave them in the comment box below, and I will answer them as soon as possible. Thanks for stopping by.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Questions & Answers

Question: Can the Time-Settings be installed into the oil pan of a 2006 Odyssey easily?

Answer: Yes, you just need to make sure the tap goes in straight.

Question: Would TIME SERT work on a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport?

Answer: It will work on all aluminum oil pans. If the oil pan is steel, it's worth a shot. The also sell oil pan drain bolt replacement plugs that work pretty good.

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