I am about to replace the oil pan on my TT, due to a stripped drain plug hole... Anything special I should know? It looks like I'll need some long hex wrenches and some sealent. Any suggestions or hints would be GREAT!! Thanks in advance.

 

Just clean the sealing surfaces of ALL debris/old gasket, careful if you use a single sided blade, you don't want to gouge the sealing surface. A solvant works well, acetone, laquer thinner, methyl ethyl ketone aka, MEK(wear gloves).

Also, torque evenly (same technique as tightening a wheel), and don't over torque, you can warp the sealing surface, and you'll be dealing with leaks.

 

Seems a little extreme replacing the pan for bad threads. Have you looked into other options?

 

I didn't mention that, assumed, by his wording, that he already bought the pan.

Otherwise I would have suggested a helicoil for the drain plug.

 

Hopefully it is a stock pan because the hybrid pan with steel base takes a different oil return line that you have to buy

 

Thanks for the tips!!

I did look into other options (self-taping drain plug, and hexicoil), but the pan was less then $100 and I didn't look too hard to repace, so I ordered it.

I'm a bit nervious now that the new pan won't seal perfectly. Do you think it would be worth while to attept to track down a gasket? Or just cleaning it up good and then using sealent would be all right? I don't want to make more of a headace of a small oil leak. The bently manual doesen't say anything on replacement. I wish it would say how much to torque the bolts, ect.

 

I'm gonna guess somewhere around 12-15Nm for the oil pan. It doesn't take much. If a gasket is available, I'd try to use it, if not, RTV it. Make sure you read the instructions on the tube of silicone. It may be suggested that you smear a layer on the sealing surfaces and let it sit a few minutes to start to harden up before you bolt it down, it may not. Depends on what you get.

 

Ok. Thanks again. I ordered the RTV audi suggested. Have you removed and replaced the oil pan before? I'm getting nervious now that I may make this problem worse. Right now, it leaks oil that makes a mark about the size of a $0.25. It is really that difficult to seal correctly? I don't want to attempt it, if there is a good chance that I can make the problem worse.

 

I've done a few diffs on Dana 20 and 44 axles, and a valve cover on an 89 S-10 pickup. Same principle, its a metal cover, you want to keep oil in.

The only thing you need to worry about is dumping all your oil to the ground. That's a significant fuckup. If you get a little leak, it'll cost you a little time, maybe some more sealant, but you can always reseal it, and hopefully you learn from the experience.

Remember no matter what you do to your car, it all comes down to turning a bolt. If you think of it that way, there really isn't anything difficult, just time consuming, depending on how many bolts, and whether you have an extra elbow to get to it. ; )

 

A couple of tips:
Apply 2-3 mm wide bead of silicone sealant inside bolt holes (not too thick)
Install pan
Tighten immediately by hand
Tighten oil pan to transmission bolts first
Tighten oil pan to block diagonally
Torque to 11ft/lb
Wait 30 minutes before adding oil