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I've got the thing tightened as far as I dare and it still drips. Apart from more tightening, has anyone found a cure for this?

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nick
'79 TR7 DHC
'76 TR7 FHC

Try a new washer?


- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

I personally would try a new washer too. Recently I had to let some oil out of mine. It only started dripping when it was right towards the end and nearly dropping out. Are you sure that it is the correct one as it sound loose to me.

There in the beautiful western panorama, would your struggles be with the engine sump plug, or the gearbox sump plug?

If it's the engine or the four speed gearbox sump plug, please apply a strip of plumbers tape to the threads and DO NOT OVER TORQUE!!!!!

To over torque these plugs will strip out the threads resulting in an over abundance of technical language of such a volume as to frighten any bison herd into a stampede.

If the sump plug in question is on the Gods-Gift-To-The-Righteous, LT77, perhaps a new washer with a light smear of sealant will stem the flood.

Mildred Hargis

I'm talking about the engine sump plug. Sorry. Should have made that clear. Mine is a plug ('79 car.) There is no washer. I have used plumbers tape in the past but it scares me. The plug goes so far into the threaded hole, I'm afraid it will slough off and end up in the sump. I've looked for a replacement plug but the one Rimmers sent me was too small. Attempted to find one in a local parts store in the US but the thread sizes are always wrong.

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nick
'79 TR7 DHC
'76 TR7 FHC

Are you sure you have the right drain plug? It should have a shoulder to seat the washer or the bolt head that will do it. There were drain plugs (I think for Spitfires) that were NPT and tapered so the bolt would only go so far into threads. It sounds like you have the wrong one. Am I on a right track here guys?

If you look at VB diagram they show the washer.


- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

Nick it looks like some PO has been there before you, lost the plug & replaced it with what ever they could find. Your plug should have a shoulder & a copper washer.

There is one other possibility. The drain plug fitting is brazed into the sump, at least on the 8. The 8 had a drip from the sump plug, or so we thought. After replacing the copper washed did not fix it, we actually cleaned the thing up really well, & found a fine crack in the braze.

There was no appearance of damage, but I assumed the sump plug had probably grounded on a rock, or speed hump, sometime in it's life causing the crack.

Hasbeen

Ummm, without going to the machine shed to jack up the car and photograph the engine drain plug on my 1976 model, I can assure you a NPT or pipe fitting type plug is used. It is the same as the drain plug on the four speed gearbox and was used on many other cars as well. It has a square 7/16" head on it.

If your plug is like this and goes in DEEP, then a prior owner or semi trained Ape of a mechanic has over torqued it once upon a time, causing it to enlarge the threaded hole in the sump. Perhaps you have an oil pan repair plug as sold at any auto parts store used for a quick fix? They come with a copper gasket and are self tapping.

Mildred Hargis

My '81 certainly has the flanged plug with a copper washer, there is no taper thread (BSPT or NPT, and I think BL would have used the British Standard). I have recently changed the oil and typically could not find the new washers I bought last year so re-tempered the existing one and refitted, No oil leak from the sump plug yet (just everywhere else!).

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1 (now passed to son for his family car)
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto (now gone that others might live)
Saab 9000 2.3 LPT Auto (sold on, wish I had it back)
Saab 9-5 2.3 Vector Auto Estate
'81 TR7 DHC

May be Alan, if you weren't so mean to the sump plug [}:)], & let it drip a little, all those other leaks wouldn't come out in sympathy. [:D]

Hasbeen

I consider the others as rust prevention, just so long as the engine does not run out Hasbeen.


Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1 (now passed to son for his family car)
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto (now gone that others might live)
Saab 9000 2.3 LPT Auto (sold on, wish I had it back)
Saab 9-5 2.3 Vector Auto Estate
'81 TR7 DHC

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Mildred</i>

Ummm, without going to the machine shed to jack up the car and photograph the engine drain plug on my 1976 model, I can assure you a NPT or pipe fitting type plug is used. It is the same as the drain plug on the four speed gearbox and was used on many other cars as well. It has a square 7/16" head on it.

If your plug is like this and goes in DEEP, then a prior owner or semi trained Ape of a mechanic has over torqued it once upon a time, causing it to enlarge the threaded hole in the sump. Perhaps you have an oil pan repair plug as sold at any auto parts store used for a quick fix? They come with a copper gasket and are self tapping.

Mildred Hargis
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Agreed. Both of my cars have plugs you describe and both drip. On one the plug goes deep but on the other it is normal. I have not been able to find one with a shoulder the has the same thread size.

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nick
'79 TR7 DHC
'76 TR7 FHC