I've recently bought a citroen relay van for convert into a cheap and cheerful camper.  The sump plug had been stripped and glued in by the previous owner, so I need to try and get the plug back in after draining the oil.

 

Have tried re tapping to no avail, so am not in a mind to JB weld the plug back in and drain the oil from the top - the van has less than a few years life in it I think (rust, gearbox tired and 200k on the clock).

 

I've done a ton of searches online and the gist of it is jack the vehicle up so that the oil is not dripping, clean ALL of the grease / dirt from the area I want to treat, the apply to the plug before refitting (it still has a little grip) - leave 24 hrs to set.

 

While I appreciate people do not recommend doing this, I'm after some tips from anyone that might have used JB weld or found other ways to plug the sump.

Edited 30 May, 201412 yr by jme808

Why not just replace the sump?

I've tried JB Weld in the past but it always seems to crack and fall apart in the end. As you say there's "a little grip" left on the thread, would it be worth trying one of the Loctite products - even bearing grade - which will be fine under thermal stress and still allow you to remove the plug for the next oil change? I guess it depends how cheap a fix you need and how much you worry or not about the risk of dropping all your engine oil on the road. Second hand sump with a good plug sounds a reasonable compromise to me.

I've given it a go today.  As I'll only be doing very low miles this year, will give the JB a go and see what happens - if it passes the next MOT I'll look at getting a used sump - seem to be around £60, with a £20 gasket.  The sump nuts look shagged already so I'm not keen on taking it off unless it's a last resort.

 

I think the plug should hold even if the JB fails, but will drip - hopefully the JB will hold it, I've prepaired it properly etc..  I'll just shove a tub under it when it's parked overnight to see what happens after a long drive.  Fingers crossed.  So far am on target for a campervan for under £1500, only just mind you...