stupid NAPA!
Guest
Posts: n/a
stupid NAPA!
I have an oil-temp guage I've been waitin to wire for some time now. Dropping the oil pan to drill a new hole for the temp-sender is way too involved.
So I got an OEM oil drain plug and took it to a local NAPA machine shop. I told them that I wanted them to drill out and thread the bolt to accept the temp sender for my guage. They told me they would have no problem doing that and it would be about $10 for the labor. That sounded fine to me because Courtesy Nissan was selling the exact same part from Stewart Warner for $10. (Which I tried to purchase but they could no longer get the part)
I picked up the finished drain plug and the metal shavings weren't even cleaned out of the new threads. And they charged me $20 for some reason. The more I examine the part, I notice it is not even drilled on-center. It is drilled on an angle in the bolt! I can't imagine how that happend if they were using a propper drill press. I could have drilled it more true with my power-drill and vise! Anyway, I figured I'd give it a chance and see how it holds up. I install the sensor with some threadlock and put a new gasket/washer on the bolt and start changing my oil.
Before the gasket was even compressed on the new bolt, it snapped, without any torque. So I'm laying under my car with 1/2 a bolt and temp sensor laying somehwere in an oil drain pan, and the other half IN my oil pan.
Luckily I was able to insert needle nose pliers and open them inside the bolt and thread it back out slowly.
So now I'm back to the stock plug and my guage still reads 0 degrees. Quite a frustrating experience. Yet another reason to get your own shop and do it yourself.
So I got an OEM oil drain plug and took it to a local NAPA machine shop. I told them that I wanted them to drill out and thread the bolt to accept the temp sender for my guage. They told me they would have no problem doing that and it would be about $10 for the labor. That sounded fine to me because Courtesy Nissan was selling the exact same part from Stewart Warner for $10. (Which I tried to purchase but they could no longer get the part)
I picked up the finished drain plug and the metal shavings weren't even cleaned out of the new threads. And they charged me $20 for some reason. The more I examine the part, I notice it is not even drilled on-center. It is drilled on an angle in the bolt! I can't imagine how that happend if they were using a propper drill press. I could have drilled it more true with my power-drill and vise! Anyway, I figured I'd give it a chance and see how it holds up. I install the sensor with some threadlock and put a new gasket/washer on the bolt and start changing my oil.
Before the gasket was even compressed on the new bolt, it snapped, without any torque. So I'm laying under my car with 1/2 a bolt and temp sensor laying somehwere in an oil drain pan, and the other half IN my oil pan.
Luckily I was able to insert needle nose pliers and open them inside the bolt and thread it back out slowly.So now I'm back to the stock plug and my guage still reads 0 degrees. Quite a frustrating experience. Yet another reason to get your own shop and do it yourself.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,672
From: Gerber, CA
What if you were to rig something up inline near the oil cooler. That way you can avoid metal shavings in the engine. You should be able to find a copper T-fitting that would allow you to thread the sending unit in line to the oil cooler. It would be much less work than dropping the oil pan. It would probably be a cleaner set-up as well.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Thats a fresh new idea. I will have to give that a try if a repeat of the oil drain plug doesn't work out. I was very happy to try that method because had already been done by others. I did clean the part before I tried to install it, running watter with a magnet under it and 100+ psi of air took care of that.
Your idea would be even cleaner and out of sight than the drain plug, I will keep it in mind. Thanks!
Your idea would be even cleaner and out of sight than the drain plug, I will keep it in mind. Thanks!
Administrative Brown Guy
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,406
From: Ontario, Canada
Originally posted by 91zxtt
I figure that since Rizz called me a post *****, I better have some of my posts actually be helpful to someone. I need to be more than just comic relief.
I figure that since Rizz called me a post *****, I better have some of my posts actually be helpful to someone. I need to be more than just comic relief.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,494
From: Palmyra,Va
Originally posted by 91zxtt
I knew there was a reason I had the INS on speed dial. J/K
I knew there was a reason I had the INS on speed dial.
J/K
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