UTRacerX9

That might work, but not sure you could get enough JB weld on it to hold. I think you would be better off getting a hex key that is slightly bigger and tapping it in with a hammer to fit, but that has drawbacks as I said previously. You just removed it for changing the oil, did you use a torque wrench to tighten it? It's only supposed to be like 35ft lbs or something like that. If it is really stuck you can heat up the plug with a propane torch to loosen it, but I always consider that a last resort. Can you post pics of what you're working with?

If you've rounded the drain plug, you've got a few options. One would be to take your dremel and notch the plug so you can get a BIG screwdriver in there and turn it. However, you run the risk of cutting into the pan by accident if you are not extremely careful, or not being able to turn it if you can't get enough force with a screwdriver. What I've done in the past is to get the next size down socket (or possibly even the right size if it's rounded just right) and gently hammer it onto the bolt head. You have to be very careful doing this so you don't mess up the drain plug threads. Once the socket is on good and tight, it will either turn that bolt/plug, or break the socket, and I doubt you tightened it enough to break a socket! Good luck!

Do you own a string of McDonald's to have "berger" in your last name? A "maybe" solution is a lot better to try first than to spend 8+ hours removing the drain pan and spending a hefty chunk of change on a new pan and fluids. I'm confident it will work.

Here's an example of a metal/viton washer. This won't work for you, it's a bit too small, you'll just need to google search for viton washers for the right size. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Banjo-Bolt-Seal-X4-M12-M14-Viton-Dowty-Bonded-Washer-/150645447178?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item23132b1a0a Now, you could use an all viton washer, with the aluminum crush washer with it, but using one of these specialty washers is much better.

No, I'm not suggesting to use an O-ring. It's a washer specifically made for this purpose. There's even a picture of it in the link I posted, which I guess you completely skipped over. Oh, and so far... don't add racer to your user name until you've earned it. :rolleyes:

You'll need to measure the size of the drain plug. I'm guessing the "bolt" part is about 15mm or so? Then just search for a washer online with an ID (inner diameter) that will fit. Here's one with a 3/4" ID that might work. http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&safe=off&q=viton+washer&gs_upl=6967l7470l0l8793l2l2l0l0l0l0l231l435l2-2l2l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1920&bih=1015&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=7639183251312492377&sa=X&ei=lRddTteuJ_HfsQLS0O0B&ved=0CGUQ8wIwAg

It's the pan, not the block. The area of the drain plug isn't going to be susceptible to expansion/contraction. Viton will work just fine, it's already being used as valve stem seals and other higher temp, moving part areas. A drain plug doesn't even compare. http://www.dupontelastomers.com/apps/autofocus/a5/af5.asp?article=BMW If you scroll down here, you can see they actually make viton/metal oil plug washers. http://www.oildrainplug.com/index.htm

Ideally, you should use both, so long as there are enough threads on the drain plug for that. The viton washer should go directly against the oil pan, then the crush washer. You also won't be able to tighten it down quite as much as before, or you may split/crack the viton. Just torque it slightly less than spec, and you should be ok. I'd drive the next hundred miles or so carefully, keeping an eye on your gauges and checking for leaks.

The original poster came in wanting info and experience with E85. It seems you are the one who doesn't agree with that choice, or have any experience with it.

No problem... Oh, and afterwards... Find a new friend. B)

Go to an automotive store and pick up a viton washer. It will conform to the gouges and seal the leak. Viton is used for sealing fuel injectors, so it will hold up as drain plug gasket.

Ah yes, the same company that made coolant pipes out of plastic warned of corrosion problems you say? http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/996-turbo-gt2/162819-1st-700whp-corn-fed-e85-porsche-we-like-call-her-corn-horse.html New fuel pump, larger injectors, AFPR, new fuel lines, and a tune = a lot more horsepower with the same turbos.

All of those customers are coming to you for performance upgrades, they aren't doing it themselves. And since you aren't recommending switching to E85, why would they request it? If they knew enough about E85 conversions they'd probably know enough to work on their cars themselves. It also doesn't appear that E85 is all that prevalent in your area yet either.

(Just to answer your cost question, the price of a gallon of E85 right now in TX is about $3. 93 Octane is about $3.70. Multiplying $3 by 1.33 to make up for the added fuel volume needed, comes out to $4... not much difference, considering the increase in performance of about 10%.)

You've answered your own question. You don't hear about converting Porsches because modding these cars costs 5-10 times more than your average car. It isn't because an E85 setup isn't a legitimate way to make more horsepower. I've owned a few Porsches in my day, a Boxster S, 911 Carrera, and now a Cayenne S, and by and large, Porsche owners do not really tinker with their cars. And when I mean tinker, I mean upgrading turbos themselves, installing air/fuel controllers, boost controllers, even upgrading transmission pieces with 300M parts, or completely redesigning a factory piece with a more performance oriented design. The use of E85 is hardly well known among Porsche owners. It probably never will be either, it isn't easy to get around Porsche software for tuning, or rather, it isn't cheap. If you really think that converting to E85 seems to be a complete waste of time, I'd suggest you go on some other internet forums for other car makes to read otherwise. For people that have easy access to an E85 pump, there's a lot of them interested in converting, or have already converted.

Sorry, but that is not correct. E85 has a tendency to cause corrosion due to water entrainment in the fuel, leading to severe problems with injector, fuel lines, and components such as the pump, which also may not be able to deliver enough E85 fuel to begin with. Most to the seals and o-rings in the fuel system that are meant for gas will also tend to swell and leak, leading to additional issues. We have seen more than one "attempted" E85 conversion in the shop, most of the aftermarket kits simply do not hold up because they do not go far enough. As far as making more power and costing less, we have not seen that either. EtOH is about 1/3 lower in specific BTU output compared to gas, so if you have to use more just to get back to where you were, it is going to have to cost one Hell of a lot less, prices which I have not seen. And unless the vehicle was E85 from the factory, you also have to factor in the cost of the conversion over the miles run on E85, which will further impact the economics You may not have seen it at your shop, but it is correct. The pump may need to be upgraded, this is true, but there's no special "E85" pump out there. When going with a larger injector, using some Viton O-rings is all that is needed. Fuel lines would only need to be changed if they are aluminum (most cars are not, nor is the fuel tank usually aluminum.) Ethanol is proven to make more horsepower at the same volume of air flow if enough fuel can be supplied. That is a fact. After you equalize the fuel volumes required, you're left with gasoline having an octane rating of a max of 92-93, while Ethanol is 102. It's like running race gas vs regular fuel, and that is where the horsepower increase comes from. Cost is relative... For a Porsche, upgrading to larger turbos can be much more cost prohibitive than by swapping in larger injectors/fuel pump and tuning the car to run E85.

Some of what you've said is correct, but not all. Fuel mileage will go down dramatically, but the gas is cheaper so it's a trade off. As far as performance goes, if you have larger injectors and a bigger fuel pump to meet the demand, then E85 will give you about a 10% increase in horsepower vs gasoline at the same air volume. You would also need to tune the car with a different fuel map. As far as replacing things goes, any injector will work, there's no special E85 only injectors out there, same goes for the fuel pump. None of it needs to be stainless steel either. As far as track cars go, E85 is becoming VERY popular. A friend of mine locally converted his Stealth Twin Turbo to E85, we both have the same upgraded turbos, except he's now putting out about 45 more horsepower than I am.