Tips for fitting oil plugs?
Turbo Mini Forums

After (finally) getting my engine running, I noticed a strong leak coming from the front plate area. It's pretty high up and it looked like it was coming from either the front plate gasket or the oil gallery plug.

Pulled the engine and striped off the timing cover (using a belt drive) and the front plate. I didn't notice any spots where the gasket was weak or there was a gap. I used sealant for installing the gasket.

Seems to me like the like leak was coming from the oil plug, it was visibly running from that area and there doesn't look like any other high pressure feeds up that high.

If it was the plug, then somehow it didn't seal. Any special tips for making sure the plugs seal? Are the U plugs any good or should I bang up a solid plug on the lathe?

It's a press fit plug I assume not a threaded type?

First use threaded plugs. I think it's 9/16unf you need but best check. These seal easily in the usual way ptfe/thread seal but obviously if you go tapping your oilways it's probably full strip down job for cleanliness sake

Otherwise I'm sure there's something in the loctite range that will help seal a press fit plug.

When I was short of press fit plugs I knocked up solid copper ones on the lathe and they worked fine.

As slater says not a good idea to drill and tap on an assembled engine.

Okay, I'll probably make a solid one on the lathe since the U ones don't seem to have a lot of hold. And use some loctite.

I'd like to drill and tap but I'm not so keen with a fully built engine.