Shipyard Isl. Marine Engine Parts - HELP! Stripped my oil drain plug

So I really did it tonight. I was changing oil on my F150 and normally always reinstall the drain plug by hand and tighten it to feel. I decided I should probably do things right this time and just use a torque wrench since I have one. So I set the torque spec and went to tighten the plug and before the wrench "clicked" the plug spun!

So sinking feeling in my gut settles down i back the plug out and see metal laying in the threads of the plug and my crush washer overcrushed. I ran the plug in and out a few times and go some additional metal out until it came out clean. I put my old washer on and tested it out and it seemed to hold pretty well. I pulled it out, checked for metal....looked clean and ran it in and tried to tighten it and it snugged up.

Anyways, I put a few quarts of oil back in the engine it appears to hold but now I'm left with what to do. Can it be rethreaded, or helicoil, or what should I do? Longer drain plug maybe to catch threads further up? Any help would be much appreciated.

Andrew

P.S. - Torque wrench is going back in the toolbox, and I'm returning to hand tightening it.

Wow, when was the last time that torque wrench was calibrated? Isn't the screw like 6 ft pounds or so? That's not much.

I don't think it torques more than 11 ft lbs.....

My 1/2" drive starts at 20, so I always hand tighten.

Lately we have been using a hand pump and I like how easy it works..

The oil pan drain plug torque value is 20 foot pounds for the F150.

Something is not adding up here. Maybe the threads were cross threaded if the drain plug was not overtightened. However, most people over torque fasteners using the feel method. Very seldom, or never, do they under torque them.

I suspect the threads were damaged due to over tightening using the "feel" method. Then, it was probably a fluke that when the torque wrench was used the threads were already at their point of failure, which makes it seem that the torque wrench is at fault.

Sometimes a "clicker" type torque wrench does not have a noticeable "click". If the click point is passed unknowingly, and additional torque is applied, it can cause the fastener to be over torqued.

Get the torque wrench calibrated. Then use it. Or as stated, forget about using the plug to remove the oil and get a vacuum extraction device. Andy sells them.

Regarding the OP's current predicament, I would repair the hole using a helicoil.