[Khun]

My step dad tried changing my oil while I was out of town, and being the non handy man he is, tries forcing the drain plug out and I don't know how he did it, but now it is neither tight or loose. It's so loose that oil is dripping constantly down.

I brought it to Jeep, they said that I needed to get a new oil pan installed and quoted me at 650-something for both pan and labor. I looked up the price of the oil pan, and it was about $100. Are they trying to rip me off?

Would it be better if I just buy the oil pan and get it installed at another auto shop? How much would that approximately be? Or is it simple enough to do at home? Would I need to lift the engine to get the oil pan out? Would I have to also purchase a new oil pan gasket as well?

car info:
2004 Grand cherokee
4.0L

oil pan from autozone : http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/parts/partsProduct.jsp?skuDescription=Spectra+Premium+/+Oil+Pan&categoryDisplayName=Internal+Engine&fromS tring=search&itemIdentifier=220526_22082_9459_&pro ductId=220526&sortType=&parentId=51-0&filterByKeyWord=oil+pan&isSearchByPartNumber=fal se&navValue=15100961&categoryNValue=15199999&fromW here=&itemId=961-0&displayName=Oil+Pan&store=3042&searchText=oil+pa n&brandName=Spectra+Premium

Oil pan gasket from autozone: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/parts/partsProduct.jsp?skuDescription=Felpro+/+Oil+Pan+Gasket&categoryDisplayName=Internal+Engin e&fromString=search&itemIdentifier=74438_95350_0_& productId=74438&sortType=&parentId=51-0&filterByKeyWord=oil+pan&isSearchByPartNumber=fal se&navValue=15100529&categoryNValue=15199999&fromW here=&itemId=529-0&displayName=Oil+Pan+Gasket&store=3042&searchText =oil+pan&brandName=Felpro

[FrankTheDank]

i dented my oil pan and removed it to pound out the dent and make sure i didnt mess anything else up.......

there is like 30+ little bolts holding the pan on, some will require a long extender and a deepwell socket. if you replace it on your own you will also need to replace the gasket. i didnt have to raise the engine, although my 4+'' of lift helped get under there i still had to disconnect the trackbar on the frame mount side in order to finally get the pan to slide out. i did this by myself with simple hand tools in my garrage. took like 8 hours and was the messiest thing i have ever had to do under the jeep.

[FrankTheDank]

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f13/dented-my-oil-pan-913717/

from when i pulled mine, may be some helpful info in here

[SJZ]

Don't make more of a production out of this than it really is. Oil change places strip the plugs all the time.
Your drain plug should be 1/2-20 thread. What you need is a self tapping oversize drain plug, such as:
O'Reilly Auto Parts

or
O'Reilly Auto Parts

Make sure you put a gasket on there.
I've seen all kinds of devices that do the job. Go to your local Pep Boys or NAPA, etc and ask.

[cmonson]

exactly as above said. Stripped drain plugs are common. Buy an oversize plug and tap it.

It will be a 30 min fix.

1. drain oil

2. tap drain plug

3. Replace with oversize plug.

here is another thread. Probably one of many:
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/oil-drain-plug-44397/

[Khun]

sjz - so with those plugs all I have to do is insert?

[cmonson]

tap it first, then insert. Put some grease on the tap to collect the filings. It will take 5 mins.

[SJZ]

Originally Posted by Khun

sjz - so with those plugs all I have to do is insert?

They are self tapping (notice the "split end"), but putting grease on them, as stated above, isn't a bad idea to catch the chips. Then pull it out, wipe off any chips, put 'er back in with a gasket & fill'er up.

[Khun]

oh okay. Thank you very much for all the info.