Oil change question
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Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Texas
Oil change question
Howdy ya'll! I am going to change the oil on my 2001 F150 for the first time by myself, rather than having a shop doing it. I had trouble locating the oil drain plug, I have a 2001 F150 4x4 with the 4.2, I'm wondering where it would be located? I searched for a good 10 minutes underneath and from above and could not locate it, any help? 
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Wisconsin
Lay down on the passenger side of the truck, just behind the front wheel. There is a big round cross member that goes from one side of the fram to the other and is bolted to the transfercase. The oil pan is above it. I have not changed oil on the 4.2 for over a year now, but I belive the plug is on the side of the oil pan like the 5.4.
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Junior Member
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From: Texas
Just my luck!! The last service guy to change my oil overtightened the drain bolt and partially rounded the bolt. I went to remove it and finished what he started. I ended up stripping the damn bolt out...now I'm mad! 
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Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Durham, NC
5 words: over-sized-self-threading-bolt
I did the same thing on a GMC Jimmy one time and I tried every type of re-threading stuff I could find with no luck. Finally some guy at work overheard me discussing my problem and said those 5 simple words to me. I went to a parts store that day and it worked like a champ. It never dripped a drop until the engine gave out at 176K (it was a GMC after all
)
chknbone
I did the same thing on a GMC Jimmy one time and I tried every type of re-threading stuff I could find with no luck. Finally some guy at work overheard me discussing my problem and said those 5 simple words to me. I went to a parts store that day and it worked like a champ. It never dripped a drop until the engine gave out at 176K (it was a GMC after all
)chknbone
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Junior Member
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From: Texas
Oh nononono! I didn't strip the threads on the pan out. The last service guy that changed my oil tightened the plug down so tight that he partially rounded the edges of the bolt off. I went to crank it and the first try I rounded the edges off. I'll take it into a shop and see if they can get it off with an air wrench.
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From: Aggieland, TX
If he managed to strip the bolt you have to wonder what kind of shape the threads are in...
Those suckers really cant be that easy to round off, even with an air wrench (well yeah its easier but it has to do some sort of damage to the threads I would think).
Those suckers really cant be that easy to round off, even with an air wrench (well yeah its easier but it has to do some sort of damage to the threads I would think).
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Joined: Nov 2002
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From: New Mexico
I had the same thing happen to me a couple of weeks ago. I used a file to try to slightly flatten a couple of sides of the bolt head. I then used a pair of vise-grips to get it off. It was pretty tight but it eventually came off.
To avoid this in the future, I purchased what is called a "Sure-Drain." It is a valve that bolts into the oil pan in place of the normal oil pan plug. When you want to drain the oil, you simply thread the other piece of the sure-drain (a piece of hose with a threaded fitting on the end) into the valve on the oil pan. This fitting then opens the valve and the oil flows out of the pan. Pretty simple to use.
To avoid this in the future, I purchased what is called a "Sure-Drain." It is a valve that bolts into the oil pan in place of the normal oil pan plug. When you want to drain the oil, you simply thread the other piece of the sure-drain (a piece of hose with a threaded fitting on the end) into the valve on the oil pan. This fitting then opens the valve and the oil flows out of the pan. Pretty simple to use.
