Never heard of this being a problem except in the case of a jiffy lube over torquing them and stripping threads. If junkyards are in your area, I'd start by heading to one of those to get a used pan.

 

Haven't you heard the song of my people? Land Rover, proudly turning owners into mechanics since 1948!

 

There are several oil pans for sale on eBay too. Or you could contact one of the used parts sellers on this forum - Paul Grant, abran, Will.Tillery. Will is in Virginia - (540) 462-7353

 

At this point in my life, with what's going on, I am NOT READY to remove or replace the oil pan. Hell, I'll just get that drain hole closed one way or another, and worry about it next year. In the mean time, I have a theory, of how this can be fixed nice and easy, but I have to test the theory.... The teflon tape idea did not work, unfortunately. We'll see what happens later today)))

 

OK, I understand that. Try one of the rubber plugs that others have posted. They work just fine.

 

Soooo.... I had a suspicion, that perhaps the original (or non-original) bolt/plug may be the problem, or part of the problem. So I went to Autozone and along with a rubber piece bought a new plug/bolt M14-1.5 with a magnetic insert. So, it kind of worked - it holds much better, however I was very, very carefull to tighten it, and it looks like if I apply even slightly too much torque, it will just turn over. So is the problem solved? Sort of. Is it a peace of mind type of "problem solved"? No. So now I wonder, what if instead of the M14 bolt (which actually measures about 12.4mm in grooves and 13.3mm in lands) I was to used a larger bolt? Perhaps a 9/16-18 inch pattern bolt? This is a British vehicle, after all....

 

Order an appropriately sized plug and washer from any of the LR Parts stores online. AB, rovers north, ebay, any of them. It’s a place to start. They are cheap and it may just be the wrong plug. Get the plug.

Seriously consider the ramifications of draining your oil. Being a British vehicle has nothing to do with it. To quote an Algonquin elder, “It is the Indian not the arrow.” and to quote my father, “Cheap man pays twice.” I get it man I really do…but for real… I wouldn’t test the LR gods like that.

Right now, the option is to hope it holds while driving and failure is completely catastrophic if it doesn’t? Then you’re gonna be in the middle of an intersection pushing a bricked LR with a trail of oil leading right to you. Everyone’s gonna be looking at you, and your gonna think about this comment, and you’re gonna wish, had you only listened, you wouldn’t be parting out your LR on Craigslist for meer schmeckles?

Not to be harsh, I don’t want that to happen to you. Let me see if I have an extra one, and I will message you to send it to you if so.

 

Thanks man. Hurshness got nothing to do with it, you do make sense. However, at this point, the plug holds, but the oil drips, one tear at a time. I just drove about 25 miles to a location, and another 25 miles back. That's obviously is not good enough, as the plug may come loose and unscrew itself on a longer trip, in theory. I think the proper solution is an over-sized 14mm plug, apparently Dorman 65217 is the over-sized, self-tapping 14-1.5 plug that will solve this problem. I'll try it tomorrow. If I can get it. Otherwise I could try the 9/16" plug, but that will probably have different thread pitch. I am not the first one with this issue: the threads are still there, but the plug will not tighten. It will not fall out, either. It screws in and out, just will not tighten properly. Also, it feels kind of loose in there. Now the one I got was a proper 14mm-1.5, same as the original. The old one probably IS the original.
P.S. I really don't understand WHY people want to replace the oil pan. I mean, if I take the trouble of taking it off, wouldn't it be easier, much easier to re-tap the drain hole to a larger size and just use it? I don't get it. In any case, since teflon tape didn't work, since the new 14mm-1.5 plug only kind of worked, the next thing will be the over-sized drain plug from Dorman, if it's available still. Then we'll see.

 

Honestly, for me, if I am tapping something has gone wrong. Don’t like it. Hate it.

Here is why I think people are recommending oil pan. If you’re taking threads, tapping, and metric sized, it means you are absolutely qualified to do this job.

Here is the write up sticky for the oil pump and timing chain replacement. Obviously, you are doing to do the oil pump and timing chain but in order to do that job you gotta take off the oil pan. So half way down the instructions after youve skipped draining the coolant, because you dont need to drain the coolant, youll see detailed instructions to remove the pan. It’s stupid easy, all you need is Rotella 5-7 quarts of 15W-40 oil, purolator oil filter, oil pan gasket, used oil pan, new drain plug and washer right stuff gasket maker, an something like a 8mm 10mm 11mm 13mm and a 15mm wrench and sockets, 1/2” or 3/8” rachets and couple of extensions.

This is all in the write up but its essentially: Drain the oil, remove the filter, remove the 8 bolts securing the front cross member to chasis in otder get the pan out once unbolted. Those 8 bolts are probably the hardest part. I didnt even bother I broke the heads off and havent put the cross member back yet. From there its unbolting 3 brackets securing transmission and oil cooler lines to the oil pan using 8mm or 10mm (Cant remember). Removing the three nuts that secure the front cover to the oil pan. Removing the 2 long bolts that secure the back bottom of the oil pan into the block upwards, removing the 4 bolts securing the bell housing to the oil pan (2 each side, one upper and one lower), and removing the remaining 7 bolts that go upwards and bolt the oil pan to the block (if my count is right I think theres 13 total). Once unbolted manuever the pan around the pick up tube. Gasket on, RTV on, New Pan up, front cover nuts go on first to secure it to the front cover, back long two bolts in the back wells go up to secure the back. Hand tight the seven bolts up, hand tight the 4 bolts towards the pan from the bell housing side. Torque the nuts, 7 bolts, 2 deep well long bolts to spec evenly in a pattern that causes no torsion or flex. Torque the back 4 bell housing bolts. Brackets on. Let the RTV cure, install the filter, install new drain plug feed that gurl some ore’1. Start er up.

100 bucks for the pan on ebay. Filter oil, gasket, right plug, maybe another 100-120 bones.

No pressure. It’s a breeze. Did mine with the pan on my belly. PB blast the brackets so you dont break the baby bracket bolts.

It’s a good place to start your Land Rover journey and get under there. 13 bolts, 3 brackets, some goo, some sludge, and a drain plug.

6 pack of High Life Job.