Oil gallery plug leaking.

[Fiddlestyx]

Hey everyone, I have an 83 Vanagon that has an air-cooled engine (CV code) which I believe is the same as the engine in the late bay window buses. Normally I ask my questions on the Vanagon forum but they always send us here when it comes to air-cooled engines. Anyway.

I am in the process of refreshing my engine and I noticed that the oil gallery plug to the right of the oil pump is weeping oil. This plug is not normally tapped for a threaded fitting like the others sometimes are, but I need to know what to do about this. I am going to be tapping the other 11 plugs and figured I should do this one too if I can. However, I do not know what size tap and fitting I need, I am hoping someone here does. I know most people leave this plug alone because it is not one that blows out, but it is weeping too much oil. I will be splitting the case.

This is the plug I am referring to. This pic was taken after cleaning the plug off.

This is the same plug about 12 hours later. There is no oil in the engine, but it is still weeping, I assume it is worse when there is oil in the engine.

The engine builder JB welded the other plugs on this side of the engine, but the JB weld slid right off when I wiped the case.

This engine is set up for fuel injection, is there anything I need to be aware when I tap the other plugs?
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1983 Vanagon Westfalia Air-cooled
1973 Super Beetle

[Wildthings]

That plug is under suction when the engine is running. Not much danger of it coming out but it might cause you to lose the prime on the pump or suck air into your oil pump.

Going to be hard to seal unless you can get it free of oil. I would stand the engine up on the flywheel end and spray the perimeter of the plug several times with brake cleaner until all the oil is gone, blowing the area off between applications of brake cleaner so you are removing the oil from the seam area.

I would then use Loctite 290 or some other wicking grade product to seal the joint.

[Fiddlestyx]

So I was able to split the case and clean everything. I then stood the case half up on one end and put loctite 290 on the plug and I let it sit undisturbed for several days.

Next I flipped the case and filled the area behind the plug with oil and let it sit for several days after which there was still oil seeping through.

Any other ideas?
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1983 Vanagon Westfalia Air-cooled
1973 Super Beetle

[Clatter]

Get that sucker an NPT plug.

No way in hell i would trust that thing - It'll suck bubbles like a bong and aerate your oil.
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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[Clatter]

PS. Best to keep your posts all in one thread...

Make your 'Motor Build' the one thread, so people can keep track of what's going on.

Plus take lots of pics and we can help you strategize or catch things you're missing..

Did you read my Cheap Junk build?
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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[Fiddlestyx]

[Fiddlestyx]

The only reference I have been able to find about this plug is this youtube video about assembling a 914 motor, which doesn't help much:
https://youtu.be/I0f2Yt5L2CU?t=147

I measured the factory plug and it is 7/8 inch. I believe that would mean I need a 1 inch tap with a 1-5/32 inch drill bit. I am not sure though.

You can only go into the case less than 10mm before the plug would be in the path of oil flow. I think this will be fine as my other plugs are 12mm thick and the plug head could always be ground down a bit.
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1983 Vanagon Westfalia Air-cooled
1973 Super Beetle

[SGKent]

when some of those plugs are put in they have a dome. It gets struck which pushes the edges out. It looks like the case may have been hit in that area. You might try gently using a blunt rounded punch going around the domed areathat is left to see if it will expand a little. I have taken those style plugs out before (but not that one) forming the dome again, and putting it back in. Sometimes it works but not always. The passage may be deformed on that one from the whack it took on the lower left. The only two solutions I can think of are to find someone with incredible skills tigging to tig it all the way around without melting it, or clean it really well, sand and clean then JB Weld. Choose wisely. Any mistake may render the case useless.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin