i was just changing my oil today and i noticed that when i tried to unscrew the drain plug it was crooked and there were metal pieces falling out almost like if the guy who did my tune up stripped it. when i tried putting it back in i noticed that it was stripped. i can get it not too tight now but it is like a couple turns past hand tight. am i screwed? what should i do

 

if its stripped out.You got three choices.1)A helicoil insert to repair it.2) oversized drain plug 3) new oil pan

 

which one would u think would be the cheapest

 

how easy is fixing it with a helicoil insert

 

Cheapest is the helicoil/timecert .But the pan should come off for the best job and to make sure you tap is straight.

A quick CHEAP fix(till you get the time and cash to do it right) is a universal plug from your local autoparts store:

 

You can do the heli coil without removing the pan, but make sure you flush some oil out the hole after cutting the threads. That way any pieces of aluminum get flushed out.