Hi all, the threads on my 98 with a 3.4 are jacked... As a result, I've been stuck trying to find different repairs for the oil pan that don't require me removing the motor to replace the oil pan. I don't have the $ to do so and as a result have been topping the oil off every other day. I read into the timesert drain plug repair kit which works by drilling out the old threads and replacing with a insert. However, that's advertised for aluminum oil pans. Any alternative for 3rd gens with steel oil pans? Anybody else been down this road? Thanks

Theoretically you could do that with steel as well, is the insert aluminum too or something? Provided the insert is also steel you could just weld it up to be extra secure. I see no reason why that couldn't work, unless it might cause a problem with draining or something that I'm not thinking of. I don't know what the thread pitch is for the oil pan, but I know it's a real PITA to try and google threaded stuff so it might benefit you to reach out to someone like Fastenal. Maybe get creative and use a different oil pan bolt if you can't find one for ours (unless they're universally threaded, maybe?)
If I'm not mistaken the motor doesn't need to be pulled for the oil pan to come off, but the front diff has to come out for sure - which is certainly much easier than it sounds. Iirc, the diff is only connected by the CVs, 3 support arms and front driveshaft.

Many years ago, an express lube place stripped the oil drain plug on my car because they didn’t put the washer back on, and overtightened the plug.

I don’t know the name for it, but I ended up putting a rubber plug in the drain plug hole. It gets put in with a tool that stretches the plug to fit into the hole, then the plug expands/widens and seals the hole when the tool is backed out.

Edit: I was just doing a google search for the rubber plug, and read that, because the rubber will degrade over time, it isn’t a good long-term/permanent fix, but a good short-term/temporary fix.

I wouldn't take this route but, auto parts stores have over sized old drain plug bolts as a last resort before dropping the oil pan for a proper repair.

This issue is metal bits that you'll have to try to contain and collect as you'll be drilling out the old threads out and re tapping new threads for the oversized bolt.
I came across few others who did this before, have issues with leaks because they rushed the process. It's a good solution if done right.

Thank you for the suggestions. This is the link for the drainplug repair kit- "https://www.timesert.com/html/drainplug.html" . The insert is placed in with locktite rather than welded. Old threads get drilled out, counter bore the hole and tap with new insert. Supposed to be good until stripped again, just need to find a kit for steel oil pans