oil cap screw is stripped

Houston we have a problem. The long bolt on my oil filter cap is starting to strip. Any one else have this problem? Whats the easiest fix? I've thought about helicoils but have never used any, and was thinking about going with the next size metric screw and just tapping the hole and going with it but before I do anything I thought I would ask for any advice on the best solution. Thanks for any help.

[CranMan]

One thing I'd check first is check the depth of the hole that screw goes into. Let's asy it's 40mm deep, but the screw's only 36mm long. In that case you could find a 38 or 39mm long screw and make use of that last 2-3mm of threads that your stock screw won't reach. Then clean out the hole, use the longer screw with a little thread lock, and don't overtighten. I've done this many times and many times it's kept me from having to heli-coil or retap a hole.

[stevengates45]

mine stripped out this past summer. I just re-tapped it to the next size up.