oil drain plug woes - how many of you have had this issue?
08-14-2018, 02:41 PM
#1
oil drain plug woes - how many of you have had this issue?
What's up with the drain plugs on these cars? This is the second time (1x it was a pelican drain plug, 1x from the dealer drain plug) that plus wouldn't seal perfectly and caused an oil leak
I just want a steel drain plug w magnet + copper crush washer
I just want a steel drain plug w magnet + copper crush washer
08-14-2018, 03:48 PM
#2
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The copper crush washer probably requires too much torque to correctly crush. That's one of the reasons to use aluminum.. (plus dissimilar metals in an engine with lots of aluminum and magnesium bits - aluminum is better - less chance of galvanic action.) Can we assume you've always used new crush washers? Back in the old days - when oil pans were steel and drain plugs steel - and crush washers were copper - we used to reuse a crush washer until it was paper thin. Didn't know better - but also never had a leak and never had stripped threads. I think with an aluminum drain plug the threads on the plug may strip before the threads in the pan - sacrificial so to speak.. in case an ape tightens it up.
08-14-2018, 04:33 PM
#3
The copper crush washer probably requires too much torque to correctly crush. That's one of the reasons to use aluminum.. (plus dissimilar metals in an engine with lots of aluminum and magnesium bits - aluminum is better - less chance of galvanic action.) Can we assume you've always used new crush washers? Back in the old days - when oil pans were steel and drain plugs steel - and crush washers were copper - we used to reuse a crush washer until it was paper thin. Didn't know better - but also never had a leak and never had stripped threads. I think with an aluminum drain plug the threads on the plug may strip before the threads in the pan - sacrificial so to speak.. in case an ape tightens it up.
08-14-2018, 05:25 PM
#4
Originally Posted by deilenberger
The copper crush washer probably requires too much torque to correctly crush. That's one of the reasons to use aluminum.. (plus dissimilar metals in an engine with lots of aluminum and magnesium bits - aluminum is better - less chance of galvanic action.) Can we assume you've always used new crush washers? Back in the old days - when oil pans were steel and drain plugs steel - and crush washers were copper - we used to reuse a crush washer until it was paper thin. Didn't know better - but also never had a leak and never had stripped threads. I think with an aluminum drain plug the threads on the plug may strip before the threads in the pan - sacrificial so to speak.. in case an ape tightens it up.
As far as a dumb monkey using Herculean strength to tighten a drain bolt - that's absurd - especially for a porsche and in particular at a dealership.
I use a snap on tech angle wrench - and at the very least so should they. In fact most factories should have a specific torque wrench for those common applications.
It's very frustrating to see little irritations like this. There are too many cars that use aluminum oil pans and steel drain plugs with proper crush washers (either aluminum/copper).
As far as reusing crush washers, too each their own, but to me that's like reusing a condom - sure you could, but is a few cents worth opening Pandora's box?
08-14-2018, 06:56 PM
#5
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Well any crush washer is better than their current design.
As far as a dumb monkey using Herculean strength to tighten a drain bolt - that's absurd - especially for a porsche and in particular at a dealership.
I use a snap on tech angle wrench - and at the very least so should they. In fact most factories should have a specific torque wrench for those common applications.
It's very frustrating to see little irritations like this. There are too many cars that use aluminum oil pans and steel drain plugs with proper crush washers (either aluminum/copper).
As far as reusing crush washers, too each their own, but to me that's like reusing a condom - sure you could, but is a few cents worth opening Pandora's box?
As far as a dumb monkey using Herculean strength to tighten a drain bolt - that's absurd - especially for a porsche and in particular at a dealership.
I use a snap on tech angle wrench - and at the very least so should they. In fact most factories should have a specific torque wrench for those common applications.
It's very frustrating to see little irritations like this. There are too many cars that use aluminum oil pans and steel drain plugs with proper crush washers (either aluminum/copper).
As far as reusing crush washers, too each their own, but to me that's like reusing a condom - sure you could, but is a few cents worth opening Pandora's box?
And reusing crush washers - that also happens.. but note carefully what I said "Back in the old days" - we're talking 40-50 years ago. It was much more commonly done then.
08-16-2018, 11:46 AM
#6
There is no inherent problem with the drain plugs on these cars. If you have have leaks either you're doing something wrong or something else is leaking and its looking like the drain plug is leaking. BTW are you talking about a six or eight cylinder engine?
