Oil drain washers - I'm curious

Man, there's some cheapskates on this thread! Criminently!

 

38 years; never have but I'll make sure to get a "Genuine" one if I ever decide to.

 

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FWIW ... a parts manager (with 25 years at same Toyota dealer) told me that he only buys OEM washers with "aluminum center" due to leaks with the cheap after-market "solid washers".
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As a nuclear reactor inspector in the Navy we always replaced washes, gaskets, o-rings when we would change out or replace the hardware ... I never lost a sub.

 

On a sub, I would clean and replace every booger on the floor, if that is what the T.O. said to do.

 

Too funny

 

I don't see why anyone would be proud not to replace it nor do I see any reason not to change it. I also see no logical reason why anyone would bash someone for following the correct procedures.

I have been changing mine from my first oil change 14 years ago and I will continue to do so as instructed by every manual for every vehicle I have owned. 70 gaskets over 14 years at a max price of $0.50 per gasket seems like a no brainer to me. Ill keep spending my $2.50 per year and everyone else can feel good about saving the "huge" amounts of money

 

I've never changed mine and I haven't had any leaks. Kinda stupid to replace if it doesn't leak.

 

why do you change your oil then? kinda stupid if it can last 10k and you change it at 5k....right?

 

Fumoto valve only needs the 1.

 

That analogy is kinda stupid. Changing the motor oil has a far greater impact on the life of my engine than changing a silly little crush washer that doesn't leak.

 

X2

 

Not knocking anyone. My original point was that, after 20+ years of changing oils, I had never even heard of this being an important part of the oil change process (unless maybe damaged) until less than 10 years ago or so. But hey, what do I know? I still think chrome looks better on some parts than paint or plastic.

 

it is a critical component, because:

that is the one bolt most likely to be touched by un-educated gorillas
in a random oil pit at mom-n-pops fluid'n'fill for the general public. so the washer provides
a neat seal and something to torque against. oil pans are expensive...the crush washer
acts as a bozo-filter for the pit monkey who doesn't give a rats ass about your nice vehicle

now I do know most people here do it themselves, but most car owners do not care about
the technical aspects, therefore, it protects them more than us

 

That assumes the gorilla/bozo/pit monkey replaces it.

 

Changing the drain plug washer is part of the procedure, like lubing the filter gasket & installing the filter hand tight. If the drain plug washer is not changed at EVERY oil change then the procedure was NOT done correctly, whether it leaks or not.
I don't understand why members that swear by the Toyota filter refuse to buy a drain plug washer at the same time, they're dirt cheap.
The worst offenders seem to be the "nobody touches my baby but me" types.

 

Its not there to prevent leaks from the drain plug... It prevents the oil pan itself from being stripped out. When the plug is properly torqued down is collaspes the washer creating the correct torque for the oil pan. If you dont replace the washer you will not torque the plug to the proper spec.
But what do I know im only ase master certified.

 

X2

 

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Yeah, if these guys were around subs and aircraft ... their "preventive maintenance persona" would drastically change when their lives depended on it a small part that could take down the whole weapons systems and cost many lives.

PS ... Kudos to you, I could never do subs ... "hot racking" would make me crazy ...
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65k miles and counting on mine. Oil changes every 3-5k.