Crush washer and Plug pics

[hondaman2]

I took some samples, take a look

[hondaman2]

another look

[hondaman2]

some mediocre washers

[hondaman2]

good washers, rubber insulated is the best.

[hondaman2]

not re-usable

[hondaman2]

over size, for fixing stripped threads on the pan.

[hondaman2]

bad plugs

[David Ming]

Thank You HondaMan2 for all of the great pictures and info. Keep it coming!!!

[DanL]

Originally posted by hondaman2
over size, for fixing stripped threads on the pan.

I hope to God I never have to use one, but where do you get oversized drain plugs? Is that something available from the dealer?

[hondaman2]

oh ya, the best way to tell if the crush washer is re-usable is to see if it is wider than the plug. If you look closely to the pics, you can see the bad washer is overlapping the plug and the good washer is not.

you can get oversized plugs from Napa or auto parts stores like Car Quest. I recommend taking the plastic crush washer off and replacing it with a factory one or a rubber insulated one. Plastic washers suck and when they get hot they gat hard and then crack and then the plug leaks.

[hondaman2]

good crush notice the washer is not over lapping the plug

bad crush the washer is over the lip

going from the thickness of a nickle to the thickness of a dime.

and the width/diameter of a quater to the width/diameter of a half dollar.

[CarolinaPilot]

I have had cars that do not use a crush washer. Why do we need crush washers with engines and others that do not need them? Thanks.

[hondaman2]

you need crush washers with metal oil pan. The pot metal pan is one you dont but I still put em on as extra incentive. Especially since they have the high school drop out jacka$$ pump jockey doing oil changes at the 10 minute quick lube and if he screws anything up using American wrenches or air tools he just smothers silicone all over it (see stripped threads) and calls it done.

You need on on the metal for sure because if you over torque it to much it will pull the threads out toward the plug there by making the surface uneven. Sometimes we have to weld a nut on the pan to make new threads or if its real bad we install a new pan.

The aluminum pan has a metal sleeve with threads in it just like your engine block and head. These are almost impossible to fix without replacing the pan.

And considering the fact that the washer is less than a dollar its worth it, especially since the alternative is much more pricey.

[DanL]

Originally posted by hondaman2
And considering the fact that the washer is less than a dollar its worth it, especially since the alternative is much more pricey.

]

WAY less than a dollar. I purchased a dozen the other day for $3 at my local dealer. That's a $1 a year (assuming my standard 4 oil changes a year). Think I can afford that.

[jazcar]

Hondaman2,

Last time I changed my oil (Acura 2.5TL), I couldn't remove the crush washer from the plug (it was overtorqued). I re-used it and it didn't leak. Maybe I didn't use the right tools, but is it better to try like crazy to separate the washer from the plug if the washer is smooth with no raised areas? or is it better to buy a new plug and crush washer?

By the way, not only was the crush washer overtorqued, I couldn't remove the filter with the correct filter wrench (end cap style is the only way to get the filter off). I had to leave that filter on and get someone else with better tools to change my oil on an abbreviated schedule to get back to normal.

It's hard to get a good mechanic these days. Shouldn't be that way for a simple oil and filter change.