Subaru oil drain plug washer alternative

Hi,

I've been using these for untold 10's of 1000's of miles on my Subie--I don't even bother flipping them. We used the same kind of washer on air-cooled VWs, and I remember taking some out that had been re-used to the point they were almost paper thin yet still didn't leak!

Ed's idea on annealing is one I hadn't heard before, but it's easy enough to do--might have to try that next time.

Rick

Of course, can anyone say or has anyone experienced that the filter will leak without the washer? It could be an extra "just in case" item, in which case the fact that any alternatives work could be more due to design than necessity or otherwise.

Dealer charged me 84 cents each. I got away reusing a few times but stopped when I got a leak. Never change the copper ring on wife's Nissan. I like the annealing idea. Don't mind spending for washers or oil changes but don't like the waste of time and waiting. Frank

An excellent solution, however, you might want to check into the Fumoto oil drain valve. Go to

The Fumoto Oil Drain Valve almost makes a DIY oil change a white glove job.

KR (and no, I'm not associated with the site, just a satisfied customer)

Mike,

Are you talking filters or drain plugs? If filters, YES, they definitely will leak without their gasket. I can't tell you how fast four quarts of oil can hit the garage floor if one fails! If drain plugs, since I've seem 'em drip WITH one of the Subie crush washer style, when re-used too many times, I'd venture a guess a total lack of any washer could create a goodly sized leak, depending on the size of the drain hole (Subie uses a much larger one than most mfrs I'm aware of), and the interface between the pan and bolt head, condition of threads, pan material, etc. I had one air-cooled VW engine that leaked even WITH a NEW washer: threads on the plug were damaged (by a previous owner), which in turn damaged the threads in the aluminum case. And the face of the case was dinged up, too, so the washer just couldn't do its job. But I'm sure YMMV here.

Rick

Same here.

My local Toyota dealer also tosses new the washers in the filter box.

The washer goes on the drain plug, not the filter.

I can.

But it wasn't a failure of the part, it was a failure of the moron installing the filter.

-John O

It doesn't matter how you cool the copper. Some people claim you must quench it after heating to make it soft. Not true. Just heat it up, and then cool it any way you see fit.

Back in my jr high metal shop days, I was told that quenching metal made it harder. I recall making a cold chisel by dunking it in water.

BTW - annealing copper in the presence of oxygen might not be the best thing. Sure you're making it softer, but the original washer was probably annealed in a nitrogen or otherwise oxygen- free environment. Do it enough times, and the washer will be as thin as a penny laid out on a railroad track. :)

doesn't the crush washer we are speaking of in this case go on the *filter* (as well as the o-ring) and not the drain pan?

Hi, Mike

The filter has its O-ring built into the housing--that's the ONLY gasket, washer or whatever kind of seal the filter gets. Adding a washer between the filter housing and the threaded connection it's screwed onto could produce results ranging from totally ineffectual (clearance between filter housing and the mounting surface is greater than the thickness of the washer) to catastrophic (if the washer's thicker than that clearance and causes a poor seal on the O-ring.) BTW, the same catastrophic results will be seen if the O-ring comes off the filter and sticks to the mounting surface, then a new filter is screwed on right over it. The double O-rings won't seal and if you have a stopwatch, you can see how long it takes for all your oil to hit the deck! (I didn't have a stopwatch when I--cough, cough--learned about this, but it's pretty fast!)

The one we're talking about is the washer that goes on the actual drain plug bolt and creates a seal between the head of the plug bolt and the pan (sump) itself.

I don't know about pure copper, but when annealing brass, we quench it in water after heating it JUST to a dull reddish color (bright red means it got too hot and the process fails.) Seems to work just fine, but that's brass... I don't know the actual copper percentage in the alloy being used. And I'm far from being a metallurgist!

Rick

Hi,

My "much more of a metallurgist than I'll ever hope to be" buddy tells me ferrous materials generally get harder when quenched, cuprous alloys get softer, and aluminum alloys react in a variety of ways. My VERY limited experience bears him out.

Rick