Paper, plastic or metal drain plug gasket, what do you use?

KMinAF

Old Man
Sep 15, 2006
291
0
0
American Fork, UT
I just changed the oil and filter and now it drips from around the plug. What size is the plug, what material is best and where do you recomend buying them? (I don't want to drain all the oil just so I can take the plug with me to the parts store.)
 

destrux

Active Member
May 19, 2010
1,183
10
38
PA
Cool valve. I remember the Fram oil change valves that used to be popular.

I use a steel washer with a molded in silicone or rubber ring on the inside, most GM's use them. They work great. There's no "crush" to it, so you can easily feel when the plug is tight, and it never has any chance of cracking/splitting or wearing out. I had the same drain plug gasket on my last car for 5 years after I switched to these.

thumbnail.asp
 
Oct 11, 2005
3,815
13
38
Thousand Oaks, CA
If your plug is leaking, chances are it was overtightened at some point in its past and the pan flange has a dent in it right where the notch is on the internal threads.

Run your fingers around it with the plug removed and you will feel the dent if its there. If it leaks with the regular plug, it will also leak with the fumoto, but that washer destrux posted above looks like a great way to solve the problem.
 

te72

Classifieds Moderator
Staff member
Mar 26, 2006
6,602
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WHYoming
jetjock;1761550 said:
Iirc the plug is 18 mm. Uses a fiber or copper crush gasket. Can't remember for sure though...

You do remember correctly, it is an 18mm on 5m-6m-7m. The 1jz uses a 12mm plug/washer, and I can't speak for the 2jz, never worked on one. I've always used fiber gaskets, the plastic ones seem like they would be prone to leaking to me...
 

te72

Classifieds Moderator
Staff member
Mar 26, 2006
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WHYoming
aggie08281;1775750 said:
I had an old mechanic make some for me out of old leather. Really weird, but they worked.

Not a bad idea, it just needs to be something to form a good seal. Leather is soft, but not so porous that it would leak...
 

Moy

It's broken...
Aug 6, 2008
2,432
0
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Beach Park, IL
I just did an oil change on mine and this drain plug had a little rubber o-ring on it. I used a little bit of FIPG on the flat flange of the bolt and tightened it in and am getting no drips :)
 

akito

Keep Laughing.You're Next
Jul 31, 2006
1,568
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Springfield/Va
^^ Ditto. You can do that or when I was working at toyota, i used a "transmission drain plug gasket" from another car and it fits with our oil drain plug. It was aluminum and i added a speck of FIPG and no leak what so ever.