Anyone use teflon tape on their oil drain plug?

[martyi]

I am about to do my first oil change on my 2006 Honda and purchased a Fumoto valve to replace the drain plug and make future oil samples and changes easier.

Since the Fumoto is a permanent replacement for the oil plug, I was concerned that after a long time and many pounding miles, it might get loose. I have used teflon tape many times to make sink, bathroom and other water/hose type connections and was wondering if putting a wrap or two on the Fumoto threads would do any good. I am also concerned about the teflon tape and the high heat in the oil pan. I do not want it to break-down and swirl in my oil.

Has anyone used a teflon tape wrap on their oil plug before? I would not bother with this at all except the Fumoto will be there from now until I get rid of the truck.

 

[Ugly3]

Sounds like an application for Permatex Loctite not teflon tape.

 

[Kestas]

I use it a number of places, but not the oil plug. I use it on the diff plug, and the pipe-threaded plugs like the block drain plugs, oil pressure sender, and threaded coolant connections.

 

[Gary Allan]

Teflon can take the heat of any oil pan ..at least in an engine that is expected to continue running. It's stable @ 400+/-.

Teflon is a sealer ..and not (as others have said) a thread locker. It could surely be used to assure that you'll be able to remove a plug (like Kestas where the plug might be prone to seizure from lack of use) where you don't have a specific compound on hand for such use.

Most oil pan plugs don't use the thread for the seal ..they use the flat of the bolt head in conjunction (usually) with a washer/gasket. Sorta like a jar lid. The thread provides the preload on the sealing surface ..not the sealing surface itself.


That all being said ...go ahead

 

[donpilot]

Teflon is a thread LUBRICANT, not a sealer, and aids in removing a bolt or pipe at a later date.

 

[Ray Garlington]

"Teflon is a thread LUBRICANT, not a sealer"

gosh, after all these years using it to seal pipe threads, I find out it can't do that.

 

[H20024.6L]

martyi; I've used Fumoto's on many vehicles, including 2 Honda's that also needed the Fumoto Adapter (used a crush washers on the Honda's), and never had any come loose. I definately am not into over tightening it, but none of them have moved at all on me. IMO, you will be fine without tape.

 

[racer12306]

i dont think it is that much of an issue, but if it makes you feel better, loctite would be the way to go.

teflon tape and paste are thread sealants. neverseize is a thread lubricant

 

[martyi]

Okay guys, thanks for the good info and tips. I think I'll try the Fumoto without doing anything with the threads. I will watch my garage floor real close for a while and if I notice a leak I'll try something else, or install a new washer.

 

[Tones]

Teflon is used as both a gasket/sealant material, and a bolt coating, among other uses.

Keep the teflon tape for your sink. At my work, teflon tape is not used for lubricant piping because strings of it can get where they are not supposed to. Granted probably not a problem here because it will just stick to the intake screen, but I wouldn't use it.

 

[Ray H]

Teflon tape is both a thread sealant and a thread lube to prevent frozen couplings of corrosion-prone plumbing. (not every issue up for discussion on BITOG comes down to "either/or")

 

[Gary Allan]

(visions of SNL skit)

It's a dessert topping!!

It's a floor cleaner!!


..it's both!!

 

[1sttruck]

There's a bunch of different products, here's one:

Permatex® High Temperature Thread Sealant
Locks and seals threaded fittings. Resists leakage, vibration loosening, moisture, hydraulic fluids and diesel fuels. Lubricates threads for easy assembly and disassembly. Won't shred or wear like Teflon® tape. Parts may be repositioned up to 4 hours after application.

Suggested Applications:
Oil PSI sending units and sensors, oil and coolant lines, fuel fittings.

 

[brianl703]

I believe the teflon tape I used to install the temperature sender in my 1988 Mustang GT caused it to stop working after a couple of years. I think it prevented it getting a good ground (teflon, after all, is an insulator) and it got worse as time went on.

The next sensor I installed, I used some white thread sealant by Permatex that smelled a bit like isopropyl alcohol. I figured that it would get displaced as I screwed the sensor in, allowing for a good ground.

 

[1sttruck]

One of the high temp thread locking compounds looks and smells like plumber's teflon goop for threads. I used the plumber's teflon paste as I had some, it works on hot, high pressure fittings, and it's pretty cheap compared to the little tubes of stuff sold in auto parts stores.

 

[Gary Allan]

When I use teflon tape on a sensor, I just score the outside threads to expose them. The valley of the thread is filled. It's worked everytime for me

 

[kschachn]

Well, what I was always told was that traditional tapered pipe fittings (not what is on your oil plug) seal through an interference fit of the threads as you tighten the coupling. To facilitate this process a lubricant such as pipe joint compound or Teflon tape is used. The tape or the compound has no role in sealing the joint. If the threads are not sealing then the joint will leak, Teflon or no Teflon.

Like was stated above, any oil pan drain plug I have ever seen depends on the gasket to seal. With all that oil in the pan (leaking past the threads but stopped by the gasket) I have never experienced a siezed plug.

 

[Gary Allan]

kschachn, I don't quite agree there. We had a nickname for the guys that used anti-seize (Bostik "Never-Seize") ...Mr. Neverleak (it was a joke).
Worthless as a sealing agent ..as were the threads generally if unaided by teflon or pipe dope (we used a hard setting beige compound ..the name escapes me at the moment ....'RectorSeal #7). On steam lines, we used both. Dope over teflon. NeverSeize was great for unions ..bolts/nuts ..anything that needed to be taken apart later. It's great for exhaust work for the DIY'r ..if I ever need to take a system apart that I've installed a muffler or pipe on ...never have to use a hammer. My first dual filter mount, at the time a Fram part # (70's), leaked like crazy when I first fitted it. Teflon solved the problem

For serious applications (those that didn't get eaten and replaced often) ..stainless steel, we'd use aviation Permatex over teflon. I cursed that stuff ..but lasted years for no leakage or seepage. Stainless threads suck.

 

[H20024.6L]

Martyi; just one more thought. The fumoto will come with a washer, it's usually blue in color and non-metal. My experience is that this washer tears, and I did have a drip. On my Acura and Honda I used a Honda crush washer again the pan. Maybe someone else has had a good experience with the washer shipped with the fumoto?

 

[martyi]

H20024.6L - thanks for that information. I was wondering about that little blue washer as it looks thin and is not very substantial. In fact, I emailed Fumoto a while back about this and was told any washer will work and indeed the thicker ones might be better if I needed to get the drain spring to rotate to a certain, more accessible position. This is important in my application because I have to have the spring either facing to the side or straight down as there is no room for me to get my finger in there to release the spring if it is positioned straight up.

They said the key is not to overtighten to move the spring but rather to use different size washers until I find the one that will position the spring where I need it to be. BTW, they said the valve will work in any position, even upside down.