Tightening drain plug and oil filter.
- Thread starter Michelob
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Absolutely, pulling threads & crushed/cracked gaskets are the result of over tightening. Not many actually use a TQ wernch on them but many times they get stripped out from over zealous oil changers worried that the plug will come out.
TQ is more important with a aluminum pan.
Good n' snug is all it needs.
Oil filters all have a tightening directions right on the box. its a TQ spec.
TQ is more important with a aluminum pan.
Good n' snug is all it needs.
Oil filters all have a tightening directions right on the box. its a TQ spec.
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Nope, I torque the filter to hand tightness and never a problem. Same with the drain plug. I use a 1/4 drive ratchet with a six point socket and torque until it is tight. A few times and you'll get the "feel."
Originally Posted By: oilcoholic
Nope, I torque the filter to hand tightness and never a problem. Same with the drain plug. I use a 1/4 drive ratchet with a six point socket and torque until it is tight. A few times and you'll get the "feel."
Same here, never had a leak or even a seep, never stripped a drain plug either, but for someone that just starts wrenching on cars a torque wrench is a good idea.
Nope, I torque the filter to hand tightness and never a problem. Same with the drain plug. I use a 1/4 drive ratchet with a six point socket and torque until it is tight. A few times and you'll get the "feel."
Same here, never had a leak or even a seep, never stripped a drain plug either, but for someone that just starts wrenching on cars a torque wrench is a good idea.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: oilcoholic
Nope, I torque the filter to hand tightness and never a problem. Same with the drain plug. I use a 1/4 drive ratchet with a six point socket and torque until it is tight. A few times and you'll get the "feel."
Same here, never had a leak or even a seep, never stripped a drain plug either, but for someone that just starts wrenching on cars a torque wrench is a good idea.
+1
Originally Posted By: oilcoholic
Nope, I torque the filter to hand tightness and never a problem. Same with the drain plug. I use a 1/4 drive ratchet with a six point socket and torque until it is tight. A few times and you'll get the "feel."
Same here, never had a leak or even a seep, never stripped a drain plug either, but for someone that just starts wrenching on cars a torque wrench is a good idea.
+1
I always hand tighten filter. For drain plug, I use a wrench. I used to use 3/8 ratchet. 1/4 is a good idea. IIRC, the official torque on one of my past vehicles drain plugs, was ~20 FT-LBS.
NO. You cant accurately, repeatedly torque the can with the rubber gasket due to the stick/slip phenomenon - thats why manuf spec'd to a gasket crush % (tighten 3/4 turn). I you have a new DP washer then you'll know by hand when its tight (after the washer crushes out and the torque spikes up). If you break the corner and DP off your Aluminum oil pan, you are either a gorilla or in a really REALLY bad mood.
I only tighten an oil filter with my hand. NEVER use a wrench and have never had a leak, once. Also makes it easy to get off with my hand when I change it. Although, when I tighten it I do bear down on it.
I always use a torque wrench on the oil plug to ensure that I get the proper crush on the crush washer. The specs on my cars are all 22 to 29 foot-pounds.
The filter I put on hand tight and then do an extra 1/4 turn.
The filter I put on hand tight and then do an extra 1/4 turn.
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Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: oilcoholic
Nope, I torque the filter to hand tightness and never a problem. Same with the drain plug. I use a 1/4 drive ratchet with a six point socket and torque until it is tight. A few times and you'll get the "feel."
Same here, never had a leak or even a seep, never stripped a drain plug either, but for someone that just starts wrenching on cars a torque wrench is a good idea.
I've changed oil for almost 50 years, and this is the best description of what to do. Just spin on the filter / turn in the drain plug until it's snug, then tighten as follows:
Tighten the oil filter by hand; it should be unnecessary in all but the tightest spaces to ever use a wrench. If you have to tighten the OF with a wrench, just ensure than you don't do it further than the spec. Usually 1/4 turn from "snug" is fine. (It should be obvious, but Nota Bene: this applies ONLY to "spin-on" or "canister" type oil filters, not cartridge filters.
Put your socket on the oil drain plug. I use a ratchet with about a 6" handle. I give it one good tug from "snug" and I'm done. Naturally, you should ensure that the proper washer goes between the plug and the drain pan. Copper is preferable.
This technique makes both the OF and the drain plug easy to get out the next time, and I've never had a leak of any kind. As was mentioned, you just need to develop a "feel" for it. The main point is that these things are not head bolts on a D9 Caterpillar diesel, and don't require heavy torquing.
Originally Posted By: oilcoholic
Nope, I torque the filter to hand tightness and never a problem. Same with the drain plug. I use a 1/4 drive ratchet with a six point socket and torque until it is tight. A few times and you'll get the "feel."
Same here, never had a leak or even a seep, never stripped a drain plug either, but for someone that just starts wrenching on cars a torque wrench is a good idea.
I've changed oil for almost 50 years, and this is the best description of what to do. Just spin on the filter / turn in the drain plug until it's snug, then tighten as follows:
Tighten the oil filter by hand; it should be unnecessary in all but the tightest spaces to ever use a wrench. If you have to tighten the OF with a wrench, just ensure than you don't do it further than the spec. Usually 1/4 turn from "snug" is fine. (It should be obvious, but Nota Bene: this applies ONLY to "spin-on" or "canister" type oil filters, not cartridge filters.
Put your socket on the oil drain plug. I use a ratchet with about a 6" handle. I give it one good tug from "snug" and I'm done. Naturally, you should ensure that the proper washer goes between the plug and the drain pan. Copper is preferable.
This technique makes both the OF and the drain plug easy to get out the next time, and I've never had a leak of any kind. As was mentioned, you just need to develop a "feel" for it. The main point is that these things are not head bolts on a D9 Caterpillar diesel, and don't require heavy torquing.
For the drain plug, I use a wrench and I tighten the plug until it doesn't move. On a shorter wrench, you really can't exert that much torque anyway so "as tight as it can get" is probably within the ballpark of the recommended torque spec.
On the oil filter, I mark the filter and use a wrench to tighten it ONE FULL TURN after the gasket contacts the base.
On the oil filter, I mark the filter and use a wrench to tighten it ONE FULL TURN after the gasket contacts the base.
Originally Posted By: Gilstein
hand tighten the filter, ratchet on the drain plug. Like others have said, it's a feel thing. I ratchet the drain plug a little over hand tight and never had a leak while making it easy to remove the next change.
Same here, never had a leak doing it this way.
These days I don't have to worry about the drain plug anymore because I stuck on a Fumoto valve, great little invention.
hand tighten the filter, ratchet on the drain plug. Like others have said, it's a feel thing. I ratchet the drain plug a little over hand tight and never had a leak while making it easy to remove the next change.
Same here, never had a leak doing it this way.
These days I don't have to worry about the drain plug anymore because I stuck on a Fumoto valve, great little invention.
I use torque wrench on the top part of the oil filter housing (cartridge style) to tighten. As for the drainplug - I haven't touched it in years... I use extractor.
Torque a filter?
Never have.
The tightening is done by how much more that 'zero' you turn it.
Usually 3/4-1 turn more.
Any torque attempt would be very vague and variable.
Drain bolt? Pretty tight, but no measurements. Some gaskets [aftermarket] are soft, care must be used.
Never have.
The tightening is done by how much more that 'zero' you turn it.
Usually 3/4-1 turn more.
Any torque attempt would be very vague and variable.
Drain bolt? Pretty tight, but no measurements. Some gaskets [aftermarket] are soft, care must be used.
This really is an area where it is good to start working on cars as early as possible, and bicycles before that. My suspicion is that few self-respecting folk actually use a torque wrench on an oil drain bolt, and that regardless of what the specs say, replace crush washers every time.
The more important observation, which has to do with experience, is that everyone knows immediately when they have overtightened something -- there's no denying that "oh poop" feeling that oil pan threads have just given up the ghost.
The more important observation, which has to do with experience, is that everyone knows immediately when they have overtightened something -- there's no denying that "oh poop" feeling that oil pan threads have just given up the ghost.
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Originally Posted By: Michelob
Just wondered if any of you actually torque to specs the drain plug and oil filter?
Absolutely. Every single time. TDIs even have the filter housing torque spec molded into it, so it's staring you in the face as you put the filter cartridge back. Then the torque wrench gets turned back down to its lowest setting and stored gently in the toolbox.
I have a good 'feel' for threads from all my work on bicycles, but I really believe that this is one area where consistent torque wrench use can really pay off down the line.
Just wondered if any of you actually torque to specs the drain plug and oil filter?
Absolutely. Every single time. TDIs even have the filter housing torque spec molded into it, so it's staring you in the face as you put the filter cartridge back. Then the torque wrench gets turned back down to its lowest setting and stored gently in the toolbox.
I have a good 'feel' for threads from all my work on bicycles, but I really believe that this is one area where consistent torque wrench use can really pay off down the line.
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