Educate Me on Different Oil Drain Plug Washers

[Gokhan]

Drain-plug gaskets that are too hard tend to come loose. Toyota's fiber washers were too hard at one point and they came loose. These days, they use aluminum core inside and soft fiber outside (unlike the old hard fiber throughout the washer in the past), which is the ideal combination. It's for 14-mm-wrench drain plugs. They don't loosen or leak. You can buy them over the Internet. Toyota part number is 90430-12031.

The old hard-fiber gaskets that got loose:

The new and improved aluminum-core, soft-fiber coating gaskets:

 

[Sayjac]

I've reused aluminum crush washers on Honda vehicles with regularity and never had a leak issue. I do replace them occasionally, but don't feel it's a must.

One my Tacoma I'm currently using type with rubber around the inner portion. Those mostly are one or two use, but work ok.

 

[Errtt]

My Hyundai uses the aluminum crush washer. I use a new one each OC/Filter change. Can get a bulk pack online.
I don't use a torque wrench on the drain bolt. I tighten it up a little snug then kind of arm tug the wrench getting it more snug. When I have to remove the drain plug, I have to wrap a rag around the wrench handle then pound it a couple times with the palm of the hand to loosen. Never had it leak yet (103k on engine, 5k OCIs). Threads on the drain bolt still look fine.

 

[Lubener]

Probably over tightened it.

 

[CrackyWainwright]

I really like those blue fiber/metal combo washers Toyota uses. I've used them on our Tacoma trucks, but they are too small to fit onto the KIA drain plug. I wish I could get them a bit bigger to fit the larger plug.

 

[pdxglocker9mm]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: Trav
From those shown if I had my choice it would be in this order..
Steel/rubber
Aluminum
Copper
Nylon


From those shown if I had a choice, it would be in this order:

OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer

and so on and so forth. Don't bother with parts store variety packs.


Not all oem washers are AL some are copper, some are the gm shouldered metal plug with rubber insert.
I have replaced dozens of all kinds. As a quicky replacement washer i like the gasket with the metal ring with the rubber on the inside. They are more expensive and dont last forever. So on my toyota built vibe i bought ten oem style rubber coated AL plugs best 5.55 i have spent in a while.
Gm 6.6 duramax spec is 50 ft lbs and a new copper gasket. They tend to leak if not torqued correctly and or a gasket is reused. This does not happen allways but often enough.

 

[gman2304]

Am I the only one who has never used an oil drain plug washer of any type? Ever...on anything....and has never had an oil drain plug to leak....ever.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: gman2304
Am I the only one who has never used an oil drain plug washer of any type? Ever...on anything....and has never had an oil drain plug to leak....ever.


Probably.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: Trav
From those shown if I had my choice it would be in this order..
Steel/rubber
Aluminum
Copper
Nylon


From those shown if I had a choice, it would be in this order:

OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer
OEM style aluminum crush washer

and so on and so forth. Don't bother with parts store variety packs.


Where do you see and aluminum crush washer in those choices?
Where do you see and aluminum crush washer in those choices?
Where do you see and aluminum crush washer in those choices?
Where do you see and aluminum crush washer in those choices?
Where do you see and aluminum crush washer in those choices?
Where do you see and aluminum crush washer in those choices?

and so on and so forth.

 

[Eddie]

There is NO CRUSH WASHER in the samples shown.

 

[CrackyWainwright]

I would never try to sound like a know-it-all, but I think many folk out there (mostly outside of BITOG) confuse a flat washer with a crush washer. A crush washer actually changes shape when pressure is applied, and a flat washer seems to remain the same.

Y'all correct me if I'm in error.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
IIRC, the dual ones were best. The rubber inner with a hard outer shell.


+1 for the above comment.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Toyota 1MZ-FE V6 12MM x 22mm x 2mm aluminum oil drain plug gasket/ Torque 33 ft lbs. Anyone know what the torque value would be for the new Toyota composition oil drain plug gasket?

 

[Oro_O]

Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
Toyota 1MZ-FE V6 12MM x 22mm x 2mm aluminum oil drain plug gasket/ Torque 33 ft lbs. Anyone know what the torque value would be for the new Toyota composition oil drain plug gasket?


The specified torque is for the bolt. It does not change. As to getting a nice composite gasket like that, if you don't want to order them or buy in bulk, NAPA has them for $1.xx each or so.

 

[artificialist]

I never have problems so long as I use an aluminum or copper washer of the correct size.

On my car, getting transfer case and rear differential fill and drain plug washers can be a chore. My solution was to buy some OE ones (and wait a while) that were aluminum. I then compared the size of the washers, and copper was the only option. I have copper washers on my car now. Over 4 years and 30,000 miles later, they still don't leak.