Torque wrench on your drain plug?

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Patman

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How many people here use a torque wrench to tighten your drain plug when changing your oil? I ask this because someone on the Corvette Forum asked for the proper torque specs for the drain plug on an LT1 and I thought to myself "who needs a torque wrench for that?" I've always just tightened it by feel (tight enough to avoid leaks but not too tight to cause a problem) and that has worked for me for 33 years of changing oil. It seems like an unnecessary step to me, it's not something you can mess up unless you really tighten it way too much.
 
I use one. It's in the tool box so there's no reason not to. If for some reason I couldn't locate my torque wrench, it wouldn't be a big deal.
 
Originally Posted by Patman
How many people here use a torque wrench to tighten your drain plug when changing your oil?


Always, on every vehicle I've ever owned. I've got a manual for every vehicle I own, and if there's a torque spec called out for any fastener, it gets torqued to spec, even all the drain plugs (beyond the oil pan's plug).
 
Never have and never will. Snug then 1/4 turn is more than enough. Never leaked before.
On mine and family vehicles I'm using a fumoto but others just the drain plug.
 
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Never, though I could see someone wanting to if unable to judge their own strength, didn't have a good idea what X amount of torque or "tight enough" for a particular fastener size feels like.
 
Snug and 1/4 turn seems like too much.

It depends on quality of threads.

My drain plugs can be hand turned, and just some pressure seems to move no more than a few degrees.

I never used new crush washers, but maybe they could be turned 90 degrees.

I had a bicycle as kid that kept loosening front axle.

After stripping a few axles to keep tight, I learned easy hand feel of tight nut.
 
It depends on the drain plug and the amount of sensory feedback that it provides to you. If the drain plug is the type that gradually gets tight, then maybe you need a torque wrench. If the drain plug is the type that abruptly gets tight, then you probably don't need a torque wrench. My drain plug is a GM drain plug with the built in gasket. It gets tight very quick. When I'm laying on the garage floor, I have my arm totally straight and I'm putting my shoulder into it with all my mite as I'm pushing on the wrench. There's no way to get the drain plug any tighter without destroying the oil pan. In a situation like that, I would say the sensory feedback from the drain plug is quite high. I really couldn't ask for a better drain plug. The wrench I use is a double box end wrench with a 10 degree offset. It's the perfect wrench for me and my GM drain plug. Can you guess the brand?
 
On Euro Aluminum pans.....Always, On GM Aluminum pans with steel inserts.....Hardly ever.

The new 'Vettes with dry sump.....You can't get a torque wrench on one of the drain plugs without a arm style wrench adapter which requires lowering the the torque setting.
 
Never. And never did during my career as a mechanic (11 years) in a previous life either. Spark plugs, sump plugs, transmission pan bolts...they're just something you have a feel for.
 
I didn't for a long time, but I do on my Toyota's now. The crush washers make it hard to tell how tight they are. On our Duramax's I don't though, they have the rubber gasket on the drain plug and you can tell when they're tight. I just snug them down pretty good and get on with it.
 
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