Another oil filter washer question

[Jim]

Once the dealer sold crush washers, now they just sell
solid copper washers. A question occurred to me:

Would a hard rubber (ie such as sold for garden hoses)
washer work, or would the oil pan get too hot? Any
ideas, or has anyone tried this?

 

[84-318i]

Hmmm...

US $ 1.00/ea - who wants to find out ?

H.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Would a hard rubber (ie such as sold for garden hoses)
washer work, or would the oil pan get too hot? Any

Hi,

At one time I had some nylon washers, sold specifically for oil pan
plugs. IIRC, they leaked rather readily. I bought solid copper washers
some time ago, based on experience with other cars before my Subie. They
work well, and for quite a few oil changes. I personally would NOT try
garden hose washers or others not specifically designed for hot oil. As
another poster put it, why tempt fate and risk an engine for a buck?

Rick

 

[hippo]

No, garden washers won't make the oil pan any hotter than usual. (Sorry - I
couldn't resist it!) Yes, they probably will leak. Solid ones can probably
be reused if you don't overtorque them and they're pretty cheap anyway.
BTW,the sump plug on its own with no gasket often doesn't leak as long as
nobody's put the thing back in with a rattle gun earlier in the car's
life. Just a thought.

 

[Viceroy Dripwashers]

Once the dealer sold crush washers, now they just sell
solid copper washers. A question occurred to me:

Would a hard rubber (ie such as sold for garden hoses)
washer work, or would the oil pan get too hot? Any
ideas, or has anyone tried this?

NEVER use a rubber washer on a crankcase drain pan.
They deform under pressure and will leak. Use a solid
soft copper or aluminum washer instead. Be sure that
the I.D. matches/fits up to the size of the drain bolt.
Bring the bolt to the store with you to be sure to see that it fits.

 

[Edward Hayes]

I don't like a possibility of oil leaks so I just follow SOA advice and put
a new washer on at each oil change.They are over priced at about one dollar
but, cheap enough as I'm doing my own changes. There is plenty of time
between changes to save up a dollar. I could give up one cigarette a day for
90 days and buy a couple of washers. ed

 

[Cam Penner]

news.ops.worldnet.att.net>, (e-mail address removed)
says...

I don't like a possibility of oil leaks so I just follow SOA advice and put
a new washer on at each oil change.They are over priced at about one dollar
but, cheap enough as I'm doing my own changes. There is plenty of time
between changes to save up a dollar. I could give up one cigarette a day for
90 days and buy a couple of washers. ed

Whenever I buy a filter from Subaru, they toss in a washer.
I get home and toss it away.

 

[Edward Hayes]

Hi Cam: send the washers to me. ed
"Cam Penner"

news.ops.worldnet.att.net>, (e-mail address removed)
says...

Whenever I buy a filter from Subaru, they toss in a washer.
I get home and toss it away.

 

[Hallraker]

"Cam Penner"

news.ops.worldnet.att.net>, (e-mail address removed)
says...

Whenever I buy a filter from Subaru, they toss in a washer.
I get home and toss it away.

Yeah I always have something rattling around in the filter box.

-Matt

 

[y_p_w]

NEVER use a rubber washer on a crankcase drain pan.
They deform under pressure and will leak. Use a solid
soft copper or aluminum washer instead. Be sure that
the I.D. matches/fits up to the size of the drain bolt.
Bring the bolt to the store with you to be sure to see that it fits.

One particular GM vehicle ('96 Buick Regal) I've performed oil
changes on comes with a peculiar OEM drain plug. It has a magnet
mounted on the tip. and comes with an integrated rubber (or rubber-
like) gasket material. The thing leaks all over the driveway, so
take it for what it's worth.

I've seen some non-crush metal washers with some sort of rubber
insert on the inside. They didn't work terribly well.

And just a little nitpick with other posts on this thread. A
"crush washer" is really just any kind of washer that forms a seal
when it (by design) deforms. It doesn't matter if it's soft copper,
soft aluminum, or whatever formed sheet metal Subaru uses. The
material Subaru uses seems to be annealed to soften it up - they
have a green to reddish tinge from a little bit of surface
oxidation.

 

[null]

Once the dealer sold crush washers, now they just sell
solid copper washers. A question occurred to me:

Would a hard rubber (ie such as sold for garden hoses)
washer work, or would the oil pan get too hot? Any
ideas, or has anyone tried this?

No. I use the Fumoto oil drain valve on my sedan. It makes changing the
oil soooooooo much easier.
I've never had it leak or come open accidently. The oil drains better as
it doesn't track down the pan
and all over the place. They've been in use for years on fleet vehicles,
RVs, etc.

The website is http://www.fumotovalve.com/

Fram doesn't make a 'Suredrain' for the Subaru and I wouldn't buy one of
those anyway as they're junk.
I twisted a 'Suredrain' apart just trying to torque it to spec in my
wife's car. If you you lose the cap
you're screwed. With the fumoto there's only the drain plug no extra
parts. I'll never have to buy a crush
washer again.

 

[DG]

I have fumotos on each of my 3 Subies!

 

[Jim]

I appreciate all the responses, and WON'T be trying a rubber
washer.

When I first got my '97, the dealer threw in a # of crush washers
equal to the # of Subaru filters I was buying, for free. But now
they wnt about 1.50 for the solid copper ones, which is the main
reason I posted the original message. I generally do use them for
several oil changes without leaking.

Jim

 

[Rick Courtright]

they wnt about 1.50 for the solid copper ones, which is the main
reason I posted the original message. I generally do use them for
several oil changes without leaking.

Hi,

Not to pick on anyone--this "syndrome" or whatever it is applies to lots
of areas, not just cars--but why do people think nothing of adding
another $1000 to the cost of their car for something like an upgraded
sound system (which may or may not be that much better than stock),
think nothing of going to the car wash on Saturday morning and dropping
$10 or better to have someone do what they could (and maybe should?) be
doing themselves while they sip a $5 latte and watch, then squawk about
$1.50 for a washer? I do find it amusing. (One of my most memorable
cases of this syndrome was a customer of mine many years ago who drove a
Rolls Royce. With bald, mismatched tires.)

Even if one had to replace the washer at each oil change (like the
chintzy little fiber thing they toss in with my Toyota filters), if
$1.50 is gonna hurt someone, maybe they really can't afford to be
driving a car? Just a thought...

Rick

 

[Edward Hayes]

Right on Rick C. Ed Hayes

Hi,

Not to pick on anyone--this "syndrome" or whatever it is applies to lots
of areas, not just cars--but why do people think nothing of adding
another $1000 to the cost of their car for something like an upgraded
sound system (which may or may not be that much better than stock),
think nothing of going to the car wash on Saturday morning and dropping
$10 or better to have someone do what they could (and maybe should?) be
doing themselves while they sip a $5 latte and watch, then squawk about
$1.50 for a washer? I do find it amusing. (One of my most memorable
cases of this syndrome was a customer of mine many years ago who drove a
Rolls Royce. With bald, mismatched tires.)

Even if one had to replace the washer at each oil change (like the
chintzy little fiber thing they toss in with my Toyota filters), if
$1.50 is gonna hurt someone, maybe they really can't afford to be
driving a car? Just a thought...

Rick

 

[Richard Chang]

When I first got my '97, the dealer threw in a # of crush washers
equal to the # of Subaru filters I was buying, for free. But now
they wnt about 1.50 for the solid copper ones, which is the main
reason I posted the original message.

Buy a batch on line for much cheaper:

<http://www.subaruparts.com/cart/?pn=11126AA000&submit.x=5&submit.y=8>

(This is the right part for an '03 Forester. I assume other drain plugs
are similar.)

-R.