Lube me up Scotty

[John Wesley Hardin]

Another successful oil change today. I know we all have our opinions on sucking it out like Windex or draining it. I am able to turn the wheels all the way to the right , loosen the drain plug and drain the oil. While its draining , I work on the oil filter. By the time Im done with that Im ready to put the plug back in . I have a small aluminum cheater bar that slides nicely on to the ratchet and I snug up the drain plug without torqueing out my shoulder or other body parts.
I couldnt find my oil drain pan so I stole the little wifeys Turkey basting pan. I got rid of the evidence by pushing it under someone's RV cleanout . If their pooping like that they need to see a Doctor

 

[JETaah]

There is pretty much one reason why oil pan drain holes get stripped. Over-torquing. People try to reuse the plug and its captive crush washer to no end. The washer work-hardens after the first torquing. You might be able to get another use out of it before the washer gets seriously hard and doesn't conform to the shape it needs to seal any longer. So people keep cranking on it until the pan threads give way.

You can tell by how the plug unscrews once you break it loose. If you can't spin it out with your fingers that means that the threads in the pan have been pulled out of shape due to over-torquing. When that happens, and the threads are still in reasonably good shape otherwise, I will screw a new plug in by hand as far as I can before it binds then squarely tap the plug a few times (lightly). That will reshape a few of the threads and allow the plug to be advanced a little further at which time I give another few taps and so on until it is able to screw all the way in finger tight.

The proper torque for a typical VW drain plug with a new washer is 22 lb/ft. That is approximately like getting the surface of the new plug/washer to meet the pan finger tight and turning it another 1/16 of a rev. Not much.

The new plug with a captive washer is $.50 -1.00
Buy a few and have them on hand so you don't ruin a $75-100 oil pan. You will be paying far more than that if the VW dealer is the only option.

Once the hole in the pan is stripped then an oversize plug is used. They are OK if you can install it dead on straight which doesn't often happen.
That makes it even harder for the washer to seal. Often times it doesn't.

 

[John Wesley Hardin]

There is pretty much one reason why oil pan drain holes get stripped. Over-torquing. People try to reuse the plug and its captive crush washer to no end. The washer work-hardens after the first torquing. You might be able to get another use out of it before the washer gets seriously hard and doesn't conform to the shape it needs to seal any longer. So people keep cranking on it until the pan threads give way.

You can tell by how the plug unscrews once you break it loose. If you can't spin it out with your fingers that means that the threads in the pan have been pulled out of shape due to over-torquing. When that happens, and the threads are still in reasonably good shape otherwise, I will screw a new plug in by hand as far as I can before it binds then squarely tap the plug a few times (lightly). That will reshape a few of the threads and allow the plug to be advanced a little further at which time I give another few taps and so on until it is able to screw all the way in finger tight.

The proper torque for a typical VW drain plug with a new washer is 22 lb/ft. That is approximately like getting the surface of the new plug/washer to meet the pan finger tight and turning it another 1/16 of a rev. Not much.

The new plug with a captive washer is $.50 -1.00
Buy a few and have them on hand so you don't ruin a $75-100 oil pan. You will be paying far more than that if the VW dealer is the only option.

Once the hole in the pan is stripped then an oversize plug is used. They are OK if you can install it dead on straight which doesn't often happen.
That makes it even harder for the washer to seal. Often times it doesn't.

Thanks for the info . I barely put any pressure on the cheater bar, just enough to snug it up . I use it so I dont torque my shoulder out since its a long reach to the drain plug. The ratchet is nearly horizontal when turning the drain plug , so that extra leverage makes it easier Extra drain plugs is a great idea.

 

[P2B]

Extra drain plugs is a great idea.

So are belly pans

 

[John Wesley Hardin]

So are belly pans

Simone masticable !

 

[AndyBees]

Below is a pic of the Oil Pan on my formerly owned 2000 Jetta (my son has owned it over 10 years). The photo was taken in 2018. I recently installed Axle seals in the transmission, oil change, filters, etc. The pan looks the same... no oil leaks anywhere on the engine at just shy of 400k miles.
That oil drain plug and washer is the Original. I just "torque" them by feel.

I do service on a friend's 01 Jetta TDI. Sometimes she has the oil changed at one of those quick services or probably Walmart. They torque the drain plug well beyond spec. With a Black Magic Marker, I wrote on the bottom of the pan, "Do not over-tighten the F-ing Drain Plug."

 

[John Wesley Hardin]

Below is a pic of the Oil Pan on my formerly owned 2000 Jetta (my son has owned it over 10 years). The photo was taken in 2018. I recently installed Axle seals in the transmission, oil change, filters, etc. The pan looks the same... no oil leaks anywhere on the engine at just shy of 400k miles.
That oil drain plug and washer is the Original. I just "torque" them by feel.

I do service on a friend's 01 Jetta TDI. Sometimes she has the oil changed at one of those quick services or probably Walmart. They torque the drain plug well beyond spec. With a Black Magic Marker, I wrote on the bottom of the pan, "Do not over-tighten the F-ing Drain Plug."

wow thats great . My 2003 Jetta has no leaks underneath either which is amazing at 330'000miles. Thats a clean motor

 

[AndyBees]

wow thats great . My 2003 Jetta has no leaks underneath either which is amazing at 330'000miles. Thats a clean motor

Below is a pic of the 2002 ALH TDI engine in my 84 Vanagon. It has about 220k miles on it. Although it has a custom oil pan for the 50 degree lay-over, it has had the same drain plug and washer for well over 10 years. Due to gearing, the engine Spins at just under 3100 RPMs at 70 MPH which is basically the same as driving a TDI in 4th gear.

This photo was taken in 2017. Today, the engine is still spotless and zero oil leaks.

 

[GlowBugTDI]

O

Below is a pic of the 2002 ALH TDI engine in my 84 Vanagon. It has about 220k miles on it. Although it has a custom oil pan for the 50 degree lay-over, it has had the same drain plug and washer for well over 10 years. Due to gearing, the engine Spins at just under 3100 RPMs at 70 MPH which is basically the same as driving a TDI in 4th gear.

This photo was taken in 2017. Today, the engine is still spotless and zero oil leaks.

I like the 90° IP incoming fuel nipple. Where did you get that?

 

[John Wesley Hardin]

Below is a pic of the 2002 ALH TDI engine in my 84 Vanagon. It has about 220k miles on it. Although it has a custom oil pan for the 50 degree lay-over, it has had the same drain plug and washer for well over 10 years. Due to gearing, the engine Spins at just under 3100 RPMs at 70 MPH which is basically the same as driving a TDI in 4th gear.

This photo was taken in 2017. Today, the engine is still spotless and zero oil leaks.

Beautiful

 

[AndyBees]

O

I like the 90° IP incoming fuel nipple. Where did you get that?

I have no clue! I put it all together back in 2010-2012. However, it is likely I had it in my stash of parts.

In the pics below, the OE nipple is in the center. I used the nipple on the right.