Crush washer truth

In theory they should be replaced every time. In reality you can probably get away with using it a few times. But when you reuse you run the risk of needing to tighten the drain plug a little more so no leak. And of course possible stripping the threads in the oil pan.

I have some drain plug washers that were metal towards the outside and rubber towards the inside. I like them.

These days I have a Fumoto valve in one vehicle and the drain plug in my PSD has a o-ring.
 
How's this:
Install new crush washer on any drain valve brand (fumoto, valvomax, etc)
And never have to take the valve off again making the crush washer installation permanent.
Mind Blown!🤯

Got fumotos on all the trucks, Big Crush Washer can't sucker me replacing them every oil change now.
 
Increased enthusiasm for changing crush washers? No enthusiasm lost on those reveling in multiple used of said washers in this impromptu poll. I had to chuckle when "it started to leak". Gee, no stories on reusing washers on brake line to caliper!?
 
I change them out every 2-3 oil changes on the Toyota. The Euro vehicles get oil changes every other year due to their very low usage and get new crush washers each time. The Nissan also gets a new copper crush washer each time, but I’ve reused them a couple of times when I ran low and forgot to buy them prior to the oil change.
 
Because it costs about 52 cents each oil change to do it...and no worries about it leaking...52 cents every 7000 miles or so...
Okay but do you use the same reasoning to replace all your hose clamps, or vac lines, or intake manifold gaskets, fuel line seals, fuel injector seals, tire valve stems, or anything else in any area of your life like your washing machine hose washers? Replacing things that don't need replaced would never end.

I have no worries about my oil drain plug leaking. If it did drip, I'd see that and replace it. Simple.
 
Okay but do you use the same reasoning to replace all your hose clamps, or vac lines, or intake manifold gaskets, fuel line seals, fuel injector seals, tire valve stems, or anything else in any area of your life like your washing machine hose washers? Replacing things that don't need replaced is madness, and would never end.
Yes I do. If I have to change a radiator hose I install new clamps....Its not like you do that very often...Same for the other items you mentioned too...
 
Yes I do. If I have to change a radiator hose I install new clamps....Its not like you do that very often...Same for the other items you mentioned too...
Exactly, you DON'T do that very often, so no reason to change the oil drain plug washer very often either.

Did you change your washing machine hose washers this year? I am pretty sure most of us haven't because we recognize that's unnecessary, except the small % that replaced the whole washer and then probably better to get new hoses instead. Let's say a clothes or dish washer itself lasts approx 8 years (the newer junk, vs old that lasted 20+ yrs) and if the hose for it leaks, can cause thousands in damage. If you replaced your oil drain washer once every 8 years to save losing 20 drops of oil, I would consider that more reasonable, but still not the same issue.
 
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I use this oe like style crush washer. I also have reused them in the past when in a pinch.

IMG_7412.webp
 
Exactly, you DON'T do that very often, so no reason to change the oil drain plug washer very often either.

Did you change your washing machine hose washers this year? I am pretty sure most of us haven't because we recognize that's unnecessary, except the small % that replaced the whole washer and then probably better to get new hoses instead. Let's say a clothes or dish washer itself lasts approx 8 years (the newer junk, vs old that lasted 20+ yrs) and if the hose for it leaks, can cause thousands in damage. If you replaced your oil drain washer once every 8 years to save losing 20 drops of oil, I would consider that more reasonable, but still not the same issue.
You make no sense at all...It is a 51 cent crush washer that is made to CRUSH when you install it...O by the way I change my wash machine hose about every 4 years because the rubber hose starts to fade from the inside out...just like a radiator hose does....My neighbor was on vacation when one of his hoses burst...The hose was 5 years old...water ran for 2 days he was out of town...
 
You make no sense at all...It is a 51 cent crush washer that is made to CRUSH when you install it...O by the way I change my wash machine hose about every 4 years because the rubber hose starts to fade from the inside out...just like a radiator hose does....My neighbor was on vacation when one of his hoses burst...The hose was 5 years old...water ran for 2 days he was out of town...
I reuse them. I don't have leaks. That makes sense to me. I always change my own oil, so I don't have shop monkeys over-torquing them till crushed enough to be a problem.

When I'm out of town I shut off the main water valve to the premises. I've never had a radiator or water supply hose fail at 10 years old, let alone 4. You might be jinxed.

If it helps you sleep at night to be OCD about replacing things that don't need replaced, there's that. My OCD is more about lubing fans so they never fail... computers, HVAC, automotive blower, box fan, bathroom exhaust fan, kitchen range hood, etc. I usually wait till I detect a little noise increase, or the *system* is down for cleaning.
 
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I reuse them. I don't have leaks. That makes sense to me. I always change my own oil, so I don't have shop monkeys over-torquing them till crushed enough to be a problem.

When I'm out of town I shut off the main water valve to the premises. I've never had a radiator or water supply hose fail at 10 years old, let alone 4. You might be jinxed.

If it helps you sleep at night to be OCD about replacing things that don't need replaced, there's that. My OCD is more about lubing fans so they never fail... computers, HVAC, automotive blower, box fan, bathroom exhaust fan, kitchen range hood, etc. I usually wait till I detect a little noise increase, or the *system* is down for cleaning.
Thats great if you feel that way.. I dont...So I will leave it at that....
 
Okay but do you use the same reasoning to replace all your hose clamps, or vac lines, or intake manifold gaskets, fuel line seals, fuel injector seals, tire valve stems, or anything else in any area of your life like your washing machine hose washers? Replacing things that don't need replaced would never end.

I have no worries about my oil drain plug leaking. If it did drip, I'd see that and replace it. Simple.
You’ve got this backwards - nobody is advocating replacing things that aren't leaking.

But if you take something apart, be it an intake manifold, tire valve stem, or an injector, then yes, you put new seals on it. Pull a valve stem seal out of a wheel, and yeah, you should put a new one in there.

So, if you take your intake manifold off, do you use a new gasket?

Why? why not try using the old gasket a couple of times?

Keep reusing the old gasket until it leaks, right?

I mean, replacing an old gasket with a new gasket is silly, if the old gasket seals up, and you get away with it, then it must be good.

Just look at all the money you would save with an old gasket on there…
 
So, if you take your intake manifold off, do you use a new gasket?
If it's been years since it was off last, yes a new gasket. If it was off a few months ago, like an oil change interval, no, if it looks good then I would try the old gasket, UNLESS it's a major pain to take back off again.

If I were taking it off every year for several, reusing and it never leaked, then I've proven that works fine. It's almost like science instead of paranoia. If your particular washer leaks, then for that case, you have different facts and should handle that accordingly.
 
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If it's been years since it was off last, yes a new gasket. If it was off a few months ago, like an oil change interval, no, if it looks good then I would try the old gasket, UNLESS it's a major pain to take back off again.

If I were taking it off every year for several, reusing and it never leaked, then I've proven that works fine. It's almost like science instead of paranoia. If your particular washer leaks, then for that case, you have different facts and should handle that accordingly.
I was being completely ironic.

I don’t re-use things that are designed for one use. Ever.

Gaskets, and crush washers top that list.

What appalls me about folks is that they are re-using a one-use item to save literally pennies.

The very definition of “Penny wise and pound foolish”.
 
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I was being completely ironic.

I don’t re-use things that are designed for one use. Ever.

Gaskets, and crush washers top that list.

What appalls me about folks is that they are re-using a one-use item to save literally pennies.

The very definition of “Penny wise and pound foolish”.
There you go making assumptions about " folks " . I don't reuse washers to save pennies . I reuse them because I have never in my 50 years of changing oil have ever had a drain plug that leaked . EVER . When something works for me , I tend to stick with it . If I thought that I needed a new washer then I would have no problem digging those pennies out of my cupholder and buying a new one . ;)
In the meantime , you do you ...
 
There you go making assumptions about " folks " . I don't reuse washers to save pennies . I reuse them because I have never in my 50 years of changing oil have ever had a drain plug that leaked . EVER . When something works for me , I tend to stick with it . If I thought that I needed a new washer then I would have no problem digging those pennies out of my cupholder and buying a new one . ;)
In the meantime , you do you ...
“Nothing bad has happened when I do this”.

That is your argument, and that is precisely the logic used by NASA administrators that led to the Challenger disaster.

It is called “normalization of deviation”.

You do things the wrong way*, without consequence, over and over and you begin to believe that your way is good enough.

Until it isn’t.


*In the case of NASA, it was ignoring Morton-Thiokol’s recommendation about temperature limitations for O-ring sealing. Ironic, isn’t it? We’re talking about O-rings and sealing. Now, nobody’s gonna die from an oil drip out of your car.

But your argument is that nothing bad has happened..exactly what NASA administrators argued.
 
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