I have gone through 3 new oil drain plugs on my 08 Dodge Caravan I purchased last year. It has a rubber gasket that sits inside the lip of the drain plug. But after each use, the rubber is torn and no good. I went to the automotive shops to see if I could purchase a bag of gaskets, but they don’t have them. They do have plastic and metal washers that are supposed to act as gaskets but I have rarely ever had any luck getting those to seal so that no oil drips. Finally someone told me I can by a tube of gasket-maker. I just put a bead around the plug and screw it in and its suppose to form a gasket. I have not tried it yet, but does that stuff work
Oil drain plug problem
- Thread starter Mark72
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They don't sell them at the dodge dealership?
Originally Posted By: Mark72
I dont understand it. I had a chev lumina that a had a plug with a rubber gasket built in to it and that stupid thing lasted me from the year 2000 until I junked the car 2013
Both my celicas and my civic have original drain plug gaskets...and they don't leak a single drop...has your oil pan been abused? hand tight is all you need on a oil drain plug, I mean my wife hand tighten her last oil change...no leaks...
I dont understand it. I had a chev lumina that a had a plug with a rubber gasket built in to it and that stupid thing lasted me from the year 2000 until I junked the car 2013
Both my celicas and my civic have original drain plug gaskets...and they don't leak a single drop...has your oil pan been abused? hand tight is all you need on a oil drain plug, I mean my wife hand tighten her last oil change...no leaks...
Toyota/Lexus vehicles have replaceable gaskets, I've replaced many over the years (Toyota recommends replacement every OCI) for my various vehicles but I've only seen one that actually looked chewed up. The dodge gaskets are probably different, but still... Are you tightening this too much? Squishing the gasket too much? Is there something else going on here? Seems strange....
No, only hand tight. In fact, i had it lose enough when I took it off for the oil change yesterday that I thought maybe I didn't tighten it enough. Nothing was leaking though. The rubber gasket was squished and torn and came out of the metal lip when I pulled the plug off.
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Form-a-gasket does work, in the right circumstance.
It must be contained to cure into an initial shape, and then needs to be compressed to form a final seal.
I've never gotten it to work well as a sealant e.g. putting it on threads.
It must be contained to cure into an initial shape, and then needs to be compressed to form a final seal.
I've never gotten it to work well as a sealant e.g. putting it on threads.
It probably has a burr or other surface defect (maybe a warped face on a steel pan) that is causing the damage to the rubber seal.
If it gets damaged on the pan side look at the sealing face, dress any burrs with a small fine file or 400 wet and dry. Damage on the plug side just get another plug.
For RTV to work well the surfaces need to be dry and free of oil, grease etc. This is not the place i would use it.
If it gets damaged on the pan side look at the sealing face, dress any burrs with a small fine file or 400 wet and dry. Damage on the plug side just get another plug.
For RTV to work well the surfaces need to be dry and free of oil, grease etc. This is not the place i would use it.
Originally Posted By: Trav
It probably has a burr or other surface defect (maybe a warped face on a steel pan) that is causing the damage to the rubber seal.
If it gets damaged on the pan side look at the sealing face, dress any burrs with a small fine file or 400 wet and dry. Damage on the plug side just get another plug.
Do this and your problem should be solved.
In my opinion, your current drain plug with the build in rubber seal is superior to the other options, because they (usually) last for many, many removal cycles.
It probably has a burr or other surface defect (maybe a warped face on a steel pan) that is causing the damage to the rubber seal.
If it gets damaged on the pan side look at the sealing face, dress any burrs with a small fine file or 400 wet and dry. Damage on the plug side just get another plug.
Do this and your problem should be solved.
In my opinion, your current drain plug with the build in rubber seal is superior to the other options, because they (usually) last for many, many removal cycles.
Originally Posted By: Trav
It probably has a burr or other surface defect (maybe a warped face on a steel pan) that is causing the damage to the rubber seal.
If it gets damaged on the pan side look at the sealing face, dress any burrs with a small fine file or 400 wet and dry. Damage on the plug side just get another plug.
For RTV to work well the surfaces need to be dry and free of oil, grease etc. This is not the place i would use it.
^^ This ^^, but don't think I'd fool with sealant every time . Why not just install a Fumoto?
It probably has a burr or other surface defect (maybe a warped face on a steel pan) that is causing the damage to the rubber seal.
If it gets damaged on the pan side look at the sealing face, dress any burrs with a small fine file or 400 wet and dry. Damage on the plug side just get another plug.
For RTV to work well the surfaces need to be dry and free of oil, grease etc. This is not the place i would use it.
^^ This ^^, but don't think I'd fool with sealant every time . Why not just install a Fumoto?
Fumoto valve.
Autozone has packages of assorted oil drain plug gaskets in various sizes.
Some are brass, some are plastic, some are rubber, etc., all in the same package.
If the brass ones don't seal effectively, maybe another one in the package will.
You can also buy a new drain plug there with a magnetic tip that might not have the fragile gasket that you have.
Some are brass, some are plastic, some are rubber, etc., all in the same package.
If the brass ones don't seal effectively, maybe another one in the package will.
You can also buy a new drain plug there with a magnetic tip that might not have the fragile gasket that you have.
+1 on figuring out what is tearing up your drain plug.
Then go get a plug that fits that you can use a gasket that you can replace, or just use a gasket on the one that you have.
Then go get a plug that fits that you can use a gasket that you can replace, or just use a gasket on the one that you have.
I've always used copper washers for PITA leaky drain plug/oil pan's. Always sealed up.
Is this the 4 cyl. engine? I've never seen that type of drain plug on any of my mopars. All of mine have had a flat nylon gasket. Some time back I bought a package of them from rockauto. One time, in a emergency, I used a 14mm sparkplug gasket. It worked well enought until the next oil change.
Wayne
Wayne
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