Plastic oil plug gasket = oil leak in Celica?

[OceanRuns]

Changed the oil in my 80s Celica (22E). I bought the oil drain plug gasket at Pep Boys and it was hard plastic, black in color.

Well, it leaks. I've tightened it a few times and it keeps leaking. Well, tightened it one last time, so we'll see what happened. I suspect it will leak.

So, I wonder, how can a hard piece of plastic deform and provide a seal?

Looks like I'm probably out about 4 quarts of oil lol.

What do you think of the silicone or rubber gaskets?

It seems to like maybe they can deform the most?

 

[mechtech2]

Try a metal gasket with rubber a rubber ring insert.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Try a metal gasket with rubber a rubber ring insert.


One brand of them is called "Oil-Tite". Good for several re-uses but not forever. Buy a few.

 

[91344George]

It is not that hard to unscrew the oil drain plug and quickly install the new washer and the plug, you might lose a few ounces of oil at most.

I would use a SOFT copper crush gasket. They seal the best of anything you can use.

 

[wymi516]

What type was on the drain plug before the oil change?

 

[Merkava_4]

The drain plug on my Buick has a recess for the rubber gasket to fit into. It's a very nice design.

 

[chubbs1]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
It is not that hard to unscrew the oil drain plug and quickly install the new washer and the plug, you might lose a few ounces of oil at most.

I would use a SOFT copper crush gasket. They seal the best of anything you can use.


Are you serious? A couple of ounces!! By the time I put a gasket on 4qts would be gone at least.

 

[Rand]

pull out plug
plug hole with finger
put gasket on plug

replace finger with plug
lose 8oz mostly on your arm

 

[jcwit]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
It is not that hard to unscrew the oil drain plug and quickly install the new washer and the plug, you might lose a few ounces of oil at most.

I would use a SOFT copper crush gasket. They seal the best of anything you can use.


You must use a whole lot heavier oil than I do.

Or you're a heck of a lot quicker with your fingers than I am.

 

[Eddie]

Drain oil into a large clean pan. use a good washer and reinstall plug and oil, in that order )

 

[The Critic]

Get the teflon coated washers from the Toyota dealer.

 

[kozanoglu]

Have you tried Ishino gaskets?They are metal.I have been using them without a problem.

 

[Ursatdx]

Some of the earlier Toyota engines with the large (18MM)? drain plug are notorious for leaking. The threaded oil pan has a small groove in the threads to promote a better drain as the plug is not at the lowest point on the oil pan. I have found that wrapping the drain plug with a several layers of teflon tape can help.

 

[Highline9]

Unscrew halfway and wrap bolt with teflon tape nice and thick, then retighten.

 

[91344George]

Originally Posted By: jcwit
Originally Posted By: 91344George
It is not that hard to unscrew the oil drain plug and quickly install the new washer and the plug, you might lose a few ounces of oil at most.

I would use a SOFT copper crush gasket. They seal the best of anything you can use.


You must use a whole lot heavier oil than I do.

Or you're a heck of a lot quicker with your fingers than I am.


Not really...I use 10w/30 and I have had to do what I just told you. I simply unscrew the bolt by hand with the new washer in the other hand at the ready to slip on the bolt, I've done it several times and only lost a few ounces... really!

The trick is to make sure the old washer is almost ready to slip off the bolt once it is out of the pan. Slip the old washer off then just slide the new one on, DO NOT REMOVE THE BOLT A LARGE DISTANCE FROM THE PAN, just enough to remove and replace the washer!

 

[Bazz54]

Originally Posted By: Highline9
Unscrew halfway and wrap bolt with teflon tape nice and thick, then retighten.


That sounds like the most practical fix under the circumstances. I have generally found that aluminium washers (or aluminum, as they say in the collonies

) work best in these roles and they are certainly what Toyota supply in the UK.

 

[mechtech2]

Aluminum is good.
Be don't trust the Teflon tape 100%. It may not seal for various reasons.

 

[Ken2]

Good advice above. I'd buy some spaghetti shaped teflon valve stem packing in the plumbing department of a local hardware store instead of the tape. I've changed the gasket on a drain plug where I held my thumb on the hole with thick, cold oil inside while a helper put the new gasket on the plug for me.

I've used black fiber and gray nylon drain plugs without failure. If it is slightly the wrong size too big (fractional instead of metric for example) it might not seal, or if it is tightened too much and split it won't seal.