Which way does Copper gasket go on Nissan plug?

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Which way does the copper oil plug gasket go on a Nissan drain plug? There is a flat side and a "curved" side.
I'm assuming the flat side goes against the drain plug itself.
 
Flat side is usually the sharp edge side. The sharp edge side goes against the part that has the hardest metal, or is the cheapest part to replace. So you are right, the flat edge goes against the drain plug.
 
Does not really matter. The "curved" side is just from the washer being formed when manufactured. Either side has enough surface area to prevent leaks if torqued properly.

FWIW and not based on any detriment if you do otherwise, I usually put the flat side against the pan and the rounded/curved side against the head of the bolt.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
FWIW and not based on any detriment if you do otherwise, I usually put the flat side against the pan and the rounded/curved side against the head of the bolt.


This makes sense; doing it this way will flatten the washer "more" correctly. Actually, this is the way it is prescribed by Honda on my lawnmower blades. The washer is indeed concave.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas

This makes sense; doing it this way will flatten the washer "more" correctly. Actually, this is the way it is prescribed by Honda on my lawnmower blades. The washer is indeed concave.


On most oil plug washers and most washers in general are not concave like your mower blade analogy. If understand the OP correctly, he is talking about the outside edge of one side of the washer being slightly round but still has a overall flat side. The rounded edge on most washers is inconsequential in most applications and it if was design critical or orientation, it would be annotated as such on any maintenance manual literature.

I am familiar with those concave washers on mower blades and they are design to apply tension to both hold the blade in better due to usually being over sized and also act as a lock washer function to keep the bolt from backing out.
 
I wondered the same thing when I got my Nissan 4 years ago.

I have a bag of copper washers that my dealer gave me. There's a side with a sharp outer edge and rounded inside edge. And then there's a side with a rounded outer edge and a sharp inside edge. This latter side has a small notch and a bit more surface area. I place it on the bolt such that it compresses against the oil pan.

When I inspected things during my first oil change when the factory fill came out, this appears to have been how it came from the factory. Then again, maybe it doesn't matter and the assembly line worker just arbitrarily pops the washer on the bolt and tightens it?
 
Originally Posted By: barlowc
I wondered the same thing when I got my Nissan 4 years ago.

I have a bag of copper washers that my dealer gave me. There's a side with a sharp outer edge and rounded inside edge. And then there's a side with a rounded outer edge and a sharp inside edge. This latter side has a small notch and a bit more surface area. I place it on the bolt such that it compresses against the oil pan.

When I inspected things during my first oil change when the factory fill came out, this appears to have been how it came from the factory. Then again, maybe it doesn't matter and the assembly line worker just arbitrarily pops the washer on the bolt and tightens it?


So you put the washer on the nut so that the flat side goes against the oil pan and the curved part gets compressed against the nut???
 
Originally Posted By: Gebo
So you put the washer on the nut so that the flat side goes against the oil pan and the curved part gets compressed against the nut???

Other way around, assuming that the washers you have are similar to the ones I described.

Does one side have a little notch in it? That's the side that gets compressed against the oil pan.
 
Oh, then that is just the side effect of the stamping process which makes the washer. I think somebody else already explained that in one of the previous response. And he is absolutely right that it does not really matter about the orientation of inner/outer sharp edge.
 
I think if it really mattered they would tell you. In the end, both sides of the joint are flat.
Having said that I install them "threaded" end first to reduce the chance of the thread tang getting caught up in the threads.
 
I wish I felt like posting a picture and then I wish I knew how. We must be talking about different drain plug washers. I must have wasted my 8 years of college as no understand what y'all be saying.
 
Are these the buggers?...found by googling:
!C!ryp(!Bmk~$(KGrHqZ,!hoEzeOOJuyOBNEE5kCY1Q~~_12.JPG
http://www.micrak12.com/oil.htm
5.png

Drainplugoldandnew.jpg
 
WOO HOO! That's the way I like it, uh-huh, uh-huh

The flat side with the notch goes against the nut...
 
I also put the flat notched side down, facing the nut. I replace the crush washer every oil change, and any time the transmission drain plug is removed (same part number for both). I buy the 10-packs from the dealer.
 
Interesting. Disregard everything I said as I thought it was just a regular crush washer..

I have never seen such a setup until now.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Interesting. Disregard everything I said as I thought it was just a regular crush washer..

I have never seen such a setup until now.


That's why I was asking. I had never seen such a washer either.
 
I'm still not convinced that that's the right way or that it even makes a difference. I've been putting the notched side up so that it compresses against the oil pan. I've been doing it that way for 4 years now and have not had a single problem with oil leaking.
 
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