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Oil Drain Plug Gasket?


ChrisMinelli

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The guy at NAPA just tried to sell me an oil drain plug gasket for my 52 Plymouth.  I have never used one.  I use them religiously on my Honda (which leaks like a sieve if it doesn't have a gasket) and my wife's Toyota (which doesn't seem to care as much, but I use one anyways).  Is a drain plug gasket a thing on these old cars?

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When I went to do the first oil change on my new to me Cambridge I found that some hamfisted goon apparently dial his impact gun up to maximum overkill and rattled the drain plug on for the whole weekend, lol.  The copper gasket was paper thin, thin enough to cut your finger.

 

Once I managed to get the plug out, my impact was not up to it, I had to strong arm the thing off with a cheater on the end of my wrench I started looking for a gasket.  The local O'Reilly's had a new Dorman plug and gasket in stock, or so they claimed.  Turned out the thread pitch was wrong, but the gasket would work so I bought it since none of the universal gaskets were big enough.  I later bought a 5 pack from RockAuto for about a fifth the price. 

 

I would probably buy a new gasket if the price was reasonable since the last thing you'd want it to be under the car needing a new gasket.

 

 

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I have used a fibre washer and/or a thick paper gasket as well as a copper washer........all will work so long as they fit correctly against the sump plug seal edge......the copper washer should be annealed if showing its age or leaking.............andyd 

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About 40 years ago I bought a small piece of hardware store sheet lead about 1/16 inch thick and every few years I cut a new washer using an X-acto when the old one has gotten too "smushed".

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The 1928-33 Plymouth Master Parts List shows a gasket on the oil pan drain plug. But the 1936-48 Plymouth parts book does not. Odd.

 

In any case, it looks like all 6 cylinder Plymouths used the same drain plug bolt (part 50722) and the gasket that fits on the 1933 should work on the later cars. The original part number for the gasket was 105456 which had a cross to a Dorman 095-013 which seems to be obsolete. However the Dorman 097-005 should work even if nylon is not a period correct material.

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3 hours ago, sidevalvepete said:

Neil Riddle aka 'seaplym' has plugs and washers available at very reasonable prices. Seattle


I just bought some oil drain plug washers from him. Very reasonable. Great guy to deal with as well. I have bought a lot of parts from him over the years. 

Edited by RobertKB
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Be very careful if you use the nylon washer. My drain plug came loose. At first I thought I hadn’t tightened it enough until it happened again. Fortunately it was in the garage and didn’t completely come off. I believe Grainger is where I found copper washers. I’m at work so I don’t have the part number handy. 

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On 3/9/2021 at 8:49 PM, allbizz49 said:

Crush washer 

^^^ This. 

 

Tighten slowly and if you're paying attention you can feel the "give" when it crushes.  Tighten the plug only ever so slightly after feeling the washer crush.  Too much and you lose the seal.  This is also why re-using is not recommended.

_

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  • 2 years later...
On 3/10/2021 at 2:40 AM, ChrisMinelli said:

The guy at NAPA just tried to sell me an oil drain plug gasket for my 52 Plymouth.  I have never used one.  I use them religiously on my Honda (which leaks like a sieve if it doesn't have a gasket) and my wife's Toyota (which doesn't seem to care as much, but I use one anyways).  Is a drain plug gasket a thing on these old cars?

Yes, drain plug gaskets are indeed a common component used in many vehicles, including older models like your 1952 Plymouth. The purpose of an oil drain plug gasket is to create a tight seal between the drain plug and the oil pan, preventing oil leaks. It ensures that the oil remains contained within the engine and doesn't seep out through the drain plug.

While it's true that some vehicles may not require a drain plug gasket due to the design of their oil pans or drain plugs, it's generally a good practice to use one. Using a drain plug gasket helps to ensure a proper seal and minimize the risk of oil leakage during operation. It's especially important if you've noticed any signs of oil leaks in the past.

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On 3/9/2021 at 5:50 PM, Sniper said:

When I went to do the first oil change on my new to me Cambridge I found that some hamfisted goon apparently dial his impact gun up to maximum overkill and rattled the drain plug on for the whole weekend, lol.  The copper gasket was paper thin, thin enough to cut your finger.

 

Once I managed to get the plug out, my impact was not up to it, I had to strong arm the thing off with a cheater on the end of my wrench I started looking for a gasket.

That's something else the gasket/washer does is keep you from over torqueing your plug. Metal on metal can be sealed but the force required for no leaks is fairly large. It stops the leak but getting it off next time can be a challenge.

 

Joe Lee

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Well, the paper thin gasket was copper and someone over torqued the snot out of it.  If it wasn't for the 17" pythons it'd still be there, lol  Good thing I got it off when I did, old age is striding fast up my backside.

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