Well, you’ve never seen my shops or garage floors either so you’d never know how fastidiously I maintain them. For example, cars are parked over clean cardboard- if anything starts leaking, it’s immediately obvious…I hate leaks!
Even so, you think that if the plug is leaking, there won’t be liquid residue on the head??
I’ve seen wet oil pans that didn’t leave spots on the floor . . .
Does that mean the oil isn’t leaking past the gasket?
Not even a little bit . . . ?
Now you’re mistaking me for a complete idiot 
You don’t think I can recognize an oil leak? Cmon, now. I’m no neophyte pal. My engines are bone dry and clean except for road dust.
Whitey, for the record I’ve never had one of my drain plugs leak oil either. That comes with cleaning the surfaces, the plug, inspecting (replacing if necessary) the washers, and properly installing and torqueing the plug. In addition, if I should happen t o drop the plug on the ground, I wash it thoroughly in the used oil to get all the dirt off. I then wipe the plug and surrounding pan down after every change, so I’ll see a drip if on exists the nest time I do the job.
IMHO there’s no reason a plug should weep a drop. IMHO all oil plug leaks are the result of sloppiness. And “sloppinesss” includes installing a plug that fell on the ground without cleaning it. No body needs to be grinding dirt into the threads.
I agree. In fact, that has been my point all along. As long as you replace the washer when necessary, there is no reason the plug should weep a drop.
My point is, if you don’t over-torque the washer, it will likely last the life of the car.
Now, if I was in the business of doing oil changes on other people’s cars, you can bet I would charge for, and replace, the washer every time. Why not? It reduces the risk and isn’t my dime. Most oil changes joints aren’t exactly known for their care and handling of the drain plug anyway. The LAST thing I want is a business that brags about how quickly they can do something on my car, touching it!
Whitey, I agree.
I also agree with TT, except that those nylon washers do get squished over time, and they’re only pennies to change.
There’s a pretty good chance the oil pans and plugs that use aluminum crush washers are not built to the same specifications as the ones that use nylon washers, or the ones that use rubber washers, or the ones that use copper washers. If your car came with an aluminum crush washer installed, or you brought your car home from its complimentary first oil change and found an aluminum crush washer, I hope you’d consider using the prescribed washer in the future. I have little doubt any harm can be done by following the manufacturer’s specifications and suggested practices, which appears to be what you’re doing.
Let me clarify . . .
I can’t stand it when somebody makes a blanket statement to the effect that “If there aren’t any drops on the ground, there are no leaks.”
@db4690
Let me clarify . . .
I can’t stand it when I have to spell out every last detail to satisfy some people who can’t believe I can tell if there is a leak or not. It wasn’t intended to be a “blanket statement” about a definitive measure for leaks but I didn’t think I’d have to write a dissertation to qualify it either. Perhaps we should start holding everyone accountable for every claim made here regardless of how insignificant, including yourself?
Easy now.
Why do oil pan bolts fall out. Because the DA that put it in didn’t tighten it.
Sure there are excuses of why you didn’t tighten it, but the fact of the matter is you didn’t tighten it and it fell out. You are a DA.
I have done it. I had numerous distractions was the only one there and I put it in then went to answer phone then someone pulled up then I ate lunch. blah blah I was a DA. There is no getting around it.
It is a mistake that really shouldn’t happen but does. We can find things to blame it on, but really in the end you didn’t tighten it.
As society goes on stupidity will be a disease. Instead of pleading insanity for a crime/accident you can just plead stupidity and get out of accepting responsibility for your actions.
A bolt falls out, because it wasn’t tighten 99% of the time. Sure on record there are those freak occurrences. And then on 99% of those occurrences it is a person not wanting to admit that they are a DA.
Fire away.
Part 2. A engineer started this post and see how he already answered his own question in the post? Basically stating that if it falls out it wasn’t tighten. No matter what is said it really isn’t going to matter. Basically if you don’t tighten it it will fall out. I play golf with a engineer every weekend and this a engineer having his fun with people. @jesmed correct me if I am wrong, please.
Also you never argue with a engineer you will never win. (Even if you are right). LOL
Refreshing. I’m not a DA because I always tighten the plug, but I am a knuckle head because I use a wrench on the filter. So why do filters come loose then? Just kidding.
Actually, this answer from professional mechanic @asemaster was the kind of insight I was looking for:
“Because nobody respects mechanics. Not customers, not managers, not even other mechanics. I can’t tell you how often someone will walk right into a shop and start talking to a mechanic working on a car. The sheer stupidity of that is lost on someone, yet they would never dream of going to a restaurant, walking right into the kitchen and telling the cook what he wants for dinner.”
I suppose you could say the same thing about surgeons in operating rooms. The patient usually does better when random people from the front desk aren’t walking in and interrupting the surgeon.
So I promise not to interrupt mechanics in future during surgery.
Don’t interrupt me when I have the intake manifold off
I might forget to reconnect something
100% agree @asemaster gave great answer. I wasn’t even going to post anything after reading that. Then read all others. Agree with a lot of them also. People aren’t that stupid that they cannot tighten a bolt back up. It is always distractions. Younger guys get distracted easier though I have noticed ( which was me when I left plug loose) Here is my career when I was working on trucks:
1 left oil drain plug loose. Already explain why.
2 left bolts loose on carrier bearing after putting transmission in. Was pulled off job and didn’t get back to it two days later. I am still a DA for not tightening the bolts, but I forgot about it.
3. Put a turbo on and forgot to tighten hose to intake. Again had to answer phones and everything else.
I do think people are coming around with there outlook on techs, but yes @asemaster give a great explanation.