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Anyone found alternative to OEM drain plug crush washer


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We use copper washers. They are reusable. And cheaper. 

https://www.buyautosupply.com/products/bas03546-m20-copper-drain-plug-gasket.html

As stated, you CANNOT reuse the factory crush washer. They are designed with a bubble that conforms only once and then must be thrown away. If you use them they will generally leak or if not they require much more torque than they should which can damage the pan. The copper washers will conform half a dozen times. After which you replace them. They can be annealed if you absolutely must by heating to cherry red and allowing to air cool. 

GD

Edited by GeneralDisorder
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16 hours ago, shortlid said:

Everytime i reuse the crush washer.  It weeps oil.  No crush effect either.

GD has you covered, but sounds like something is less than ideal.  Is the drain plug OEM?  Is the pan OEM?  Clean up the pan, clean the plug threads, tighten an OEM washer properly and they last 100,000 miles.  If an OEM Subaru washer can't be reused then something is wrong in the installation process no matter what brand or replacement interval. 

I've reused them for 25 years of owning 40-ish Subaru's and working on plenty more than that.  I don't even use a torque wrench.  I've never had to replace on on my personal vehicles, and on others I've replaced one...maybe two if i've forgotten one.  If I owned a shop - I definitely would - but it's not hard to reuse them DIY if the installation is clean, all OEM, and proper.

Like all these guys:

15 hours ago, brus brother said:

been reusing mine also for MANY years on oil and trans. no problems here.

 

19 hours ago, nvu said:

Been reusing mine for 10 or so years now.  It's a washer.

 

2 hours ago, lmdew said:
  • I've been reusing the stock ones for years, replacing with Subaru washers as needed.  Always nice to have spares on hand.

 

Edited by idosubaru
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20 hours ago, shortlid said:

Everytime i reuse the crush washer.  It weeps oil.  No crush effect either.

Guessing the mating surfaces aren't flat anymore.  Next time you do an oil change, lay the old washer on the table.  It should be completely flat and uniform.  I've seen weirdly deformed ones where the center hole is no longer round.  If the pan was still good, the crush washer eventually flattens down to look like a regular washer.

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Just this Fall, I did an oil change job. I bought an oil pan bolt with a fiber washer from Advance Auto parts. So far so good, on not leaking, but it does need to be tightened really well. I never could get the Subaru crush washer to work more then once without a small leak. I will keep a check on the fiber washer to see if it leaks or not.

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14 hours ago, Rooster2 said:

Just this Fall, I did an oil change job. I bought an oil pan bolt with a fiber washer from Advance Auto parts. So far so good, on not leaking, but it does need to be tightened really well. I never could get the Subaru crush washer to work more then once without a small leak. I will keep a check on the fiber washer to see if it leaks or not.

I’ve seen those leak.  But I’m sure they work fine plenty of times and if it does leak, it drips and you replace it just like any other old OEM plug or washer leak.

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