Oil change . . . doh!! I forgot something important

[dowright82]

So today I changed my oil - (mobil 1 ftw) and as I finished I found something that bothered me sitting at the bottom of my old oil pan . . .

the damn washer that was supposed to go on my oil drain plug.

Grrrrr . . . . -

So I can either A) try to be as fast as possible at unscrewing, then rescrewing and add more $$$ Mobil one accordingly, or

B) Leave it screwed in like it is, keep the washer and not worry about it till next oil change.

How critical is that little guy?? HELP! What should i do?? can I get away with it for this one change??

thanks in advance.

[EmsTraumajunke]

I think id put the washer on there, Its there for a reason. you should loose much oil maybe a qt if your fast enough and loosing a qt of oil is better then some how the plug leaking a few miles down the road and looseing all the oil.

[Integra96]

I'd watch your car for a little while. It seems possible that you could get away with a minimal/no leak without the washer. Give it a shot - if it leaks, do it over.

[dowright82]

bump for more opinions

[wRxOne]

That washer is actually a gasket to prevent the oil from seeping out of the filter. However I have forgetten to install that without major problems. It's always a good idea to always make sure that is installed.

[powder]

I got away w/ it but will be puting it back on for the next oil change. I've had it off for 3200 miles or so.

[ODJ]

I've READ that the oil drain plug washer's primary purpose is to keep us from stripping the threads in the oil pan when replacing the plug.

I would think the plug would seal well enough on it's own for a while. If you didn't over-torque the plug, I would say you'll be OK until your next oil change (just keep a sharp eye out for any signs of leakage).

I think the tranny drain plug uses the same crush washer. When I get an OEM oil filter from the dealership, the parts guy includes a new crush washer, but he won't give me any extras. Does anyone know how to obtain these washers in bulk? It would be nice to have some lying around.

[mycologist]

I've READ that the oil drain plug washer's primary purpose is to keep us from stripping the threads in the oil pan when replacing the plug.

I would think the plug would seal well enough on it's own for a while. If you didn't over-torque the plug, I would say you'll be OK until your next oil change (just keep a sharp eye out for any signs of leakage).

For the record, the tranny drain plug uses the same crush washer. When I get an OEM oil filter from the dealership, the parts guy includes a new crush washer, but he won't give me any extras. Does anyone know how to obtain these washers in bulk? It would be nice to have some lying around.

Thats ridiculous - my dealership will sell me a handful and I just keep them in my change drawer.

[wrxdrvr]

If it don't leak don't worry about it...

[SD_GR]

I've READ that the oil drain plug washer's primary purpose is to keep us from stripping the threads in the oil pan when replacing the plug.

Yes.

For the record, the tranny drain plug uses the same crush washer.

No, the gearbox uses a copper washer that's a different size and not a crush design. The parts numbers are different too.

Does anyone know how to obtain these washers in bulk? It would be nice to have some lying around.

Buy as many as you want from any dealer.

[rr1911]

Thats ridiculous - my dealership will sell me a handful and I just keep them in my change drawer.

+ 1 me too

[BrianH]

For the record, the tranny drain plug uses the same crush washer. When I get an OEM oil filter from the dealership, the parts guy includes a new crush washer, but he won't give me any extras. Does anyone know how to obtain these washers in bulk? It would be nice to have some lying around.

Naapa, any auto store. If that fails find a subaru vendor online I'm sure they'll sell them to you in bulk. Your parts guy is a ****hole.

[ODJ]

No, the gearbox uses a copper washer that's a different size and not a crush design. The parts numbers are different too.

Hmm, the dealership parts guy told me they were the same washer. It's been a while since I changed my tranny fluid, but I thought that the two washers looked the same when I had them side by side. Damn, now I'm worried that I've got the wrong washer for my tranny drain plug.

Your parts guy is a ****hole.

And Robert's your father's brother. The simplest answer is usually the best.

[SD_GR]

Hmm, the dealership parts guy told me they were the same washer. It's been a while since I changed my tranny fluid, but I thought that the two washers looked the same when I had them side by side. Damn, now I'm worried that I've got the wrong washer for my tranny drain plug.

On my bugeye 5MT they are different washers with different part numbers, different design, different costs, and different materials. Are we talking about the same washer? Are you comparing the crush washer for the oil filter with the washer that goes on the gearbox drain plug? If your fluid is still in the gearbox (as opposed to on the ground, say) I'd not worry too much about what's already been done.

[josnroh]

Your parts guy is a ****hole.