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My uncle told me to always use a torque wrench on oil drain plugs, and I finally listened
Honestly, I used to think it was overkill and just went by feel for years. He kept saying, 'You'll crack a pan or strip the threads one day, just watch.' Well, last month on a 2018 Civic, I did exactly that. The aluminum pan threads gave out, and the repair bill was over $300. Anyone else have a simple rule they ignored that ended up costing them?
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olivia3436mo ago
Yeah, I saw a forum post once where a mechanic said the same thing, that aluminum pans and factory plugs are a bad mix if you're just going by feel. They pointed out that the crush washer gets replaced and the metal is soft, so it's really easy to go from snug to way too tight without realizing it. That one story convinced me to at least get a cheap beam-style torque wrench for oil changes. It feels silly for one bolt, but stripping those threads is such a pain to fix.
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parker_patel606mo ago
But come on, is a torque wrench really needed for a drain plug? I've just used a regular wrench and been careful for ages without any problems. Feels like one of those things that only goes wrong if you're really cranking on it.
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oscarwilliams5mo ago
Ever had that "oh crap" moment when the bolt suddenly feels way too loose? I learned the hard way after a slow drip turned into a puddle, and olivia343 is right about that soft metal. My cheap beam wrench now lives with my oil change stuff, because my "good feel" was apparently just good luck.
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