OIL CHANGE: 1 summarized thread for newbies

[kannibul]

Originally Posted by Crazy8

What are oil drain plug crush washers?

Washers that are hollow inside, so when you tighten them up, they squish, making for a better seal than the bolt=oil pan interface would make normally.

I reused the one on our Civic at least 4 or 5 times, before I had a problem, and mostly that was due to me messing with the washer and distorting it.

I replaced it, and no leak. On our Civic, a leak is a BIG problem, as it's only a 3qt system. A 5qt system will at least give you a couple days notice.


With the Z having it's undercarriage cover, it's even worse, because it can conceal an issue. I made the mistake of not recognizing the crush washer on the Z's oil plug, so I thought it was omitted, I put one on (aluminum type, my motorcycle has a common size!), and cinched it down. I'll fix that come November when it's time for an oil change / storage.