drain plug not sealing? use sealer?

[sbrguy]

ok have a question.

i just changed the oil on my 620 monster.  last change was by dealer and drain plug didn't leak at all.

put new filter and crush washer on drain plug tighted up everything.

filter is not leaking had to crank it down but its now fine.

also the main drain plug is set and not "leaking" but when you use a paper towel around the edge of the drain plug we are talking after 1 hour or so literally 1/2 to 3/4 of a drop of oil on the paper towel.  drain plug is cranked down using allen key dont' want to use anythign else less i strip the thing, but its tight to say the least.

noticed that on the drain plug when emptying that the plug had what appeard to be some sort of "sealer" or "rubber material" on the threads. 

is that somehting the dealer did to make the plug work better? if so what kind of sealer is this?

thanks.

[booger]

It's commonplace to use that stuff on the drain plug. I've seen dealers and indy shops do it, helps keep the customers from coming back due to oil leaks. The drain plug doesn't completely seal sometimes. It appears to be the same as that Ducatibond or Hondabond or Yamabond or Threebond gasket goop they use to seal the engine case halves together.

[monstermick58]

I use a copper crush washer and I anneal it every second time I reuse it and I have had no problems doing it this way.

To anneal the copper washer, heat it up until it glows then drop it into a container of water, done, its ready to reuse, make sure that you have no raised or sharp edges.




                                          Mmick

[battlecry]

Mmick, I'm glad you have had no problems with your copper washers.  I anneal by heating to cherry red hot, which softens the metal and relieves any internal stresses caused by the compression, then let it cool down naturally.  Chilling introduces surface stresses on the metal because the surface and interior cools down at very different rates.  Don't know if it matters on crush washers.

[ducpainter]

Mmick, I'm glad you have had no problems with your copper washers.  I anneal by heating to cherry red hot, which softens the metal and relieves any internal stresses caused by the compression, then let it cool down naturally.  Chilling introduces surface stresses on the metal because the surface and interior cools down at very different rates.  Don't know if it matters on crush washers.

+1...

that's the way I was taught.

[booger]

+2 you have to let it cool down on its own, quenching it makes it hard and brittle and less useful for another crushing. I do it to aluminum washers as well sometimes in a pinch, even though copper is better for this, and afterward I lap the washer on both sides with fine sandpaper spraymounted to flat plate glass. A lot of work but I only do it when I somehow end up not having the required replacement washer for whatever job I'm doing.
Anyway I always just use a new aluminum crush washer, clean the drain plug and seating surface well and torque it to spec; never fails.

[junior varsity]

torque to spec, and new crush washer each time for me - zero leaks.

[Speeddog]

Copper goes dead soft when you heat it and quench.
Aluminums that are heat-treatable do that as well.

Steels do not act that way.

[booger]

Then you want the copper to go dead soft so it crushes and seals, no? In such case I've been doing it wrong. Haven't had any problems so far despite it. Wouldn't think hardened copper would crush and fill the microscopic valleys in the mating surfaces as well as softer copper.

[Speeddog]

In reality, something as small as a crush washer may well cool quick enough in air to go dead soft.

I've never done a 'shop' test to see what happens.

[Howie]

I use a new (aluminum) crush washer if I have one, reuse the old one if I don't.  No leak yet.

[WTSDS]

I use an RTV sealant and re-use the alloy crush washer forever. The sealer prevents the plug from dropping out, there's no need for overtightening, and no leaks. Subsequent oil changes require a little work with a piece of tissue paper and yer thumbnail to remove the old sealant from the plug threads and the hole threads, no big deal.