Pro tip: A mechanic told me I was ruining my oil pan drain plug

I was changing my oil in the driveway last fall and a neighbor who used to work at a shop walked over. He said I was tightening the drain plug way too hard and could crack the pan or strip the threads. Since then I just snug it up by hand with a torque wrench set to 25 foot pounds - has anyone else been overtightening their drain plugs without realizing it?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannah38518d agoMost Upvoted

I mean it's the same thing with people overtightening their lug nuts or even just regular bolts around the house. I think we all just assume tighter is better until something cracks or strips, then we figure out there's a sweet spot. It's like we're all afraid of things rattling loose so we overcompensate.

barbara96718d ago

Ever strip a bolt yourself or was it something you read about?