dsfra
Member
Amazing But True
Sent the spouse to the dealer's parts department last week to pick up oil filter wrench, oil filter cartridge, fill and drain plug washers for front and rear diffs and xfer case, and 7 qts of 0-20 synthetic on sale for $4.99 per quart. Wanted the fill and drain plug washers so would have them later when do the first fluid changes, but also got 3 'extra' fill plug washers in order to pull out the fill plugs and make sure that there really is some lubricant of some sort sloshing around in there (only have 1,500 miles on it). Trust no one. So the spouse gave the guy a shopping list of exactly what was wanted. No ambiguity involved. Wrong... Got a 74mm x 14 flat wrench instead of 64mm x 14, got wrong front diff plug washers, and wrong rear diff plug washers. So we're batting 50% on the parts. Glad the 'Frunner wasn't sitting up on jack stands with the plugs removed.
Made the return trip to the dealership today, got the bulk of the stuff sorted out, but no idea on the front diff drain plug washer. Had remembered seeing some fluid change photo how-to's on this forum, and suggested to the guy that it might be a large copper washer. He assured me that Toyota does not use copper washers for any drain or fill plugs. Guy comes back after a while with a large copper washer.
Then the fun begins... Go to the service department to confirm the torque on the fill and drain plugs, just to double check my specs. Trust no one - not even yourself. First service writer had no idea about anything. Second writer says go talk to that guy, he knows all about that stuff. Third writer says he would have no idea where to find out that information, and that, apparently, was the end of the discussion. Suggested that some of the mechanics in the service department should know what the proper torque specs are. He said that they "don't torque" the plugs. On further inquiry, what he was apparently really trying to say was that they do not torque them to any particular spec. He hauled one of the techs out of the service department, who confirmed that they don't use torque wrenches on plugs and then helped the writer muddle through the AllData manual, and 10 minutes later they announced that it was supposed to be 30 ft. lbs. Yeah - for the engine oil drain plug. Reiterated to them that I was asking about diff and xfer case plugs. "But you said oil." "Yeah - I said front and rear differential and transfer case oil." After another 20 minutes of wandering around in the FSM, we had everything pinned down except the xfer case drain plug. Consensus: It looks just like the fill plug so it must use the same torque. Had been yacking with the service guys for >= 45 minutes by then. Ended up confirming with the service manager that they really don't use torque wrenches on fill and drain plugs.
Anyhow, wasted over an hour playing with the parts and service guys. Parts would not have been an issue if they had sold me the correct stuff in the first place, and the service question should have taken no more than 2 or 3 minutes.
Do you remember Day One of Freshman High School Auto Shop? This is a torque wrench. Here's how to use it. Use it.
Sent the spouse to the dealer's parts department last week to pick up oil filter wrench, oil filter cartridge, fill and drain plug washers for front and rear diffs and xfer case, and 7 qts of 0-20 synthetic on sale for $4.99 per quart. Wanted the fill and drain plug washers so would have them later when do the first fluid changes, but also got 3 'extra' fill plug washers in order to pull out the fill plugs and make sure that there really is some lubricant of some sort sloshing around in there (only have 1,500 miles on it). Trust no one. So the spouse gave the guy a shopping list of exactly what was wanted. No ambiguity involved. Wrong... Got a 74mm x 14 flat wrench instead of 64mm x 14, got wrong front diff plug washers, and wrong rear diff plug washers. So we're batting 50% on the parts. Glad the 'Frunner wasn't sitting up on jack stands with the plugs removed.
Made the return trip to the dealership today, got the bulk of the stuff sorted out, but no idea on the front diff drain plug washer. Had remembered seeing some fluid change photo how-to's on this forum, and suggested to the guy that it might be a large copper washer. He assured me that Toyota does not use copper washers for any drain or fill plugs. Guy comes back after a while with a large copper washer.
Then the fun begins... Go to the service department to confirm the torque on the fill and drain plugs, just to double check my specs. Trust no one - not even yourself. First service writer had no idea about anything. Second writer says go talk to that guy, he knows all about that stuff. Third writer says he would have no idea where to find out that information, and that, apparently, was the end of the discussion. Suggested that some of the mechanics in the service department should know what the proper torque specs are. He said that they "don't torque" the plugs. On further inquiry, what he was apparently really trying to say was that they do not torque them to any particular spec. He hauled one of the techs out of the service department, who confirmed that they don't use torque wrenches on plugs and then helped the writer muddle through the AllData manual, and 10 minutes later they announced that it was supposed to be 30 ft. lbs. Yeah - for the engine oil drain plug. Reiterated to them that I was asking about diff and xfer case plugs. "But you said oil." "Yeah - I said front and rear differential and transfer case oil." After another 20 minutes of wandering around in the FSM, we had everything pinned down except the xfer case drain plug. Consensus: It looks just like the fill plug so it must use the same torque. Had been yacking with the service guys for >= 45 minutes by then. Ended up confirming with the service manager that they really don't use torque wrenches on fill and drain plugs.
Anyhow, wasted over an hour playing with the parts and service guys. Parts would not have been an issue if they had sold me the correct stuff in the first place, and the service question should have taken no more than 2 or 3 minutes.
Do you remember Day One of Freshman High School Auto Shop? This is a torque wrench. Here's how to use it. Use it.
Last edited:
).
