oil change broken drain gasket

[tcpoob]

2005 V6 SR5, 115k miles. DIY oil changed yesterday afternoon.

when i removed the drain plug, it was already fairly loose. never noticed engine oil leak before. the drain pan collected about 4.5 to 5 quart, very rough estimate. i know the capacity is about 5.5 qt.

so i wanted to make sure this time i really tightened it to spec, 30 ft lb. Got the new torque wrench out, it's this model:
Amazon.com: Mountain 16250 1/2-inch Drive Torque Wrench - 25-250 ft/lbs: Home Improvement

it might be too beefy for this application as 30 is about as low torque as it goes. i double checked i'd the mark on the shaft at the lowest 25 ftlb, then 5 at rotation dial. as i started fastening the drain plug, the new gasket broke. so as i removed it to put the old one back on, i realized it wasn't that tight as all. really confused. i've never used torque wrench before but i expect the wrench to make clicking sound and just spins in place once preset torque is reached. Or, maybe the gasket (crush washer) is defective? I bought it from Toyota Dealership Service a couple months back. I inspected the broken pieces, it's all plastic - that's what it seemed to me.

We'd some rain over night and i saw some oil slick on my driveway. Really hoping it's just the spills from oil change, not a leak from the drain plug. It makes it hard to inspect in this wet weather. I'll take a look at dipstick tonight before driving home.

 

[tcpoob]

come on, am i the only one who'd broken an oil drain gasket?

 

[cali_axela]

Did you lube up the gasket with some of the fresh oil first? I've never broken one ever, and I was taught always to do that to ensure a good seal and lubricate it. I've also never bothered using my torque wrench on the drain plug, I just go until it's tight and never had any problems.

 

[Nuke]

I've been doing oil changes on my 12+ cars and friends cars since the early 80's and I've never stripped or broken a drain plug, nor have I ever used a torque wrench.

I'd bite-the-bullet and buy a new oil pan in lieu of screwing around with a fix, unless an oversized drain plug cures it.

You know, this sounds awfully familiar. I believe someone else recently torqued their drain plug and stripped it, too.

 

[tcpoob]

The drain plug is okay - just the crush washer (hence: gasket) was broken under torque. I reused the old one as I ran out of new ones. I think it'll be fine.

I did not lube the engine oil drain plug crush washer (gasket), i did pre-oiled the top mounted oil filter 90915-YZZD3.

I've been doing oil changes on my 12+ cars and friends cars since the early 80's and I've never stripped or broken a drain plug, nor have I ever used a torque wrench.

I'd bite-the-bullet and buy a new oil pan in lieu of screwing around with a fix, unless an oversized drain plug cures it.

You know, this sounds awfully familiar. I believe someone else recently torqued their drain plug and stripped it, too.

 

[cali_axela]

Yeah, I always rub some fresh oil on the gasket / crush washer too, just like on the new filter seal. Not sure if it helps any, but it certainly doesn't hurt. Worth a try next time perhaps.

 

[K.Hunz]

Yup, oil the crush washer before install. Also should oil the gasket on your filter before spinning it on - makes for a better seal and easier removal 5k miles down the road.

I did do an oversize drain plug mod in a Solara after a friend stripped the threads out. pretty easy, although inconvenient.

As for torquing the drain plug - I use German specs. Turn til it's Guttentite.