Should I Need To Buy A New Sump Plug/seal

[Anton green 12 1 Cars]

Should I need to buy a new sump plug/seal when I change the oil on my 1.9 Mi16?

 

Is the plug a hexagonal bolt or some other shape which no-one can ever find a tool in their garage for?

 

Cheers Anton

Edited April 20, 2007 by Anton green

[welshpug 1,657]

always change it for the sake of 50p.

 

IIRC mine is an 8mm allen key, though my mum's 405 is a square as is my 205 (but with all 3 have a 21mm hex like most have anyway)

[VisaGTi16v 1]

My 1.9 Mi16 and my spare sump both had the unbelievably stupid square one

[pip470 61]

Well just ask your self if it starts leaking how (and i know it can be done but is it worth it for 50p like welsh pug said) your going to get the plug out and change the washer and back in with out loosing some of that nice new oil you put in. you could plug it with your finger and then change the washer or get an assistant, but the hardest bit i think is the pressure of getting that sump plug started in its threads when all the oils finding its way out. Conclusion = good practice to change copper washer. Just relised ive gone on a bit when yes would of been suffice

[petesy71 0]

if you cant be arsed but have a blowtorch, heat up the washer, then plunge it in water to make the copper soft again. read that on here somewhere and it worked for me.i got a square sump bit from halfords for £3.99.

[Anton green 12 1 Cars]

I was thinking of the blowtorch and copper thing last night. Thing is I have no transport as the car is off the road till I fill it with fluids, but I have access to a small blowtorch..

[Grim.Badger 15]

I only ever change them when I can be bothered taking the plug to Peugeot (Halfords and Peugeot are incapable of giving me the right one unless I take the plug). I have never had them leak, even when I've re-used the washer 4/5 times.

 

All Peugeot drain plugs, including those on the gearbox, that I've come across can be undone very easily by the Peugeot drain plug tool. I got one in 2002 for £13, it has two sizes of square ends which will fit all the square and hexagonal plugs. Makes taking the final drive plug out very very easy.

[nick 3]

Just get a roll of PTFE tape (plumbers tape) it's only about a quid a roll and you'll never need to buy another sump plug washer in your life.

 

Nick

[Ahl 4]

PTFE tape is good, but I've found annealing the washer easier and more convinent.

 

Just heat it up until its cherry red, then drop it in some water to cool it down.

It'll now be soft again. You can do this as many times as you like.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Just spend 20p on a new washer for every service you tight wads.

 

Graham.

[mi16nut 0]

A good trick is to ask at the dealer just after you've bought something; they generally can't be bothered to produce another receipt just for a washer so you get it for free. That said, I tend to buy half a dozen at a time from GSF as it's not worth messing about.

 

Mark.

Edited April 22, 2007 by mi16nut

[24seven 104]

never replaced the seal after an oil change on either my 205 or my almera, and never suffered any leaks from the sump plug.

[lagonda 42]

You don't need a blow torch to anneal the seal if you've got a gas hob, flame on high will get it red hot in seconds. Don't forget to plunge it in cold water straight away.

Like too much else on the GTi, 100 years of car development has gone on to produce this crap design. On my Fiat 500 (don't laugh before you've tried driving one), the sump plug consisted of a tapered threaded section welded int the sump, with the plug having a 17mm head & tapered thread. So:-

1/ no stupid separate washer needing inconvenient replacement

2/ 17mm head means you don't need to buy a special tool

3/ tapered thread provided kept clean WILL seal, if not, Tighten more

4/ no stupid captive nut arrangement in the sump harbouring dirt

5/ thread welded into sump means impact damage unlikely to affect sealing: my GTi sump was dented & even with a new seal and dent repaired, still weeps slightly

6/ with tapered thread you HAVE to do it up tight. If you overtighten the Peugeot version, you'll distort the seal & it'll leak. If you undertighten it, it might vibrate loose.

7/ Fiat sump plug low down on SIDE of sump, therefore not vulnerable to impact damage: still drains 99% of the oil away especially if you jack car up slightly the other side.

Rant over.

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

I don't think I've ever really bothered changing the seal either and I think I've changed the oil on my 205 4 times a year when I got it, purely because I can't be bothered going out and getting one. Never had a problem with a leak from the sump plug.