Is there a permanent or replaceable gasket for the oil drain plug? I am thinking of changing oil myself and just wondered if this is required. Where can I find replacement gasket for oil drain plug if such is need? Thanks a lot!
My Toyota dealer always includes a new gasket when I buy the filter. A gasket is always required unless you want the garage floor/ road to wear all your oil (not to mention seizing your ICE.) Having said that as far as permanent gaskets go you local auto parts store and they can sell you a copper gasket. I am also using the Fumoto valve mentioned in another older thread with a copper gasket so that I don't ever have to pull the plug to change my oil. Does drain a little slower do to the small hole but it is incredibly convienent and gets the job done with a minimum of fuss. (Too often I have dropped the plug into the oil pan while draining the old oil.) If you are interested in that the web site is www.fumotovalve.com
When you pull the original filter off the engine, be certain the rubber gasket came with it and didn't stick to the block. Bad things happen in a double-gasket situation, the worst case being losing most of the oil and then a fire after blowing up the engine, something I saw the result of at a Toyota dealership once.
Or...you can replace the original oil plug with a quick drain one (e.g. Fram) and never have to screw and unscrew and washer. I had this exchange with several other members a while back. I bought mine at Pep Boys (CA) cheap. Brian
For the Fram quck change plug, SD-3 is the correct thread size. I also use regular oil (vs. synthetic) since I plan to change oil every 4k. It should do the trick and save some money.
Just received an e-mail today. If anyone is interested in the Fumoto Oil Drain Valve (instead of the Fram one), they just sent me a discount code for 15% off. Website: www.fumotovalve.com Discount Code: SVC6. The offer expires 12/31/04. Said that I could pass it around. I installed mine 2 oil changes ago and find it much more convenient than the quick drain plugs I have used on our other cars. Can't remember what brand they were but they required a screw-on part that you had to store between changes. The Fumoto valve is completely self contained.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jchu\";p=\"50513)</div> Thanks! Is the version with nipple necessary (or helpful) for the Prius, or did you go with the standard F103? Also, does it come with a washer? I went thru the order process to see the total: it's 22.95 for the unit, $3 for shipping (reg. mail), the 15% is off both, so the total is 22.06. RPM
Got mine without the nipple. Just used the standard F103. Honestly I can't remember for sure if it came with a washer but I believe that it did. When putting in permanent drain valves in all my cars and even before then I have always switched over to copper gaskets. Why? No good reason, just because Jon
Can a rubber or copper gasket be used in place of the Toyota fiber gasket? I have found rubber and copper but no fiber at local auto parts stores.
onerpm "Is the version with nipple necessary (or helpful) for the Prius, or did you go with the standard F103? Also, does it come with a washer? I ordered the one with the nipple and found that its longer length presented a possible problem as it stuck out almost an inch farther. With no protection it could easily be knocked off if you hit something. I sent it back and installed the standard F-103 which comes with a gasket.
Fumoto F-103 15% Discount Just to keep this thread floating to the top for the next few weeks. If anyone is interested in the Fumoto F-103 oil change valve, see my post above for a 15% discount thru the end of December. Jon
Toyota isn't the only car maker to use a gasket for the oil drain plug, and usually it's much better to use a gasket then to eventually strip the threads on the drain plug and/or pan. I purchased new a 2000 GMC Sierra with the Vortec 5.3 V8, and the drain plug had an o-ring. My local GMC Truck dealer gave me a couple of o-rings to be safe, and after the fourth oil change, sure enough the o-ring was damaged. Don't get lazy about the gasket, as the plug threads usually don't extend to the bolt head. So if you leave the gasket off, or it's been too compressed, you will damage the threads in the pan.
Just exactly where is the oil drain plug? I do not find the typical four sided head, a couple of recessed heads that take a star like bit head to turn them. One I presume is for the transmission?
Robert: Carefully look on the passenger side of the oil pan, the drain plug is sort of recessed a bit into the bottom edge of the oil pan. The drain plug faces the right front tire. There is no need to use ramps or to jack the thing up. On my level garage cement floor at the hobby farm I've measured around 5 inches clearance at the low point, that plastic cover beneath the rad. You'll never get out more than 4 quarts, so find a shallow plastic or sheet metal drain pan. A plastic pan a bit too tall is fairly easy to trim down, so is a sheet metal one if you have a good assortment of sharp tin snips. I really like how the oil filter hangs down, it's very easy to get to. Completely unlike the 1992 Honda Prelude I used to have.
