Need Help Please!!
 

While drinking {beer of course)
I changed the oil on my 1987 911.I forgot to put the copper washer on the crankcase plug. Do I have to drain it and put it back on. Oh Please say no. Will it matter. Also what does it do..........Besides look horrible on the garage floor. Thanks in advance

Oil change first, Beer after work is succesfully accomplished. Sorry I had to say it....TargaEuro

My best advice is to monitor the plug. The copper ring is basicly a gasket, and you might be able to wait until the next oil change to replace it, if it doesn't leak, or is a very minor leak.

It is a good possibility it will not leak, but if it does leak too much do not try to tighten the plug to stop it, you'll probably loose the threads, which will be more painful then the quart or two of oil you would loose pulling the plug now.

Strep,

If you jack up one side of the car 10"-12" ... so the plug is on the 'uphill' side, oil loss will be minimized, and you can install the sealing ring. DO IT NOW!

I don't think leaving the sealing ring off for the duration of one entire oil-change cycle is a very good idea, and the aggravation of a slow leak is not the reason! Without the sealing ring in place the potential for keeping the plug in place without tightening the plug against the bare aluminum case is not very good! So, your choices are having the plug fall out at an inopportune time, or strip the threads in the case trying to keep the plug from falling out! A quart or two of oil lost making the seal replacement seems pretty trivial compared to the two alternatives above!!!
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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

[This message has been edited by Early_S_Man (edited 05-15-2001).]

if you seal the crankcase vent you should be able to remove the plug and block the hole while putting the washer, and replace it without losing more than a litre(Canadian ah)of oil. Way cheaper then a new engine
Good Luck
Kevin

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KEVIN WOOD
70 911E TARGA

I'll bet I could do it and lose less than a half cup. You can feel when a plug's threads are no longer engaged. Holding the plug against the hole, get the washer ready by holding it next to the hole. You probably can do it in less than a second.

Still, don't wear nice clothes.

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'83 SC

Thanks to all! I did it! Jacked it up and I would say I lost about a half cup. This forum is the best.

Just have to admit I did the same damn thing....got distracted mid-oil change and forgot the washer.

Luckily I noticed this before taking the car off the ramps. I was able to pull the plug and put in the washer with only losing about a 1/16 of a cup of oil.

I pulled the motor and tranny (disconnected the main oil feed tube) and then replaced the motor and filled with oil. There was a clutch job in between. Then I discovered that my problem was a cracked throwout bearing fork. So the $70 worth of oil has to come out on the SECOND motor/tranny pull. I spread a fresh garbage can liner in the drain pan and let it all out into the bag. I was able to tie off the bag when the oil was in the pan and later pull the corner of the bag into the drain spout of the oil pan and fill quart containers that went back into the motor. The oil had never been run, and I'm betting that it was clean enough to go back in the crank case. (Yes - I blasted the drain areas with carb cleaner and wiped with a rag before draining).

I'm not proud of this, but it did save $70.