socket for engine oil drain plug

[kanadary]

i have no issues torqueing the oil tank bolt.. i wish all engine drain plugs were located like this. however, for the engine one, i don't have enough clearance with my regular socket and torque wrench head. how do others torque this bolt? i used a crow foot wrench with a socket wrench base, sorta offset but i'm afraid that i might round the bolt since its not contacting all 6 sides and am applying 51 ft lbs.

[pegasus9]

I use an extension on mine. It's too tight right up in there.

[aualexa2]

I don't use a torque wrench. Just tighten it up and once it feels snug, give it a touch more for the crush washer. Haven't had any issues with leaks there...yet ;-)

[gtc]

Originally Posted by aualexa2

I don't use a torque wrench. Just tighten it up and once it feels snug, give it a touch more for the crush washer. Haven't had any issues with leaks there...yet ;-)

same here.

[Noah930]

I use my regular Craftsman torque wrench on both drain plugs. No clearance issues. Can't recall if I need an extension or not, but I've never had an issue. Is it that your torque wrench is hitting the ground? Or that the head of the wrench won't fit onto the socket and fit by the sump?

[teenerted1]

WTF 51ft/lbs?

isnt the drain plug something like 30ft/lbs. always replace crush washer.
í have it written on my shop wall somewhere for quick reference.

how do you get a bucket under there to drain the oil, if you cant get a scoket and a torque wrench under there?

[pegasus9]

Ted's right. Different values for case and tank.

[ivangene]

first time I did mine I tried to torque it to 51 and said

BULL CHIT!!

now I use the snug, and a little more technique...

really would hate to strip that one out

[kanadary]

thanks guys, yes, 51 for the engine and 31 for the tank.. its alot. i have a craftsman 3/8 in drive and its the combo of the head with the socket hitting the heat exchanger and not being able to sit into the slot. maybe if i tighten by hand first then hit it with the torque wrench it will be ok. not sure. or maybe i do like some of you and not worry, its not like i can get 51 lb fts with a 15 mm combo wrench so it wouldn't be an issue of overtorqueing and it only needs to stop oil from seeping thru..

[S2GART]

For cars made up to March 1983 there was/is a draingplug on the sump plate and the torque spec is 31 Ft. lbs. From Mar 1983 onward, the engine drainplug was on engine itself and the torque spec is 41. The torque spec. for the tank, regardless of production date is 31 ft-lbs.

My 83 SC was built in Oct 1982 and has a drainplug in the sump plate. My torque wrench is a 3/8th's drive and with the car on the ground, I have plenty of room even with using a 3 inch extension..

[kanadary]

the bentley I have for carrera 84-89 says 51 lb ft or 70 nm. if 41 will work, i'd much prefer that.

[S2GART]

Kanadary, I too have/use a Bentley manual and that's where I was getting the torque values from. Since your engine is the 3.2 versus my 3.0, there obviously would be some differences. I would follow the specs for your engine, though I still don't see how you don't have enough room for a torque wrench and a socket. I use a ratcheting "dogbone" to loosen the drainplugs and a torque wrench to tighten. How low is your car? As someone else asked, if your car is too low for a torques wrench, how are you getting an oil pan under there?

[kanadary]

the car was lowered to euro ride height and no i don't have any issues with the drain bucket under the car, i have an old candian tire one that seems to do the trick, its close but it clears the engine. nor do i have an issue with the torque wrench handle hitting the floor. its really the distance between the drain plug and the heat exchanger which doesn't allow the torque wrench head and socket to sit into the bolt opening. it might be that i hadn't tighten the bolt but to hand tight when i tried it since it was just a slight interference. i'll take a torque wrench to it later today. I was really hoping for a set of low profile sockets or atleast a 15 mm. maybe take a socket and grind down the face. i use to use the bottomed out then a slight twist method when i was younger, since most of those cars didn't even have torque setting for the bolt so maybe that's the best to try next time.

[S2GART]

I am sorry Kanadary, I keep forgetting that your engine doesn't have a sump plate drain plug. Your idea of cutting down a socket might be a good option. That leads you to wonder how the dealers do it, unless they use the old German spec. "Goodentight"