Leaking LN Magnetic Drain Plug!

[JFP in PA]

Oh, I see, it is always LN’s fault that people do not read or pay attention ................

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Oh, I see, it is always LN’s fault that people do not read or pay attention ................

Relax, JFP. I never said that.

I was just offering scenarios where the operator/installer, who may be well-intentioned, gets bad torque specs from the Porsche manual because unbeknownst to them, the aftermarket plug uses a much lower spec. And to eliminate that possibility, LN could probably have made a plug with similar torque specs.

And I'm also offering a counter-narrative to your prior assertion that it's always "operator failure".

So maybe the real answer is somewhere in between and the fault is shared by both LN and the operator. Happy?



EDIT: Here is an example of a magnetic oil plug with similar torque specs to OE. So it can be done:
https://www.fvd.net/us-en/FVD10717601/magnetic-drain-plug-996-997-986-987.html

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by piper6909

Relax, JFP. I never said that.

I was just offering scenarios where the operator/installer, who may be well-intentioned, gets bad torque specs from the Porsche manual because unbeknownst to them, the aftermarket plug uses a much lower spec. And to eliminate that possibility, LN could probably have made a plug with similar torque specs.

And I'm also offering a counter-narrative to your prior assertion that it's always "operator failure".

So maybe the real answer is somewhere in between and the fault is shared by both LN and the operator. Happy?



EDIT: Here is an example of a magnetic oil plug with similar torque specs to OE. So it can be done:
https://www.fvd.net/us-en/FVD10717601/magnetic-drain-plug-996-997-986-987.html

No, because all sorts of aftermarket companies make stuff for these cars that use different specs than factory; ARP for instance uses different specs for several of their fastener products because they work better at the ARP specs.

If you are going to use aftermarket parts, the operator needs to understand how they are different and act accordingly.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

No, because all sorts of aftermarket companies make stuff for these cars that use different specs than factory; ARP for instance uses different specs for several of their fastener products because they work better at the ARP specs.

If you are going to use aftermarket parts, the operator needs to understand how they are different and act accordingly.

So John, do you just “recognize” when there are different fasteners in place and adjust accordingly? Keeping in mind that it may not be obvious whose fastener it is? Just seems like a lot to keep track of. (I’m talking especially the second time around, when you’re not the one tightening that new fastener, when it’s now greasy and grungy and hard to id.)

Do most mechanics recognize LN drain plugs and know to back off on the torque applied?

And…do you use a torque wrench when you do them?

And…if not, are you gonna start?

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Frodo

So John, do you just “recognize” when there are different fasteners in place and adjust accordingly? Keeping in mind that it may not be obvious whose fastener it is? Just seems like a lot to keep track of. (I’m talking especially the second time around, when you’re not the one tightening that new fastener, when it’s now greasy and grungy and hard to id.)

Do most mechanics recognize LN drain plugs and know to back off on the torque applied?

And…do you use a torque wrench when you do them?

And…if not, are you gonna start?

With fasteners, they are visually different, so it is obvious. As for the drain plugs, LN’s are not marked, while others are, so again it is obvious to an experienced tech.

In my shop, if you are not using an appropriate torque wrench, you won’t be working here very long. Every fastener and drain plug is torqued to specs, period.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

With fasteners, they are visually different, so it is obvious. As for the drain plugs, LN’s are not marked, while others are, so again it is obvious to an experienced tech.

In my shop, if you are not using an appropriate torque wrench, you won’t be working here very long. Every fastener and drain plug is torqued to specs, period.

Well okay then. I may re-think my approach on these..

On the drain plugs...do you have a different set of torque values depending on new crush washer vs old crush washer?

NO NEED TO RESPOND ON THAT ONE!

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Frodo

Well okay then. I may re-think my approach on these..

On the drain plugs...do you have a different set of torque values depending on new crush washer vs old crush washer?

NO NEED TO RESPOND ON THAT ONE!

Yes, a simple one: We don’t reuse crush washers.

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

... As for the drain plugs, LN’s are not marked, while others are,...

And there lied the problem. Now they are marked so obviously they realized an improvement was needed. Even so, when the plug is covered in grime, you can't expect a tech to try to look for markings to see if it's an LN plug or OE so he can torque it accordingly. In a perfect world, maybe. It's best to just make a plug that matches the OE torque specs.

Also, one can't expect every tech or DIYer to identify every aftermarket bolt and know its torque spec. Not in the real world. Specialists, maybe.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by piper6909

And there lied the problem. Now they are marked so obviously they realized an improvement was needed. Even so, when the plug is covered in grime, you can't expect a tech to try to look for markings to see if it's an LN plug or OE so he can torque it accordingly. In a perfect world, maybe. It's best to just make a plug that matches the OE torque specs.

Also, one can't expect every tech or DIYer to identify every aftermarket bolt and know its torque spec. Not in the real world. Specialists, maybe.

Which is the world I live in.