Engine: Oil drain plug leak

[Lou Van Anne]

I have an oil leak from around the oil drain plug on my GT Hawk...is there supposed to be some sort of gasket/seal used between the plug and the pan? Is something available? Suggestions?

[thunderations]

Yes. You may be able to use an "O" ring, but the original was probably cooper and the replacement was nylon or something like that.

[Alan]

Go to Harbor Freight and buy a copper washer kit. In there you will find about a half dozen 5/8" washers. Plus 6 or 7 others that you will probably never use.Take one and measure the ID, should be about .625". Then measure your drain plug, it will be .625 to .640". You might be lucky and it will go right on, but if your luck is like mine you will have to clean up the ID a little to make it fit.

[blackhawk]

Lou, Dorman makes a copper oil plug gasket with 0.625" inside diameter. The Dorman number is 095-160. Check your local auto parts stores. Many places carry Dorman parts. You probably can even find the right size copper washer in a good hardware store. Some Mini Coopers use the same size oil drain plug gasket. Maybe your local auto parts stores can source one for a Mini Cooper if they don't have a listing for Studebaker.

[HAWK64]

Ed Reynolds at Studebaker International had a huge stock of original NOS sump plug with fibre gasket & probabley still does. I just fitted a new one to my GT Hawk recently.

[Lou Van Anne]

Thank you everybody! This group has helped me many times....

[raprice]

You may also wish to apply Permatex #2 to the threads of the plug. This acts as a good seal.
Rog

[Lou Van Anne]

I found a fiber type washer....seems to have worked just fine....the puddle is gone....time will tell!

[Mike]

You may also wish to apply Permatex #2 to the threads of the plug. This acts as a good seal.
Rog

Stude didn't use a "bung" at the oil drain. The plug screws into a "nut plate" that is spot welded to the inside of the pan. The nut plate isn't sealed to the pan. The threads on the plug are straight, not tapered, and not intended to seal either. A gasket, under a lip on the plug seals against the outer surface of the oil pan.
A few years ago, there was a story that a bin full of defective oil plugs had found their way to a Stude parts seller. The flange, for the gasket, wasn't square with the threaded portion. Probably the factory had intended to re-machine them, or send them back to the manufacturer for credit. It's worth eye balling the drain plug next time it's out. I wonder how many "puddles" result from the wrong type of plug, or a defective one.
Mike

[Lou Van Anne]

Solution: I'm lucky that my local "Mom & Pop" auto parts store is owned by a guy who likes Studebakers and enjoys hunting down parts. He found a Dorman washer/gasket #097017, 74 cents no less (some sort of plastic/fiber combination?) that appears to have solved my problem....hope this helps someone else out.

Lou, Dorman makes a copper oil plug gasket with 0.625" inside diameter. The Dorman number is 095-160. Check your local auto parts stores. Many places carry Dorman parts. You probably can even find the right size copper washer in a good hardware store. Some Mini Coopers use the same size oil drain plug gasket. Maybe your local auto parts stores can source one for a Mini Cooper if they don't have a listing for Studebaker.

[rbisacca]

When my oil plug gasket disintegrated after 50+ years of faithful service I took the plug to my local NAPA store and told the parts dude I needed a gasket. He took the plug to the back and in a few minutes returned with a new gasket exactly like the original.