Torque wrench for oil screen nuts

I have always been concerned with how much to tighten the oil screen nuts. They are supposed to be 5 foot pounds but I'm far from experienced enough to know what 5 foot pounds feels like. Too lose and you will leak oil. Too tight and you can strip a stud. So they should be in the ballpark.

Here is a nice micro torque wrench for just $29.95 that has a range of 20-200 inch pounds (1.7-17 foot pounds). I see others on the internet for $150.00+ but this looks like a good tool at a bargain price. I ordered one today.

The phone number is 781/335-8829; they are located in Boston and talk funny.

I thought that others here might like to know about this micro torque wrench.--Jack

I was wondering where to find such a tool. Thanks for the link, Jack.

"they are located in Boston and talk funny" - C'mon, Gordon, you can have some fun with this ;-)

Just get your small 3/8 ratchet handle and snug them up just right. They are small, so you'll know when they are "home". Agreed, you can put enough torque on even w/ a small socket wrench to strip them off, but snug is going to be good enough. You can just feel it, can't you?? More to the point, may I advise you coat all surfaces of the two gaskets w/ red RTV? If you do this, and be careful about being clean fopr all the mating surfaces, and tighten it all up (snug, as I recommend) by skipping around the diameter, and making sure each is about the same degree of tight when done, then much will be accomplished wrt keeping the garage floor clean. I have done this to my engine and it does not drip oil. I repeat: does not drip oil. And don't forget the washers. flat and lock.

"they are located in Boston and talk funny"

Oh, YAH??

Well, we finally figured out how to get wicked-decent Red Sox coverage down heah in "the South" (where they're STILL tryin to figure out how to field a decent baseball team...)

We get the video feed from DirecTV - that's pretty good - but we get the audio feed via the Internet direct from WEEI Sports Radio in Boss-Town so we can heah Jerry Remy ("The Rem-Dawg" and voice of the Red Sox) in all his GLORIOUS Weymouth accent.

Then again, I called Jamestown Distributors in Rhode Island the other day - Way cool to heah a little Rhody accent again. 'Course, it wasn't Boss-town, but cool, nonetheless......

Oh, and those strainer studs? Run them up finger-tight, then give-em another 1/2 turn. THAT's 5 ft. lbs.

gn

Torque the 10mm oil screen plate cap nuts with your pinkie finger on a short 1/4" ratchet, be sure to criss cross as you LIGHTLY tighten. ~Alan

If you do buy the inch pound torque wrench then tighten to 60 inch pounds

Yup, a torque wrench is certainly the right way of doing things... ok case, rods, etc. do get a visit from a torque wrench but I still do some things old school and it continues to with stand the laws of... "oh shit"

"Run 'em up finger then give 'em another 1/2 turn--that's 5#s. See--that's what I was talking about. Only a few folks here know these smart ways to get 'er done using practical methods learned over time.
Gordon know quite a few--same as Larry and many others, but not me.

Without the advice I've gotten I would have sold my speedster with 800 miles on it like others who don't know about the 356 Owner's site.

I took the torque wrench route as I just don't have time at my age to learn all the tricks. Instead of running a pharmaceutical sales force for 25 years I should have been wrenching and getting better on the banjo!

Anybody want to but a nice micro torque wrench? I'll even throw in a camber adjusting special tool with it!----Jack

Don't be silly Jack; never get rid of your tools. I'm old-school like the "Clock" but still have torque wrenches and a ton of seldom-used special tools. With enough practice all this becomes 2nd nature-we all have varying degrees of experience, and for me I had some really good MENTORS along the way. Can I fix a Banjo-NO. Could I learn-YES.

Add-if someone ever starts a thread like "When the light-bulb went on" or "that FUBAR moment", you'd laugh hysterically-we all have our stories.

Perfectly well said, Scott. I was just kidding about the micro torque wrench and will see how close the "rules of thumb" really are to 5 foot pounds when I get the wrench.

I have had particular trouble with getting oil screen plate nuts right. Before the 600 mile drive to the Smokey Mtns for the "tail of the Dragon" gathering last fall I changed my oil and thought I did a proper job of tightening the nuts as much as I dared to not strip the studs. but I was amazed when after just 200 miles I had lost a quart of oil out the plate of my C B performance thin line sump that gives me almost 4 qu capacity. I tightened them and fixed the leak. Show that I need the assistance of a torque wrench! The lesson also was to retighten the nuts after driving some after an oil change because as things settle, then get heated up and the gasket compresses, a leak can start. Ah the lessons. I'm pretty sure I know everything now though.--. Yeah--right.---Jack

Jack:

that's why the auto industry came up with Permatex gasket goop (commonly called RTV).

Goop up the part being assembled, torque it up somewhere near the required tightness, let it alone and it usually doesn't leak.

Can you do that on a VW oil strainer? NO! Why? Because, if you don't have an external oil filter you have to remove the strainer every time you change the oil and the Permatex is a B!+&# to remove!

You can still try the permatex on your strainer, though, with this trick:

Get two new strainer gaskets and, using a tube of permatex with a bead nozzle on it (that long snouty cap that comes with it) that is cut to produce a 1/8" wide bead, run a continuous bead all around the gasket, just inside of the stud holes. Then. flip it over and run another bead around the other side. The trick is to make a bead of RTV that looks like big O-ring, not to smear it on.

Hang it up somewhere with a coat hanger to let the RTV fully set up (give it 30+ minutes - it should not be tacky to the touch. You can even do this the day before your oil change).

When time to change your oil, clean off the strainer and sump surface, then assemble everything with the two new RTV'd gaskets. Tighten as per notes above and it shouldn't leak.

When you do your next oil change, th gaskets should come right out without sticking. Hopefully, you've prepared 2 new gaskets well ahead of time.

Stand-by tomorrow for tips on cooking Collard Greens.......

gn

"He'll be here all week, folks!"

Seriously, Gordon--thanks for this tip. I will use itt next week when I change my oil getting ready for my drive to Carlisle. Looking forward to seeing you!--Regards---Jack

Gordon and Jack:

I think you BOTH talk funny!

On the strainer/sump plate, I choke up on a stubby flex ratchet, and just snug 'em up, it's a feeling more than anything else. I have never had them come loose, or leak. Did you have copper washers under the bolts? If you have the thinline sump I have, it has a filter and a spring and a couple of rubber things that stack up into the pickup. It has a gasket larger than the VW with eight holes. I have an extra new gasket if you need it. I have reused the same gasket for 5 years with no sealers.

Danny--come to think about it--you have a bit of an accent yourself!

I guess all of us do.

Thanks for the generous gasket offer--I loaded up when I got my thin line sump and still have several. Yes-like yours it's larger with 8 holes. I really like having almost 4 quarts of oil in my engine too.---Jack

Then buy a Ford 6 Liter Diesel:

16 quarts to fill that big puppy....

I'm OK with Danny P's accent. It's Lenny C that I have trouble wit. Mus be dat "Bristol" ting.......

jack crosby..hey i sold pharmaceuticals right after college for Pfizer(pre-viagra days dammitt)
i dont mess with the pesky nuts on the plate. mine has a 17mm drain plug instead...along with a wix 51515R im good to go.

Bob--your old company, Pfizer just bought the one I was V P , sales for, Wyeth. I was with the Whiteghall-Robins Division. Jeez---who wouklda thunk it? I'm heading to NYC right after Carlisle to attend a 25th reunion of the folks who introduced Advil. Small wrld.

Did I highjack my OWN thread??

--Back to tight nuts,gasket goop, strange accents, 6 liter trucks (???), ratchet choking and micro torque wrenches!---Jack

Yeah--I know Vince---"choke this" Beat ya to it, didn't I?

Isn't gasket goop pharma-speak for Preparation H?

Yeah, but whaddya do for those "tight nuts"??

tight nuts and torqued wenches?? Yeah, they go together. C'mon Vince, help me out here . . .