Servicing my own

[green A8]

Great minds think alike Z. I was going to put a similar comment up, but I thought Eddie might get all upset

[Doctle Odd]

It wouldn't phase Eddie Z he'd have a helicoil in his pocket

i do wish eddie well and hope he strips the thread on his next oil change, that would be quite ironic.

[doc_a6_avant]

Phew ! there's a lot of hot air on this subject ! Evrebody's entitled to express their opinions , thoughts and experiences without getting into any heated arguments.

Just to put my thoughts/experiences on the subject of sump plug replacement :-
On the old steel sumps the oil seal was effected by the deformation of a soft copper washer against a flat face of the steel sump. Thus the soft copper washer should be replaced at oil change time.
On the modern alum alloy sumps the oil seal is achieved by the slight deformation of the sump soft alloy threads against the much stronger/harder steel plug threads . The oil seal is not achieved by the large washer. The plug will not permanently “stretch” as it will be well within its’ elastic limit at the normal tightening torque ( approx 30Nm ) and therefore does not require replacement due to any stretch. To achieve a good oil seal the threads of both the sump and the plug must be in good condition.
The biggest dangers in re-using the sump plug are dirt and thread damage. If the plug is thoroughly cleaned ( wire brushed and washed in petrol) and then examined with an eye loupe ( say 10X mag.) any damage or dirt should be visible. Should any thread damage or stubborn dirt be found, then the plug may be replaced or the thread damage/dirt removed by use of a small triangular file or other means. Plug threads are easily damaged by dropping the plug on to say a hard concrete surface.
I once dropped a plug on my daughters Polo into a hole in the front suspension cross member. Bought a new plug from VW dealer and found that the threads were damaged. I fixed the thread damage with a small swiss triangular file. The dealer supplied plug did not have any thread protection as it was supplied loose without any protective packaging ( e.g. small cardboard roll around the threads similar to that supplied with spark plugs ). If a damaged thread plug is forced into a soft alloy sump , the sump thread can be easily be stripped. So even new plugs should be checked for thread damage before use.
I have routinely re-used sump plugs for all DIY servicing of all my family’s’ cars ( mostly VWs) over the last 40 years without any leaks or stripped threads but I always check the the plug threads and check that the plug will thread into the sump easily just using two fingers.
I’m sure that VW recommend new plugs in an effort to ensure that the plug threads are clean and undamaged but with care the more proficient DIYer can reuse using the checks above.

I can't believe what I've been reading here!! Eddie has serious issues :-) if he gave the above explanation to back up his advise then fine, but to act like a child insulting people was disgraceful.

The main point to take into consideration for the poor guy who started this thread is that if you feel competent to do the job then it's fairly straight forward, take your time, follow the helpful tips here and you'll be fine. However if you have any doubts about your own ability then get it done elsewhere. At the end of the day the difference in price might be about £50 and you would have piece of mind and a warranty.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[Doctle Odd]

Unfortunately Eddie took his helicoils and left the site. It's a pity as he was very easy to wind up