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The torque spec on a 1998 Ford F-150 oil pan drain plug shocked me
I was looking up specs for a customer's old F-150 the other day and found out the drain plug is only supposed to be torqued to 18 ft-lbs. That's barely more than finger tight if you ask me. For 15 years I've been cranking them down with a ratchet like everyone else I know. Has anyone else run into a factory spec that just seems way too low?
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murray.jana1mo ago
18 ft-lbs is right. Old Ford pans strip easy if you overdo it. I do them snug with a 3/8 ratchet and a quick grunt, no gorilla torque needed.
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kim.jake1mo ago
Did you ever work on a Chrysler product from the 80s? I had a buddy who snapped off a drain plug on a minivan because the book said 25 ft-lbs. That felt way too low but he followed the spec and still broke it. Turns out the threads were just soft metal. 18 sounds light but on an old Ford pan I'd rather be safe than sorry. I usually go with the "snug and a quarter turn" method on those unless I'm at a shop with a torque wrench handy.
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Why would you trust 18 ft-lbs when a good hand tighten feels way stronger and safer?
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