> If teflon tape is verboten, what's the best way to seal the drain
> plugs to
> the sump, trans and differential? The replacement plugs
> installed in my car are
> not the tapered ones.
If for some reason you have the early pan that is supposed to have a
straight thread plug, then I'd suggest replacing the fiber washer with each
oil change. Don't have a number handy, but TRF should have the washers.
With the washer, no sealer is necessary (although a smear of Hylomar
wouldn't hurt anything).
If you have the later pan that is supposed to have a tapered thread (pipe)
plug, then I'd suggest buying a proper pipe plug (McMaster-Carr will sell
you a hardened plug that turns with a hex wrench), and using paste-type
Teflon pipe dope on it (available at Home Depot).
Same general rules apply to all the other plugs, straight-thread plugs (OD
drain, diff fill on some cars) take a gasket that needs to be replaced
often; while tapered thread plugs (gearbox fill/drain, diff drain on some
cars) take a tapered plug that can use a smear of Teflon paste. In all
cases, get the plug that fits the hole, don't try to use sealer to make up
for having the wrong type of plug.
I've mentioned this before, this seems like a good time to do it again ...
don't use an open-end wrench or a 6 or 12 point socket or box end wrench to
turn those square pipe plugs. Get either a proper square box-end wrench
(machinery supply houses sometimes have these) or an 8 point socket (got
mine from Sears; Snap-On, Mac, etc. should have them too)
Randall
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