Y-block oil drain plug

Jim.UT

Jim.UT

Member
55 Ford Fairlane with 272 Y-block. I've had the car a little over a year. On the first oil change I noticed the drain plug didn't have a gasket, so I made one out of a carboard cereal box. The car drips oil...enough to make the wife complain. I looked under it today and tightened the drain plug a little more. Don't want to strip it so I'm careful. While laying under the car I can see oil slowly seeping past the drain plug.

Question: should the plug have a gasket or did I create this problem by adding a homemade one?

Oil may be leaking from other sources (oil pan gasket, valve cover gaskets, etc) but I don't have a major oil loss other than the slow drips. I know other leak sources may be running down and dripping off the low point (pan drain plug) thus masking their true source, but I'm pretty confident that the drain plug itself is leaking based on my observations during my morning nap under the car.

Thanks for any insights.
 
My 55 ford had a copper gasket on the plug. Always cleaned the plug and area around the pan threads and applied a little silicone seal, never had any leaks.
 
They’re available as nylon, copper, and a fiber gasket. If everything is in good shape, I like copper. If it’s a bit bunged up I’ve had better luck with the fiber. The fiber typically comes as a package of 4-6.

For the other leaks you mentioned, make sure the road draft canister is clean so it at least has a chance to work. A PCV system like the later models used also gives a little better ventilation. Along with cleaner oil, sometimes fewer small leaks.
 
Jim.UT said:
55 Ford Fairlane with 272 Y-block. I've had the car a little over a year. On the first oil change I noticed the drain plug didn't have a gasket, so I made one out of a carboard cereal box. The car drips oil...enough to make the wife complain. I looked under it today and tightened the drain plug a little more. Don't want to strip it so I'm careful. While laying under the car I can see oil slowly seeping past the drain plug.

Question: should the plug have a gasket or did I create this problem by adding a homemade one?

Oil may be leaking from other sources (oil pan gasket, valve cover gaskets, etc) but I don't have a major oil loss other than the slow drips. I know other leak sources may be running down and dripping off the low point (pan drain plug) thus masking their true source, but I'm pretty confident that the drain plug itself is leaking based on my observations during my morning nap under the car.

Thanks for any insights.
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Get the copper or fiber gasket/washer. A nylon should also work for you. You aren't likely to do an extended trip at high speed on a hot day, which can get the oil hot enough to melt a nylon washer. Check the drain plug for bad threads (they will slant towards the tip instead of pointing straight up). Avoid over-sized plugs! Oil pans have a hardened insert, so the plug will strip while the threads in the pan are still good.
 
Follow up. It's been over 100F here for the past month so working on the Fairlane has been put off. However I finally pulled the oil drain plug to measure it.

For those who need to know, the diameter of the threaded portion of the plug is 7/8".

I got a nylon washer with 7/8" ID, about 1/8" thick and put it on there. No more seepage past the drain plug.

Hope this helps someone else.
 
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