Stupid Crush Washer Questions

[Ben]

I feel stupid asking, but are crush washers pretty universal? That is, if I were to order some assortment kit from Amazon, whichever one comes close to fitting whatever oil plug I'm putting it on is good enough? There's generally no special applications for them?

I'm terrible about always reusing the things. I just did an oil change on my Polaris, apparently in condition white, because when I was done and draining oil from my catch pan to a container, I spotted the crush washer at the bottom. I've got no leaks, so I'm not draining new oil just to put one back on and am waiting till the next oil change or when I see a leak. Anyway, this OEM washer looks kinda mangled after only two oil changes (I tighten to the recommended 12ftlb) so I'm putting a new one on next oil change, but I'm not buying the ridiculous Polaris oil change kit to do it.

[MillCreek]

I have always used the closest-fitting washer out of a kit on the motorcycles, for example.

[Brad Johnson]

Easy enough to put it on. Do the "quick finger" method to plug the hole while you use the other hand to put the washer back on the bolt. Reverse "quick finger" method to reinstall plug. Yeah, you'll lose some oil and get dirty, but a little mess now beats oil dripping all over your engine in the future.

Copper washer, I'm guessing? You can anneal it by heating to red and allowing to air cool. That will get you another use or two out of it. In a pinch you can also use fine copper wire wrapped multiple times around the threads and crushed into place. It isn't pretty but will get you home in an emergency.

Unless it's some special design - flanged, odd shape, etc. - most copper crush washers are universal. I'd get something with a recognizable brand on it lest you end up with something that's not really the right metallurgy.

Brad

[Ben]

Copper, yes.

I don't really wanna muck with changing it. Like all else  Polaris that should be easily user accessible and maintained, the plug access was designed by devil engineers. No way I could do a quick swap, even if I jacked the machine up. I can't even get my fingers in the access cutout. I've got a piece of cardboard under where I park it, so I can monitor for leaks.

As long as close is good enough for government work, I'll see if I can find a non-Chinese washer kit for next time. I seem to have collected a lot of stuff over the past year that uses crush washers.

[MillCreek]

https://www.harborfreight.com/80-piece-copper-washer-assortment-67526.html

This is what I use.

[AZRedhawk44]

All my motorcycles have recommended changing crush washers with every oil change.

I've got a combined ~120,000 miles across my various bikes I've owned, and I think I've changed 2 crush washers.  Mostly "just because" or a misplaced sense of guilt for not doing it.  I bought a generic 10-pack of them on Amazon that matched the dimensions of the one on my Triumph at one point.

The leakiest bike I had was an 80's XR600R, but it wasn't leaking from the oil drain plug.  The Shadow, Triumph and Husky have never leaked.

[Jim147]

An exacto knife and some fiber gasket material will make any size you need. You can buy copper but then you need to make or buy punches.