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Broken Quick Drain

Tony_T

Well Known Member
Patron
I changed my oil today and decided to finally install the Quick Drain that I bought several months ago (for about $30) and I broke it! Dang...

I have debated with myself about installing this thing on my oil tank as it just did not look like as strong and reliable a piece as the steel drain plug.

The torque spec for the steel drain plug is 18.5 ft-lb and I set my wrench for 17 ft-lb and started tightening. Well before reaching the set point I felt it yield. You know that feeling. Anyway, it backed out OK and I installed the steel plug and safetied it.

Looking at the brass quick drain, you can see there is not much material to handle that kind of torque. In the pictures you can see that it broke right at the base of the threads next to the gasket.
i-ZFXZ64j-S.jpg

Another view:
i-nvXGsBZ-S.jpg

The point of this thread is to caution those who might be using this type of drain valve. It did not come with torque specs and the Rotax washer that was furnished with the valve may not seal well at lower than the Rotax torque spec. In that regard I don't plan to do any further research to find out if I made a mistake in installing it because I don't intend to use one now.

Obviously this part is in a critical location! Use care.

Tony
 
You know the old saying"

If it ain't broke ------ BREAK IT!!!!

Had a good swearing session today....and yesterday....and..... Too bad you missed all the good stuff.

Roberto
N737G
 
DejaVu Tony. Bought the same Curtis drain. Had the same concerns so I only torqued to 12 (and thought that was high). It leaked. Not on the outside but from the inside! Not a lot mind you but enough leave a nice small streak on the outside every time I flew. Took it off and threw it away...wrote it off as "VDO quality". I may still try another one day but I thought I would end up using more AVGas than I do and Rotax recommends 100hr oil changes on car gas (I do 50). As a side note, we have no choice but ethanol here and just this month I experienced my first vapor lock episode. Hot day, etc...engine would run fine up to 4000rpm but on the runway at full power it died. Put two bags of ice on the gas tank and waited an hour...all was good.
 
I just bought a oil drain valve from quickoildrainvalve.com. Not sure if they have a size for the Rotax, but the T202 valve fits Lycomings (NPT 1/2-14). This thing is very solidly made and has a positive locking feature.
 
I must have done it wrong. I used the same quick drain as Tony and I loved it. No leaks, no pain, no strain. Made oil changes a breeze. I don't know how tight I made it, I didn't use a torque wrench; I used the German torquing method and just made it Gutentight. I figure that if it leaks (from the threads) either it is too loose or the crush washer is bad (or I forgot to install the crush washer) and if the threads strip is is too tight, so somewhere in between is just about right.
 
I checked with Curtis Valve co that makes the valve that Tony had problem with and they stated that the maxium torque value for the valve is 60 to 70 inch pounds. That is a whole lot less than the 18 ft lbs that is used on the stainless steel plug.
 
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