What the heck were they thinking???

[bradley8795]

So I work at Valvoline Express Auto Care. We do just about everything here but of course 90% of our work is oil changes. Lately we have had a few of the techs tightening bolts far too tight. We have even had to replace an oil pan because the drain plug hole was completely destroyed.

So anyways they decide the best thing going forward is for us all to torque the drain plugs to the correct specs. Which I'm sure won't fix the problem, because this is the torque wrench they gave us to torque bolts on average to 10-15 ft/lbs.

I tired to talk some sense into the owner but he just wouldn't hear it. I guess you can't fix stupid.

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[Sam'sAutoParts]

Does that even go low enough?

If it does I find it hard to believe it is very accurate that low on the range. I think my Cornwell 1/2" torque wrench starts at like 25#.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Being a 1/2...no no it doesn't.

 

[LXCam]

Does that even go low enough?

If it does I find it hard to believe it is very accurate that low on the range. I think my Cornwell 1/2" torque wrench starts at like 25#.

That's exactly what I was gonna say too. I have a couple 1/2"s and I don't think any of them go below 25ftlbs.

 

[rlitman]

A 1/2" torque wrench for drain plugs. ROTFL, this isn't going to end well.
He'd be better off handing out a set of stubby wrenches.

 

[bsaint]

I thought most of those express auto care places were owned/ran by accountants, not people knowledgeable of how to perform an oil change on a car.

 

[lightning02]

Wow lol

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

At least it's not 3/4" drive! Lol.
Yet another reason I do all my own oil changes, well that and the last time the GF took her SUV into the dealership for a free oil change they left the cap off and it puked a quart of oil out before I figured it out.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

How are the "techs" over torquing drain plugs so bad? Are they using air tools?

 

[bradley8795]

Does that even go low enough?

If it does I find it hard to believe it is very accurate that low on the range. I think my Cornwell 1/2" torque wrench starts at like 25#.

It goes 0-150. So the owner thinks its fine. I tried to explain how its not accurate within 20% of its upper or lower limits but he's just not listening. Plus it was only $15 at O'Reillys.

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[rambo19]

How are the "techs" over torquing drain plugs so bad? Are they using air tools?

Because they are 'techs' and not mechanics.

 

[DodgeMech]

sounds more like they are "mechanics" and not "techs"...not either actually...i prefer the term "lube monkey"...no offense meant to the op of course

 

[Kent_B]

"We properly tightened your drain plug to factory specs. That leak couldn't possibly be our fault. See? Here's the torque wrench."
Beancounters only care about their bottom line. Blow the customer off with a fancy tool. I'd bet a conscientious tech would spend a little of his own money for an inexpensive 3/8 drive beam torque wrench and sleep better at night.

Just a thought.....

 

[CNGsaves]

One "problem" made worse with wrong tool . . . ROFL !! Proper training would cure for free.

Would have been better to force use of short 1/4" drive breakover bar !!

 

[94EG8]

Honda used to give us a preset 3/8 drive torque wrench for doing drain plugs and another one for tightening oil filters. 17ft lbs and 8.7ft lbs respectively if I remember correctly. We had some issues with aluminum pans stripping, but generally what happened was someone would overtighten the drain plug and the next time when I tech removed it all the threads would come with it.

 

[shoggoth80]

They've only gotta hold oil in, and not back off. How tight does it need to be?!
I tighten drain plugs by hand, with a 3/8" drive. 10-15 ft lb is not a lot of torque at all.

 

[G_P]

Better off with a stubby 3/8" drive ratchet. You know someone is going to pull on that thing and ignore the click and keep pulling until the pan strips out.

 

[Ponchoguy]

The drain plug on my Chevy Sonic is so cheaply made that I keep spares on hand (even though they are like $12 from GM). It's a 10mm head and I can EASILY see someone wiping that out.

 

[kiatech]

I've done probably 1000 oil changes in my life and never messed up a plug or pan, how hard is it?

 

[Wakefield]

A 1/2" torque wrench for drain plugs. ROTFL, this isn't going to end well.
He'd be better off handing out a set of stubby wrenches.

How high do 1/4" drive TW go? Probably 1/4" the way to go. At least the Gorilla will probably destroy the wrench before the car.

 

[bradley8795]

How high do 1/4" drive TW go? Probably 1/4" the way to go. At least the Gorilla will probably destroy the wrench before the car.

I personally use my 3/8 Techwrench. But I'm sure as hell not letting the other guys use it. The guys I work with could screw up a *********. Seriously.

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[kunkernator]

Speak of oil plug horror stories. I have heard of quicklube places stripping out oil plugs in expensive cars, then just shove a self tapping oversized one in. I have even seen them shoved in a stripped hole with some JB weld on it. At least you stated your shop owner bought an oil pan when they stripped one (the right thing to do). And at least he is taking the effort to prevent it from happening in the future (even if he doesnt know a torque wrench from a tire).

Worst thing i have witnessed (related); a truck came in for something, and we had to pull the oil pan. Zip zip zip, and then there were 4 or 5 bolts that would just spin in place. I ended up pulling the bolts out with a pair of pliers, dropped the pan.... These 4 or 5 bolts were shoved up in to stripped holes in the block, with a fat wad of silicone around each one. Good ****! Well, i spent a few hours cleaning out the silicone and putting some keen-serts in place. I take pride in my work. (Customer told us that the last time the pan was off, was at a shop that he wouldnt do business at anymore due to shotty practices).


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[Stuart in MN]

When the boss isn't looking, take the wrench back to O'Reillys and exchange it for a smaller one.

 

[organ]

There's only one solution... torque all the drain plugs to 50 lbs

 

[JonDick13926]

Just use a combination wrench and make the click sound yourself.

 

[uart]

Another vote here to giving the guys stubby box end wrenches for tightening the sump plugs.

As someone once told me when long ago: "just use a standard box end wrench and tighten it as much as you can comfortably manage with skinned knuckles and a blob of warm oil in your eye".

 

[uart]

It goes 0-150. So the owner thinks its fine. I tried to explain how its not accurate within 20% of its upper or lower limits but he's just not listening. Plus it was only $15 at O'Reillys.

Yeah, it should have a minimum torque specified where it reaches rated accuracy. If you feel the adjustment screw down at the lower end near zero, you'll notice that it probably doesn't even engage any spring tension below about 5 to 10 ft-lbs, so useless in that range.

It will probably "work", but with significantly sub-spec accuracy, in the 10 to 20 ft-lb range. And reach specified accuracy somewhere about 20 to 30 ft-lbs.

BTW. Most cars I've owned have spec'ed about 25 to 30 ft-lbs on the drain plug, though I've never bothered using a torque wrench for this job. I think there's a few cars with alloy sumps that have specs down in the 10 to 15 ft-lbs range though.

 

[1950mercury]

The drain plug on my Chevy Sonic is so cheaply made that I keep spares on hand (even though they are like $12 from GM). It's a 10mm head and I can EASILY see someone wiping that out.

Not with the proper tool...

Have your boss read this thread....

 

[bradley8795]

Not with the proper tool...

Have your boss read this thread....

If my boss read this thread he'd fire me on the spot lol. Sad but I'm pretty sure I'm leaving soon anyways. Interviews tomorrow. Maybe if I get the other job I will direct him here. Maybe he would learn the reason all our Harbor Freight and O'Reillys tools fail so often in a professional environment.

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[christopher7390]

I personally use my 3/8 Techwrench. But I'm sure as hell not letting the other guys use it. The guys I work with could screw up a *********. Seriously.

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Bravo wned2:

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Even if you're planning on leaving soon, not too bright to state exactly where you work. State you work at an oil lube shop and leave it at that.

 

[fatfillup]

Decades ago, I was an assistant manager at a small chain tire store. I worked in most of the branches at some point or the other. The one thing I learned is the guys doing the oil changes were the least experienced in the shop. I continued to change my own oil for a long time and now I get my shop guy to do it as I trust him. I personally wouldn't go to a quick lube place. OP no offense as you obviously seem to care and would do a good job but I would hate to take the chance on getting a good guy like you vs. one of your coworkers.

 

[sberry]

Its not only the workers but 60/40 says the boss is a college boy. Probably busy as a bee and doesn't hear one word. Knows more about this sort of thing than the rest of the help.
Wanders around a lot muttering,,,, I just don't understand why,,,, Most wouldn't bother consulting the peons, their fear is you should find out they really don't know anything despite the nonsense babble with a straight trained voice. The look where they try to look authoritarian while looking you straight in the eye and explain how it all works with something usually so stupid one is in disbelief which they take for granted they are right because you look stunned and really don't know what to say.
I would have never made it as a lube tech.

 

[sberry]

Take that wrench back in and ask,,, since you are the manager here I wouldn't mind a couple hands on pointers as to how to correctly do this job and pin this guy if it is one down, show me.
Its obvious there is lack of training and the owners do not care. They are running this from a flow chart and placing warm bodies. Its everywhere. I saw plant managers who didn't even know where the main dept was after years.

 

[guy48065]

Better off with a stubby 3/8" drive ratchet. You know someone is going to pull on that thing and ignore the click and keep pulling until the pan strips out.

What click? I guarantee you a 150FP chinese wrench will have NO audible click down at the bottom of it's usable range.

Shop REALLY needs a 3/8dr 75FP clicker so even a 15FP spec on an aluminum pan will be in the calibrated range.

Most of those china clickers are accurate (but feel like ****)--but how will you know if you got one of the bad ones? I'm sure that cheap-*** owner will never send it out for calibration.

 

[Wakefield]

Its not only the workers but 60/40 says the boss is a college boy. Probably busy as a bee and doesn't hear one word. Knows more about this sort of thing than the rest of the help.
Wanders around a lot muttering,,,, I just don't understand why,,,, Most wouldn't bother consulting the peons, their fear is you should find out they really don't know anything despite the nonsense babble with a straight trained voice. The look where they try to look authoritarian while looking you straight in the eye and explain how it all works with something usually so stupid one is in disbelief which they take for granted they are right because you look stunned and really don't know what to say.
I would have never made it as a lube tech.

You're getting close to getting someone started on the whole "college is everything for everybody""and is worth it whatever it costs" subject and the fact(my impression) that high school shop and trades education is getting closed down. Maybe the educators believe that the only purpose of high school is to get kids ready for college

 

[Wakefield]

The little inch-lb. wrench I got from Wright cost a lot more than $15.
-but I haven't used it on the car-only on the mower engines
its range is 40 to 200 inch-lb so that would be up to about 16 and a half ft.-lbs. Lube techs would probably bust it
probably the oil plug would stay in

 

[sberry]

You're getting close to getting someone started on the whole "college is everything for everybody""and is worth it whatever it costs" subject and the fact(my impression) that high school shop and trades education is getting closed down. Maybe the educators believe that the only purpose of high school is to get kids ready for college

Not that really as much as the cookie cutter business degree being, well, what it is. We get some jerked off exec from one company to take over the other, they are the same right, I mean boats are white and refidgs are white, so whats the difference? So much has been absorbed by accountants and biz whiz there is no one left knows how to run it and everyone that has been there is obviously stupid compared to the new manager. Usuually some budge5t minded cost cutting genius no one is sure why he was run out of last job,.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Not with the proper tool...

Have your boss read this thread....

Considering the plug gets rotted looking in short order and it's cheaply made, it's easy to wipe out, like I stated previously.

 

[Lassen Forge]

It goes 0-150. So the owner thinks its fine.... Plus it was only $15 at O'Reillys.

THAT says it all. Boss thinks by buying "a torque wrench" he's covering his ****, but he's really hanging himself out to dry... Sadly, he'll hang the employees instead, saying "Hey, I bought a torque wrench, its up to you to use it right" even tho for the task at hand it's impossible with that behemoth of a nutstripper...

I would walk into the bosses office (when he's in a good mood), explain that the same $ will buy the right wrench (3'8" drive in INCH pounds), you'll get less returns and issues, save you money and complaints and make him look like a superstar. THAT might work.

Unless he's just a brainless cheap bastage, someone who should be working Mickie D's instead of anything dealing with other people's expensive motorized equipment. Last boss I had like that - was the LAST boss I had like that.

(It's like the "manager" at a certain Lube place that starts with a "J", no names mentioned, who directed his pit monkey to replace the (factory) 20W20 oil in my Mercedes' 4 speed gearbox with 85-140, because that oil was "so think it was obviously worn out", and then mentioned it to me (lightly) as I was leaving they "topped off" the transmission...)

When the boss isn't looking, take the wrench back to O'Reillys and exchange it for a smaller one.

That's what I would do, or better - if the boss won't see the light of day, buy your own, engrave your name on it, paint the handle some off the wall color and then bring it to work. Same as Restaurant chefs who buy their own knives rather than use the cheap shop knives...