In a message dated 9/8/04 7:48:54 PM, LeeKouns@WEBTV.NET writes:

<< Do any (or all) of the 86-91 vanagons use an oil drain plug that has a
plastic layer on the engine side of the plug head? >>

Lee,

None of the three 2.1L's I've had used an oil drain plug with a captive
plastic sealing washer as you described.  Perhaps you have some sort of aftermarket
plug.  The stock oil drain plugs which I know are flanged and use a copper
sealing washer not a crush washer.  Although we often ignore the prohibition of
reusing a sealing washer, I've learned from experience to go to the bother of
only using new ones.  All it took was one stuck drain plug to make a believer
of me.  The effort of releasing a stuck drain plug without doing further
damage makes the nuisance of picking up a new washer seem very trivial.

George