[Shop-talk] Oil plugs, WHY?

[Scott Hall]

I don't really mind the side-mount drains. Or at least that's not my
biggest complaint--the oil filter locations and obstructed drain paths are
far worse. My wife's Mazda had an oil filter that was under the exhaust
manifolds--you literally had to reach over, around, then behind the
manifold to un-screw the filter.

Mazdas are built in Hiroshima. I'm not 100% sure a lot of their engineering
isn't revenge for something.

I don't have a good oil vacuum to recommend, Jim. They were all the rage
with the VW TDI fellows and Griot's Garage really wanted you to buy one
too. There was so much on the web about getting an extra .5 quart, minimum
out of the sump because the drain wasn't positioned correctly, etc.

I bought one. I always ended up opening the drain plug anyway and getting
more out. I *do* like the vacuums for engines with non-canister filters to
suck oil from the filter housing...but a $3 turkey baster from Wal-Mart
accomplishes the same thing.

On Mon, Jan 4, 2021 at 10:19 AM Jim Franklin <jamesf at groupwbench.org> wrote:

>
>
> On Jan 4, 2021, at 8:14 AM, eric at megageek.com wrote:
>
> I notice that just about EVERY modern's car drain plug drains horizontally
> and not vertically (where the plug come straight down from the bottom of
> the oil pan.)  This make's oil changes SO much harder and messier.
>
>
> I'm not usually a conpsiracy theorist, but perhaps this is to coerce
> owners to have it serviced at the dealer, where they suck oil out through
> the dipstick tube?
>
> The engineer in me wants to say it's for protection from ground damage (do
> kids jump railroad tracks anymore?).
>
> I'm about to buy an oil sucker outer in case anyone has one they
> recommend. The Mity-vac looks nice at at $180 it'll be paid for after 2
> dealer oil changes :-D
>
> jim
>
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