MagikDraggin

What do you suppose the engineer was thinking when he decided to put the oil pan drain plug in the front of the pan.....and then made it so it's nearly impossible to get a socket on it?

Was this guy having the male equivilent of a "bad hair day" then, or what?

talon90

I see, changing your oil recently weren't you? It's amazing how great the design of an individual component seems....right up until you assemble it with some of the other components (with great designs too of course) and then you go...Oh S***!

Paul

RocketDawg

Well ... how 'bout another mod? Move the drain to the bottom rear of the oil pan so it can be drained while the front is on ramps. Might be doable, and reasonably simple.

TOOGECKO

This is what I think the Germans are so good about. Look at the components in a BMW or Mercedes. They usually appear to be well thought out. They are firm believers in "concurrent" engineering, the design of components and systems as they relate to the whole...

Mr. Lucky

What makes you think the design engineer was male?

C66 Racing

I've never been able to get a socket on it. I use a 15mm wrench... and since I'm normally looking at it backwards, I have to think very carefully about which way to turn it.

ErnieN85

screw in the plug. Then put a 15mm socket on the plug,insert a short extension then a 3/8 torque wrench. it does work!

C66 Racing

Never tried that. I bought myself a set of ratching wrenches instead.
Course you have to be careful with those as well... set them for tighten but then put it on backwards which is the easier angle for the oil pan bolt and then it ratches the wrong way.

ZX-11

I remember having a few choice words for GM the first time I did an oil change - I couldn't believe they put the drain plug somewhere where you couln't get a socket on it. Put a wrench on it and the bolt was really on there good. Put some pressure on the wrench and the bolt finally broke loose. Of course I cut my fingers up pretty good when my hand slammed into one of the really sharp crossmembers. Yeah, I was not a big fan of GM at that moment in time.

MagikDraggin

Well, if it wasn't, then it certainly had to have been a blonde.
`

I just know, I'm probably gonna catch it for that one.

Has anyone successfully attempted to drill and tap a hole in the rear of the pan?

JACKAL0PE

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah! Right!

JACKAL0PE

Now THERE'S a point!

JACKAL0PE

Have you lost your mind?

pewter99

I bought one of those little valve deals where you install it once and from then on just flip it open...drains a little slower but its damn easy to change the oil

Tom/99

blktie8

All I can say its easy and this is a great car...........

Golf Man

It probably was not engineering, but economics.
I'd be curious how many people now take their
vettes to the dealer to have the oil changed,
at 60 plus USC.

VetteDrmr

Here's a hint for loosening those bolts that are a bit, er um, "tight". Use the correct size box-end wrench, and then use a "soft" hammer (I use a 2 lb. generic orange dead-blow hammer) to loosen it. Takes much less effort and therefore more control when it does break loose.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

CAJUNY2KC5

The engineer had just finished designing the steering column lock before doing the oil drain plug location.

Mr. Lucky

I think that used to be true, but not so much anymore.

If you look at the other car forums, there are lots of complaints about percieved cheapness and crazy ergonomics (until you get into something like a Mercedes SL or AMG). BMW seems intent on alienating their (formerly) loyal performance-oriented owner/drivers. When it came time to replace my 5-Series in 2004, I found that they had eliminated the M-coupe and M5, and were shoving the infernal iDrive down consumer's throats of the remaining models (except the 3-Series, which I wasn't interested in). That's why I'm driving a C5 now.