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OT: Why is a Chevy pickup oil drain plug = 15mm socket?

Yep, my last one was a Ford. You reminded me of that. Wiggle under the front end with a tool tray and all my sockets are non-metric.
 
Perhaps most people will know that American vehicles use a mix of metric and SAE sizes. The drain plug on my 2000 Ford Escort is metric. (Can't remember the exact size). The bolts bolts holding the seats to the floor are 14 mm and many other bolts are 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 mm. There are very few SAE sizes on the car.
 
The worn 11/16 QC toolpost rotation nut on my 1970's South Bend lathe now has a perfectly fitting 17mm wrench hanging nearby to allow adjustment.
 
200 ford ranger 15mm socket. Ford is dumb about metric the truck is a mix of add and even sizes so you can not look and know what size wrench to use.
FYI I replaced the drain plug with a valve. Cost about $20. Makes it much easier and cleaner especially after I added a 90 degreee short hose on the outlet barb. Flip the lever and the oil drops straight down into the drain pan. Only the tips of my fingers get oily no oil running down my arms while the plug does not quite come out.
Bill D.
 
The US should have gone metric 50 years ago. Wait, when I was in school in the 60's & 70's this was going to happen. WTF did I miss??

Nothing pisses me off more than having to slide under my truck w/ a mix of metric & SAE tools. In-Ft-Lbs-slugs = maximum stupidity

Metric = smart!
 
Bill D said:
200 ford ranger 15mm socket. Ford is dumb about metric the truck is a mix of add and even sizes so you can not look and know what size wrench to use.
FYI I replaced the drain plug with a valve. Cost about $20. Makes it much easier and cleaner especially after I added a 90 degreee short hose on the outlet barb. Flip the lever and the oil drops straight down into the drain pan. Only the tips of my fingers get oily no oil running down my arms while the plug does not quite come out.
Bill D.
Click to expand...

I put valves on all my vehicles, but without the hose barb. I drain straight into old oil containers (typically 5-qt, or 2.5 gallon Rotella diesel oil jugs) which makes oil disposal/recycling much less messy.

One for the "stupid" file: my son has a 2000 Honda Accord on which I had also installed a valve. He took it in for an oil change, after which the "mechanic" asked him, "Did you know you have a valve on your oil drain? Would you like us to change that out for a plug?" :nutter::crazy::ack2:
 
morsetaper2 said:
The US should have gone metric 50 years ago. Wait, when I was in school in the 60's & 70's this was going to happen. WTF did I miss??

Nothing pisses me off more than having to slide under my truck w/ a mix of metric & SAE tools. In-Ft-Lbs-slugs = maximum stupidity

Metric = smart!
Click to expand...

Well, 49 years ago I bought a new black 1969 Volvo model 164 sedan. It had all American standard fasteners in the Swedish bits, but the German bits (brakes and steering) were metric. I bought some new tools in 1969, always a happy event. By the way, it did not take long for me to start calling that car the Black Lemon. Next new car I bought was a Honda, which was all metric.

Larry
 
Before we were married my wife had a Renault. She took it to sears for an oil change and they used the wrong oil filter. Renault switched from English to metric threads on the filters during that model year. destroyed engine. they tried to find rebuilt engine and had to buy her a brand new engine but they took all summer to to this and only gave her a rental for one week.
Bill D.
 
Newman109 said:
That's very lose to 24mm.....:)
Click to expand...

24.209mm is not the same and .0082" makes a difference---trust me. It baffled me for a reason, even thought "naw it's got to be round corners on the nut or something", right? Wrong. It is NOT 24mm.

Actually it's close enough that a 31/32" fits okay, but a little loose.

R
 
You guys change your oil?

I've put 60K hard, hard miles on a 93 Dodge 360, no oil changes. Still running like a champ for a local contractor.

I have an '03 6.0 Powerstroke that hasn't had an oil change since 2013 at 265,000. It has 319,000 now. It isn't worth the oil anyway. I like to warm it up by holding it on the rev limiter.

Owned a lot of 5.9 and 6.7 Cummins trucks. The only oil changes I have given them is right after break in. I've gone 3+ years without popping the hood on a 12 valve truck. I think they should just eliminate the dipstick and drain on 12 valves. Last one I installed made enough power to instantly broil 4 tires and the oil is still bright and clear with 3500 miles on it.
 
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