Why are the oil drain holes at a 45 degree angle?

[red-beard]

Is it to create a mess on the floor/driveway? Cause it always creates a mess on the floor.

[sammyg2]

[Bill Douglas]

Yep, they're definitely trying to mess with ya.

Also on the Corolla. The oil filter is right next to a sizzling hot exhaust manifold

[legion]

My Mustang has the oil drain plug on the back of the pan at a 45º angle. I thought it was so that when I put the front wheels on ramps, the oil would drain to the back.

[sammyg2]

I like it when they put the drain plug above a skid plate or crossmember.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

you guys have it easy, my Toyota 4Runner oil filter is screwed to the engine block upside down

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

you guys have it easy, my Toyota 4Runner oil filter is screwed to the engine block upside down

rotisserie

you're welcome

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Originally Posted by Noah930

rotisserie

you're welcome

it's an Australian import

[Zeke]

So you can keep your fingers near the top and not get them into the oil stream (especially when it's hot!).

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by legion

My Mustang has the oil drain plug on the back of the pan at a 45º angle. I thought it was so that when I put the front wheels on ramps, the oil would drain to the back.

It's so pedestrians don't get wrapped around the drain plug

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

It's so pedestrians don't get wrapped around the drain plug

Bill is on to it - keeps the drain plug above the bottom in case the pan hits something your plug is a little protected.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

you guys have it easy, my Toyota 4Runner oil filter is screwed to the engine block upside down

Ditto the mopar flat 6.

Use a shallow but large capacity drain pan with a wide opening...mine has a 16" dia. opening to drain into. Pretty hard to miss.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

you guys have it easy, my Toyota 4Runner oil filter is screwed to the engine block upside down

Just one?





Sorry for the hijack, but how many hose clamps can you fit on an upper radiator hose?

[speeder]

Originally Posted by legion

My Mustang has the oil drain plug on the back of the pan at a 45º angle. I thought it was so that when I put the front wheels on ramps, the oil would drain to the back.

If you change your oil on ramps like that, you actually need to raise the rear of the car w a floor jack and level it to get all of the oil out. Try it some time and see; drain as much as you can w it on the ramps and then raise the rear and watch a whole 'nother half a qt. come out.

I've always thought that the last of the oil to drain has the most dirt in it. Think of draining a swimming pool, all the crap is on the bottom.

[BeeMaster]

Also keep a eye out for double hump pans. My moms 80s cougar 255? Had a double hump pan. Engine got rebuilt because my uncle didn’t know.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by BeeMaster

Also keep a eye out for double hump pans. My moms 80s cougar 255? Had a double hump pan. Engine got rebuilt because my uncle didn’t know.

What is that, two drain plugs?

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

you guys have it easy, my Toyota 4Runner oil filter is screwed to the engine block upside down

My FJ Cruiser is the same, except there is a collar around the base of the filter with a little drain hole, I put a dixie cup under it, all the spilled oil runs into the cup.

Old RX-7's had an upside down filter too, you got used to wrapping a decent size rag around it as the seal broke to catch all the oil..

[BeeMaster]

Originally Posted by speeder

What is that, two drain plugs?

Yep, 2 drain plugs with a high spot in the center of the pan so if you only drain one all the junk accumulates on the other side of the pan. I don’t know of anyone that has one anymore.

[BeeMaster]

As for the original post, A c12 cat has it on the side and it shoots a 1 inch stream 3 feet to side. Talk about a mess if the 15 gallon pan isn’t in the right spot. 9 + gallons in the engine.

[speeder]

If you know how to change oil, it doesn't matter how far it "shoots" or how much comes out, it's easy to catch it. Step #1 is to make sure that you have a larger enough receptacle and that it's empty. It needs to be empty because if you are not sure how far the stream is going to shoot, you hold the container up and close to the drain plug and then gradually move it away and set it down where it needs to be on the ground. I do this all the time and never spill a drop, even from my 7.3 Powerstroke that releases 4 gallons of hot, dirty oil when the drain plug is removed.