Why do Americans hate drain plugs? Drive line oil change queries.

[edgephoto]

That is one thing I always appreciated about my old British cars - they had a drain plug for everything. Radiator, engine block, transmission and rear axle.

I was a little disappinted that the very late year transmission I got for the British car did away with the dipstick for checking the level (but still has the drainplug at least). Now instead of just checking it every fillup like the engine oil I have to get the car up while keeping it level and make a horrifying mess to check it.

I love British cars and have owned many over the years. The ironic thing about them is the drain plug is about the only thing that doesn't leak on them.

 

[Jordi]

I love British cars and have owned many over the years. The ironic thing about them is the drain plug is about the only thing that doesn't leak on them.

Yup. Seals, gaskets, hubs, windows, sunroof.

Depending on what era car. A mate of mine has a selection of what we both agree are some of the best worst cars. 70s British motors, austins, triumphs, vauxhalls.

So bad they are strangely good.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

Nice deflection. Of course I don’t think Kyla in accounting and Kyle in sales understand or even give a f. But they are not driving 300k-400k mile whatever’s on the original transmission with 0 service since the factory fill.

You're taking this wildly personally

I love it.

Woke up this morning in Ionia Michigan, drove my 130,000 mile Ram to Lockport Illinois, headed to Muscatine IA this afternoon before going back home to Ionia tonight.

Factory fill on everything, cheapest quick lube oil in the crank case

Same as every other normal American.

 

[YakkoWarner]

I love British cars and have owned many over the years. The ironic thing about them is the drain plug is about the only thing that doesn't leak on them.

That is pure truth. I just had do a transmission swap last month on the current project MGB - it leaked out of every place it shouldn't have, and was strangely clean in the places you'd expect leaks. Front and rear seals - perfect. Everywhere else - its raining 20-50!! I've never seen oil leak out of the seal between the 2 halves before, but it did. Repairing that would have involved a full rebuild.

 

[Grit dog]

You're taking this wildly personally

I love it.

Woke up this morning in Ionia Michigan, drove my 130,000 mile Ram to Lockport Illinois, headed to Muscatine IA this afternoon before going back home to Ionia tonight.

Factory fill on everything, cheapest quick lube oil in the crank case

Same as every other normal American.

It’s all good. Nothing personal at all. Glad it works for you.
FWIW, the number of 100-200k Rams I see for sale for too much $ with a “new transmission” x number of miles ago is, well, a lot.
Keep on truckin! I’m sure you’ll get 400k outta that slushbox runnin on atf that looks like 10k mile 10-w40 that came out of an old square body!

 

[Fat 454]

That is pure truth. I just had do a transmission swap last month on the current project MGB - it leaked out of every place it shouldn't have, and was strangely clean in the places you'd expect leaks. Front and rear seals - perfect. Everywhere else - its raining 20-50!! I've never seen oil leak out of the seal between the 2 halves before, but it did. Repairing that would have involved a full rebuild.

"External" oil lubrication that used to be known as, back in the day ...

 

[bucket]

I've run multiple vehicles from brand new to well over 200, 300, and one over 400k, and never changed a single fluid but the oil.

I could care less about drain plugs.

My dad has done the same. Engine oil changes and that's it. They have been mostly all highway miles on all of them. All of them kept clean and in good operational condition. All of them sold off in excellent condition as well.
Dad's drivers:
1979 Chevy Caprice
1983 Chevy Cavalier wagon
1987 Chevy Celebrity wagon
1992 Chevy Lumina APV
1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
2003 Buick Rendezvous
2011? Buick Enclave (still has it)

....All of them with 250k or more miles on them. No trans flushes. No coolant flushes. No brake fuid flushes, etc.

 

[Fat 454]

...All of them with 250k or more miles on them. No trans flushes. No coolant flushes. No brake fuid flushes, etc.

Yep, that's when the 3rd owner usually buys them ( like me, for my kids ) - engine rebuild, trans rebuild, new brakes, new suspension - if the body and electrics are OK. .... get another 10 years out of them then.

Mind you - doubt there will be a 3rd owner economy for EV / Hybrids and post 2010 vehicles, when the electrics all go on the fritz..should be interesting to see where people get "cheap" transportation then ??

 

[bucket]

Yep, that's when the 3rd owner usually buys them ( like me, for my kids ) - engine rebuild, trans rebuild, new brakes, new suspension - if the body and electrics are OK. .... get another 10 years out of them then.

Mind you - doubt there will be a 3rd owner economy for EV / Hybrids and post 2010 vehicles, when the electrics all go on the fritz..should be interesting to see where people get "cheap" transportation then ??

A few of them were sold to people we know and they got many more years of reliable service out of them.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

Yep, that's when the 3rd owner usually buys them ( like me, for my kids ) - engine rebuild, trans rebuild, new brakes, new suspension - if the body and electrics are OK. .... get another 10 years out of them then.

Mind you - doubt there will be a 3rd owner economy for EV / Hybrids and post 2010 vehicles, when the electrics all go on the fritz..should be interesting to see where people get "cheap" transportation then ??

I'm the second owner of my Tesla, it has 170k on it, wife piles about 120 miles per day onto it.

With her mileage rate, pays us about 200 a week to drive it.