I'm in the middle of an oil change, which way do I turn the drain plug? I'm unsrewing fron the driver side. Do I turn it toward the passenger side? THANKS!

It's a standard right-handed thread. You unscrew it as you'd unscrew any standard RH bolt.

While looking upward at the drain plug from underneath, to unscrew it you would turn it so the driver's side of the hex is moved toward the front bumper.

Don't burn your face with the hot oil.

Don,

This is very helpful, but how does it apply to Australia?

Here in Australia not only is the driver's side the other side, we are even upside down compared to you guys. Total confusion!

George Antony

It's a wonder you guys don't fall off. Watch out, it's a long way down too!

(sorry, I pale in comparison to Don and Mit)

(;=)

I forgot to ask which way the clocks spin in Australia -- before the beer, I mean.

Anyway, when pondering a drain plug, the idea of "counter clockwise" could be a concept worth considering.... That is, unless clocks go t'other way 'round when they're below the equator..... Coriolis Forces, and so on.....

> I forgot to ask which way the clocks spin in Australia -- before the

> beer, I mean.

> Anyway, when pondering a drain plug, the idea of "counter

> clockwise" could be a concept worth considering.... That is,

> unless clocks go t'other way 'round when they're below the

> equator..... Coriolis Forces, and so on.....

Don,

I am glad to report that clocks appear to be one of the few successful cases of complete international standardization. Wherever I went in the world, they all went clockwise, bar a few examples of beer-company giveaways obviously designed to cancel out some effects of the product. However, the digital revolution will erode the usefulness of the term for the younger generations.

As for which way the beer sloshes down one's gullet on the southern hemisphere, sadly I cannot help you. I am anatomically ill equipped to observe myself and too shy to experiment on others.

George Antony

"Wherever I went in the world, they all went clockwise, bar a few examples of beer-company giveaways obviously designed to cancel out some effects of the product..."

Ahhh..... A bit of illogical logic! I love it! And you've done it well!

The notion of "clockwise" is related to whichever way the clock runs in order to display time. So those beer giveaway clocks spin clockwise, even if it's a different clockwise than another clockwise.

One good spin deserves another..........

Obviously, "clockwise" is the same rotation as required to tighten a bolt....

"...Australia not only is the driver's side the other side, we are even upside down compared to you guys. Total confusion!"

Wow, you're right! But since you're upside down AND backwards, the two things cancel and it all works. Or maybe not. Perhaps it works if you use your other hand, the one on the passenger's side.

Clearly, the only solution is to not drain your oil but have a beer instead.

Now to deal with reinstallation.

Friday I was involved in torquing some tunaquatta inch bolts to 3000lbs/ft.

Used a 22 pound hammer and a slug wrench. Took a long time too, because gravity is stronger than it was twenty years ago.

I don't think that the drain plug needs to be that tight.

"...torquing some tunaquatta inch bolts...don't think that the drain plug needs to be that tight..."

Not only that, but it's a tweniphi milly meter head. I should think a 5 pound hammer would be enough.

"...bolts to 3000lbs/ft..."

Wow! Did you use locktite?

"...because gravity is stronger than it was twenty years ago..."

Only north of Boston. So many people have moved to the South Shore in the last tweni years that they're absorbing the extra gravity, and we don't have enough to go 'round. The next thing will be a gravity tax based on your weight -- not a very attractive idea.

Weak gravity-now there's an excuse for your light-headedness. And you had to go and make it complicated. I deliberately left out half the lug nots n a Dodge Dart, and half the knockoffs on and MGA.

Wonder what color the gas caps are in Australia?

Yeah, we kinda float through life. Better yet, every beer is a "lite" beer.

"I deliberately left out half the lug nots n a Dodge Dart, and half the knockoffs on and MGA..."

Thus they have none.

"Wonder what color the gas caps are in Australia?"

I didn't know they had gas caps in Australia.

> I didn't know they had gas caps in Australia.

I can't imagine how they could manage without them. Being upside down and all, wouldn't the gas just come pouring out without a cap to hold it in? Simply a matter of fizzicks, gravitight and flewid dinamix applied in the Aussie parallel universe.

"...Being upside down and all..."

Good point. I always wondered why they didn't fall off the Earth It must be the subequatorial reverse-spin gyroscopic Coriolis effect that's so attractive, not to mention the Foster's beer....

Backyard Mechanic's nursery rhyme:

Righty tighty, Lefty loosey...

hope that helps...

General rule of thumb: Righty-tighty, Lefty-loosey.

Determine direction looking straight at the offending hexagonal object.

RHANKS DON AND MIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!