birdflu

After reading the posts about sky falling and C7 engines exploding due to metal particles in the oil, I got a bit concerned and decided to check my drain plugs for peace of mind. I changed the factory oil/filter/drain plugs at 600 miles. The car has 2200 on it today, and the oil level has not dropped at all in the last 1600 miles.

I was happy to see the normal build up on the first plug I removed - the plug facing the drivers side. When I removed the forward facing plug, I was even happier to see almost nothing on it all.

Which raises the question - why would one drain plug have a nice ball of metal particles on the end, and the other almost none at all?

John Micheal Henry

Your making alot of fast right hand turns?

vettetwo

Where did you buy those magnetic drain plugs? They look like OEM plugs with magnets like GM used to sell. Or are they still available from GM?

birdflu

$6 at AutoZone.

Cruiter

Could it just be the way the oil flows differently over them? Just guessing, don't have a clue.

vettetwo

The plugs I saw at Autozone did not have the captive gasket...it was separate and non-reusable. Yours are captive and usable at least a couple of times.

SilverScorp

The one on the left has real metal attached to it.

SSTG

Funny, this thread has hardly any replies since it's not stating the sky is falling!

Good news OP and thanks for sharing.

Vetteman Jack

Don't know why there is a difference on the amount of metal shavings on the end of each plug, but it looks like they work well.

birdflu

funny how that works on the interweb.

mjw930

2 plugs so I'll assume Z51. The main sump plug is before the filter, the plug that drains the tank is after the filter.

WelderGuy

I've done every oil change on my '00 Silverado 4.8l V8 since it was new, and the TOTAL amount of stuff I've seen on the magnetic drain plug is less than what you've got on those two.

JoesC5

That is incorrect. The oil pan sump has one drain plug and is before the oil is picked up by the first stage oil pump(that pumps oil to the reservoir), and the second drain plug is located between the reservoir and the second stage oil pump(that pumps the oil to the oil filter and then to the bearings, etc.).

birdflu

If you are looking from the front, one is in the front, the other on the side. Both are before the oil filter.

JoesC5

It's clear that you have no idea about how the dry sump system is plumbed. The oil drain plug at the front of the oil pan does not extend into the oil pan; it extends into the oil line that runs from the reservoir to the 2nd stage oil pump. That oil line is cast into the aluminum oil pan. To the novice, it appears to drain the oil pan, but does not. If you had actually changed the oil in a dry sump Corvette you would know that when you remove the drain plug on the side of the oil pan just in front of the oil filter, only about a quart of oil drains out because that is all the oil that is in the oil pan's sump. When you remove the front drain plug, you will get around 9 qts of oil as the front drain plug opens the oil line that is cast into the oil pan, and therefore it drains the oil that is held in the remote reservoir. When you remove the oil filter you will get about a half quart that is held in the oil filter and in the block's oil passages above the oil filter.

Ben@WeaponX

I sell the magnetic drain plugs with gaskets on my site fellas

descartesfool

The picture above is not for a C7 oil pan. Here is an LT1 engine oil pan from the C7. Note all of the baffling preventing oil from moving away from the central pickup during high G cornering or braking.




and with the tray installed




Info here on the LT1 dry sump pump and the enhanced windage tray and oil pan used in the Z51 option

http://www.corvette-web-central.com/LT1oilpump.html

JoesC5

And the top two oil pans you show are for a wet sump LT1, not the dry sump LT1.

I used a photo of the LS7's dry sump oil pan as it better shows the cast in oil line plumbing, that the wet sump oil pan doesn't have.

birdflu

Look at that. After a couple snide comments, you contributed some useful information to this thread. Thanks.

No, I didn't know about how it was plumbed, which is why I asked. When I changed the oil in my C6 Z06 and my C7, I use a fluid evacuator to empty the reservoir. When both plugs are removed, about 1 quart comes out of each hole.

Now that we know the plug with all the metal shavings is the one that is actually at the bottom of the pan, perhaps there is no reason for a magnetic plug in the other location?

Also, for those who installed, or want to install a magnetic plug in the oil pan there is no reason to drain all the oil, so it's practical to check the magnetic drain plug more often. When I checked that plug the other day, I had the original plug in my other hand. When the magnetic plug came out, I quickly screwed in the original plug. I didn't lose 1/2 quart of oil in the whole process.

If welderguy is correct, and that is excessive I may check it every couple hundred miles.

JoesC5

maybe this diagram will help you.



The drain plug located on the side of the oil pan is in the sump (11). The drain plug at the front of the oil pan is located in the dark oil line between the reservoir(3) and the second stage oil pump(14).

Please notice that both drain plugs are before the filter(10). My "snide remarks was directed to mjw930 who posted the following

"2 plugs so I'll assume Z51. The main sump plug is before the filter, the plug that drains the tank is after the filter."

My reply was "That is incorrect. The oil pan sump has one drain plug and is before the oil is picked up by the first stage oil pump(that pumps oil to the reservoir), and the second drain plug is located between the reservoir and the second stage oil pump(that pumps the oil to the oil filter and then to the bearings, etc.)."

Now tell me. What was "snide" about my reply to mjw930, who was 100% wrong in his post.

It was clear that you had no idea what you were talking about in your reply to me, thus I did get a little testy with you.