TougeHorseman

Oh yes, and that extra bit of metal hanging off the engine's oil pan could become a serious issue if the stars are aligned incorrectly...

Case in point:


Honestly, I do believe that this part introduces "unnecessary risk".
I was that 0.000001% that had the absolute perfect storm for the valve to be an actual liability.
Granted, this incident occurred in the context of having a spoon x-brace, which reduced ground clearance immediately below the valve.

The size of a boulder needed to impact a spoon x-brace sufficient to enter the oil drain valve into the "crumple zone":


The display of damage to the valve and oil pan. Notice how the valve protrudes farther away from the oil pain than the OEM drain bolt would. And notice how the impact of the bent spoon x-brace has forced the valve at an upward angle, which ended up putting stress on the pan, thus cracking it:


A bit closer look:


Note that the orientation of the valve was correct originally, and it was freely spinning after the area of the pan with the drain port threads was literally cracked in half.

tkeyyy

^ btw casey, it looks like someone just placed it there. that big of a 'flat' boulder/rock in the middle of the road, makes no sense at all.

i don't think your situation applies to anyone else since they don't have spoon x-braces

seems like you hit that rock pretty hard for the brace to look like that

Thateguhate

I agree.. That's alot of damage considering and in my 3 years of solid moto riding through many backroads I never once encountered a boulder that large square in the middle of the lane.

macr88

Consider yourselves lucky to have not witnessed a rock or mini boulder dead center. I unfortunately have witnessed a rock dead center at the end of a corner and unlike Casey's mine was stationary and it was still unavoidable. I didn't get on the brakes and that may have saved me a tow home in my Scirocco, luckily the rock just put a tiny hole in the pan.

Shit happens and just because you have yet to witness it you shouldn't exclude it.

andrewhake

The stuff you want the magnetic plug to get on it you shouldn't be able to see anyway. Unless you have Raccoon retinas or something.

You know what is better than an oil drain valve? A shop I take my car to, I put my oil and filter next to my car and the oil magically changes itself while I watch.. Just like in Gran Turismo.

In the first 2 months of driving the bay area mountains I had close calls with more rocks and mini boulders than I can even count. Consider yourself extraordinarily lucky sir. I have driven over some pretty brutal rock minefields that were strewn along the entire width of the road. And discarded safety flare minefields, and roadkill minefields..

It's those rascally deer that seem to cause big rocks to fall into the road. I have seen it first hand on multiple roads. They are just doing their deer thing crossing the road and then they climb the steep face near the road and knock all sorts of crap onto the road. I have tried to get the bay area deer to where orange safety vests and learn some circuit stewarding skills but they just don't have the attention span for it.

Thateguhate

I had more run ins with cyclists and cars overtaking where they shouldn't.. The cars would make me clentch my cheeks together every now and then no rocks though..

clio

If you come across rocks or boulders at speed your car is probably going to suffer regardless. I use the drain valve and the lockout requires force from 2 directions in the correct sequence to open.

andrewhake

What if someone reaches under your car and drains all of your oil? Black gold!

rob-2

love this product. it's a great buy and the non-user nay sayers are foolish

macr88

< foolish