may be a dumb question but what the heck

Is my cavalier metric or imperial?

1994 Cavalier RS 2.2L

Nah, bud, not a dumb ?. The L is metric designation for former SAE displacement size of your engine. SAE is roughly 140 c.i.

so everything on it is metric?

so everything on it is metric?

now, this may sound like a dumb question, but what do you mean by "everything"?

No, not "everything" on the car is metric. However, most bolts and measurements on the engine are metric. Example, you need a 13mm socket, where you used to use a 1/2" socket. You probably will also be finding TORX bolts alot, which are metric numeral sizing.

You'll find a great mix of the two! Good ol' GM!

ayep!!!!!!! Good idea to have both metric and SAE sized tools. Also, invest in a torx bit kit, for those small bolts/screws ubiquitous to every car after the mid-80's. T20 is a heavily-used size, but you need a range of sizes for all the silly stuff the engineers decided to use.

ayep!!!!!!! Good idea to have both metric and SAE sized tools. Also, invest in a torx bit kit, for those small bolts/screws ubiquitous to every car after the mid-80's. T20 is a heavily-used size, but you need a range of sizes for all the silly stuff the engineers decided to use.

Yeah Torx are GREAT! NOT. I twisted, striped, snaped 5 bits trying to get the caliper bolts off an 88 Z24 about 3 years ago. They were hardened impact bits too! Not exactly cheap! Why couldn't they just use bolts?! Why what's wrong with them?!?!?!?!?!

Ya silly, I bet it was a T50. did ya spray the bolt prior to wrenching on it? man, noshun must think I stalking the dude, not the case, bud, just following threads of late, no worries.

Ya silly, I bet it was a T50. did ya spray the bolt prior to wrenching on it? man, noshun must think I stalking the dude, not the case, bud, just following threads of late, no worries.

Sprayed it and left it overnight with about 1/2 a can can WD-40 on it using a T-55! Someone over torqued 'em with an impact wrench is my guess!

lesson learned, then. JoeCool, always, always have real Vise-grip pliers in your box. This is bit OT, since I relying more to noshun, but a frozen or over-torqued TORX can almost always be broken oose with applicatiion of Vise-Grip, tightest you can man-handle it, a little heat, and judicious tapping on the pliers.