Metric or Imperial

[Joe_Cool97]

may be a dumb question but what the heck

Is my cavalier metric or imperial?

1994 Cavalier RS 2.2L

[Knifeblade]

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

[Joe_Cool97]

so everything on it is metric?

[lemonowner]

Originally Posted by Joe_Cool97

so everything on it is metric?

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

[Knifeblade]

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.

[noshun]

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

[Knifeblade]

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.

[noshun]

Originally Posted by Knifeblade_03

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?!?!?!?!?!

[Knifeblade]

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.

[noshun]

Originally Posted by Knifeblade_03

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!

[Knifeblade]

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.