Extending oil drain

[dennis]

Have a Briggs/Stratton mod 215802, type 0114-E1, code 050726ZA. The oil drain plug, according to the parts list, is 3/8" Standard. I was going to put a 3/8" pipe nipple to extend the drain opening beyond the frame. The pipe nipple is an NTP thread. Is that compatible?

[Skywatcher]

Hi Dennis

Yes, this is perfectly compatible. I believe this is one of the reasons why B&S use pipe thread was to make oil drain extensions easy to install. The only thing to be aware of is make sure the extension is not somewhere where it can be damaged or broken off, thus draining the engine oil while in operation. Installing a 90º or 45º elbow on the end of the extension will reduce the risk of the extension unthreading from the engine when removing the oil drain plug. All the best,

Sky

[dennis]

Thanks, Sky. Good suggestion. I wonder why they show a 3/8 Standard, instead of 3/8 NPT, for the plug in the IPL?

[Skywatcher]

Hi Again Dennis

My guess is that ⅜" NPT is standard throughout the B&S line of engines. Looking at the two side by each, ⅜" pipe thread is a whole lot bigger than ⅜-16 bolt thread. If you have an engine with a really awkwardly positioned oil drain plug, Drainzit.com oil drain extensions can come in really handy. All the best,

Sky

[bgsengine]

Thanks, Sky. Good suggestion. I wonder why they show a 3/8 Standard, instead of 3/8 NPT, for the plug in the IPL?

3/8" STANDARD PIPE is the pipe size/diameter.... Threaded or not.. so, if it is threaded it's 3/8 pipe thread AKA 3/8 NPT (National Pipe Thread) Generally, if it is pipe or tube of some type, and offered in an Imperial measurement (as opposed to millimeters) then it is typically a standard NPT pipe thread - same goes for the screw in mufflers (1/2" NPT and 3/4" NPT being common) there's also 1/4 pipe drain holes (more common on Tecumseh snow king) ... and for metric, seems the most common size is 14mm (you could thread in a spark plug to the oil drain hole)

[dennis]

Thanks for information, bgsengine.

[Skywatcher]

Hi BG

The way I had the differences explained to me when I first came to Canada was pipe was measured by the nominal inside diameter whereas tubing is measured by the actual outside diameter. Therefore, ⅜" pipe has an outside diameter of around ¾" whereas ⅜" tubing will have an inside diameter of ¼" to 5/16" depending on the pressure rating of the tubing. Was I taught correctly or was someone pulling the wool over my eyes? All the best,

Sky

[bgsengine]

Hi BG

The way I had the differences explained to me when I first came to Canada was pipe was measured by the nominal inside diameter whereas tubing is measured by the actual outside diameter. Therefore, ⅜" pipe has an outside diameter of around ¾" whereas ⅜" tubing will have an inside diameter of ¼" to 5/16" depending on the pressure rating of the tubing. Was I taught correctly or was someone pulling the wool over my eyes? All the best,

Sky

No, you got it pretty much correct... as a general rule of thumb... helps to realize the reasons - Pipes are used to transport something, and tubes to construct something; hence, tubes are defined by the outside diameter and wall thickness (for construction stability), and pipes are measured by inside diameter to allow a calculation for how much volume the pipe can carry... (I.D., using Pi to get area, multiply by length = volume of a given dimension of pipe... calculations can then be made to compare things like flow rates of a given material, finish, etc.. or pressure limits, and so on.. which is why many fuel lines are measured by the I.D. as well... even though they are called tubing.. )