The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Oil Change Tricks

I changed the oil in both my wife's car and my regular driver truck this weekend. I remembered some of the tricks I've heard of. I didnt do any but here are the one's I've heard.

1. Drain overnight so as to get every last drop.

2. Pour 1 quart of cheap oil through before replacing the plug so as to flush any lingering dirt.

3. Warm up new oil in shop microwave before adding to engine.

4. Fill oil filter with oil before screwing it on.

Any others?

Yea, here's a few
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1) Dip your finger in the oil and coat it on the rim of the oil filter so it'll screw on easier.

2) After you pour out the first bottle of oil, get a pocket-knife and cut the bottom off. then leave that one in there, and pour the rest of the oil into that. It's like a home-made funnel.

Hmm what else...
Thanks, I hadn't thought of some of those!

number 1] should be warm engine well b4 draining to loosen the most sludge

Bill

Bill - I like #3 - the part about the "shop microwave"? Wow!

Running a quart of oil thru there is just a waste of time & oil, same as overnight drain-if the oil is hot enough to burn your hand any dirt/metal etc. will be suspended in the oil. If it doesn't burn your hand,its not hot enough to change. Brian

I/m not sure if its the same every where, but here in Walmart they are selling oil in gallon jugs, so this one is good to use,

...first bottle of oil, get a pocket-knife and cut the bottom off...and pour the rest of the oil into that....home-made funnel.

I used this one myself just yeasterday. My 454 takes 7 quarts when empty, so I had to buy one gallon jug and two quarts, next time I'll get two gallons, as there was some kind of use tax that was the same on either the quart or gallon.....

I don't know why warming the oil is any good. I guess it will run out of the can quicker that way.

As far as pouring a quart of cheap oil....if you've already drained overnight (not necessary, IMHO), then every last drop of oil and dirt is already gone.

And are you planning to let it drain overnight AGAIN to get all that cheap oil out of your engine?

I thought the reason they went to plastic bottles was the quick homemade-funnel-w/pocketknife idea. Brian

One good thing to keep in mind is to use rubber gloves (surgical style) whenever you can. Putting your bare hands in used oil, gasoline, varsol etc. can lead to cancer, so studies indicate.

As a young guy I had my hands in stuff like that up to my elbows all the time. Growing up around a farm seemed to provide an environment for getting your hands in petroleum products. I worked around airplanes for a couple of years prior to flying them. We thought nothing of having our hands in varsol while de-sludging prop domes or cleaning other parts of engines. Over the years I always changed my own oil in vehicles and invariably got my hands covered. Gasoline was a quick way of 'cleaning up'.

Well, today I have Multiple Myeloma which just 'might' have a root cause from petroleum products.

So----especially you young guys---Use da gloves!!

Cheers, George

The problems of changing oil is over.When the old bones just can't take it anymore.Take your car or truck to a quick lub change station.With the price of a qt of oil going up everyday.There is not much of a savings,doing it yourself anymore.

I have dumped a quart of diesel through it before I put the plug back in and it seems to clean out most of the gunk left in the pan.

My problem with taking it to a quick change place is they don't know how to secure the oil filter on, or put the drain plug back in securely. I have had this problem twice, so I went back to doing it myself or having my latest mechanic do it when he's fixing other stuff already.

If I could find a good quick change place that did right, I'd take it to them.

-W

Funny you should mention that, Woog.....While leaving work one day, a red Porsche 9something passed in front of me to get onto the exit ramp. I remember the incident vividly because the car sounded as if it was about to come apart. Once I got on the interstate, I passed the car pulled over on the shoulder.... I asked him if he wanted a ride, and if he knew what had happened. He told me the car just stopped, and he tried to turn it over and it spun real fast (in his own words)....Come to find out, he had just left from getting his oil changed at one of the local quickie oil change shops. I looked under the car, and the bottom side was covered with fresh, clean oil. When the attendant at the oil change shop spun the old filter off, he didn't look to see if the old gasket came off with it. He spun the new filter back on, and as soon as the engine heated up, the old gasket slipped off and all the pretty new oil came out.

I change my own oil, and ALWAYS make it a point to check (usually about 3 or 4 times) to see if the old gasket came off with the filter.

Actually, I've noticed a huge gap between doing it myself and having a lube place do it. For example, I saw (on sale) an oil change for $15.95, and decided on doing it myself - for $8.56, the whole price.

I'm with Woogeroo ... those quick-change joints can do some pretty stupid things!

They forgot to put the plug back in on my buddy's rear end (no pun intended) ... these guys aren't mechanics and they don't care about the job they're doing (usually).

I'd never trust my truck to such places. Even pro mechanics -- I always inspect any job done on my truck when I get it back home, and I always find myself fixing something a mechanic did!

Up here those quick change places (I guess all service stations do it too) charge to recycle the oil cans, old oil and the oil filter. Plus extra for the shop rags. Those $29.95 oil changes can cost up to $40.00 with those charges and taxes. I can buy a 4 litre jug of Quaker State at Wally World for less than $10.00 and a Fram filter for about $3.00, plus taxes and container recycling fee. My whole oil and lube job will be less than $15.00. I bought a grease gun years back and do the AD trucks every 1000 miles as is specified. Furthermore I enjoy doing it. Our local recycling yard takes the old oil for no charge.

I have a Fram Sure Drain on my truck. It works great when I quick connect to the sure drain with the vacuum system at work. It just sucks all of the oil out of my engine. I always make sure my engine is at operating temperature before sucking the oil out. Then, I use a pressurized oil tank to fill the engine with new fluids. This almost makes it fun to change oil!

Phil

Here's my opinion on this subject. First I wouldn't drain the oil overnight, chances are most of the oil will come out of the main and rod bearings, making them start up dry. Second, I wouldn't dump any used (dirty) oil back into the engine, more dirt will stay on the topside than will be flushed out. If your oil is that dirty to begin with, change it more often. Third, I've never heard of pre-warming your oil before, I like it at room temperature for easy pourability. Fourth, filling the filter is a good idea as long as it mounts vertically, otherwise you're just going to make a big mess. What I do is drive the vehicle until full warm, pull the filter as soon as possible and let drain while preparing the new one. Grease or oil the new filter seal and install. Drain the oil from the pan and while it's draining I check the tire pressures, coolant level and washer solvent level. Then I put the oil in as soon as I'm done with the other checks. The engine is still hot enough to pre-warm the oil if that's what you're into and the start it up, check for leaks and recheck oil level. That's what I do anyway,
Scott

I quit using the local quick-change place (ain't mentioning names but their initials are Jiffy Lube) when I specifically asked them to check the hydraulic clutch fluid level on my Jeep Renegade . . . and I lost the clutch the next day because it was dry.

I like those catch and carry oil disposal containers . I fashioned a cylinder/tube out of chicken wire that is just shy of the disposal container's diameter. I used more chicken wire to cover one end. When I'm done pouring the oil into the motor, I place that cylinder on top of the disposal container and turn the 'empty' plastic oil containers upside down in the cylinder. The excess drains into the oil container.

Have any of you tried this?

As they say in McDonald land,Have it your way.I think I'll change may oil now.

Jarge,
things have changed, haven't they? The shop manual talks about using gasoline to clean the air filter element and also to loosen the glass from the rubber mounting in the vent window.

Fred

Yup I do the normal stuff like 48BigTrucks mentioned. I knew all those other things that I'd heard of sounded odd and wanted to see if there were any other "tricks" that I hadn't heard of yet.

Would not advise draining the oil overnight but if you do......Put a large note over the key switch to remind yourself or to alert your wife/son/daughter before you cook the bearings. Even better, pull the coil wire until you refill.

4d9r what I do is put the oil bottle on the seat and put the key in my tool box. How many remember the racks they used to have at service stations which would hold about 6 recently emptied oil cans. The oil cans were mounted inverted on an angle and all the new oil which did not come out of the cans got drained into a new can. Those were the cans they opened with a vee shaped opener. Plus a smaller hole on the opposite side to let the air in. The good old days!

Jarge, good advice. I use Nitrile gloves all the time. In fact if I don't have gloves on I don't want to touch anything, and usually don't. My hands don't betray my occupation any more.

Anyone can make a mistake. I just bought a car for my daughter. The last thing they did after detailing it was a service. Then it came to me, supposely ready to go. I looked it over Saturday afternoon before she came to pick it up. The battery was loose, hold down bracket was installed backwards. Probably done by the PO as it was an Everstart battery. The engine had 1 quart too many in it. This is a Ford dealership that does a lot of work in these parts! Mike

I would never let the oil drain overnight. In fact I put in the plug & pour in some oil as soon as it has drained suficiantly. The oil pump can lose its prime & run the engine without pressure quite some time. I saw onetime a guy ruined his engine because the pressure never did come up. He just sat there gunning it trying to get the light to go out.

Norse, I use the same drain pan, works great. When I ran a big truck shop, we used those valves. Worked great, never had a problem.

I use my wifes turkey baster to get the oil out of my filter canister. Works pretty well, even though it takes a few minutes. I wipe the canister out with a clean rag before refilling. To dispose of our used oil, I converted my dads wood burning shop stove to burn oil. I mounted a reservior to the shop wall and tapped in a ball valve to the bottom side and attached that to a 1/2" copper line. The copper line is wound around the chimney pipe a few times and then tapped into the top of the stove. I layed a 1/4" thick splash pan in the bottom of the stove where the oil can drip and splash on it. Then you just start a small fire with paper and adjust the valve to where it is just dripping a drop every second or two. After it warms up good, it makes a whooosh at every drop and keeps a roaring fire going all day. Its cheap and uses up all the used oil we generate.
Ralph

I assume its common knowledge cause nobody mentioned it, but I will.
Park on level surface.
Thanks to all for the good tips.

Definitely check for the filter gasket, I lost 5 quarts of fresh pennzoil one time courtesy of a cheap Fram gasket that decided to stay on the motor instead of the old filter...thankfully it happened in the driveway

If you dont have an oil catch basin use an empty liquid detergent Tide container (2.5 gal.). I cut the top off and use it to catch the oil. It still has the handle for carrying and you can refill the empty oil bottles using the dispenser button on the container.

I use my old oil to keep the deck on my lawnmower from rusting out. Every time I get done cutting grass, I wash the deck off with water, let it air dry, then use a paintbrush to slap some used oil on the underside of the deck. Lasts for years.

Just make sure you don't park it somewhere you don't want oil stains......

I painted the inside of some flower boxes with used oil. Flowers are growing great and the box still looks like new. No I wouldnt add it to my garden or anything like that.

One thing we all agree on.stay away from those quick lube places.