2007 5.7 Hemi first oil change

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My 15 year old son bought his Charger from a guy who told him it was "due for an oil change". When we did that last night the oil was pretty dirty looking, but what concerned me was the sludge on the old oil filter. The strange thing was that it was all on the outside of the rubber gasket. The pic doesn't seem to show the amount that was there. I wish I would have pulled an oil sample, but didnt. Any thoughts?

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Not good.

But you take good pics. Take some with the fill cap removed, using an endoscope if necessary.

How many miles? How does it run? Recent smog?

Maybe you will get lucky with frequent changes and some magic snake oil I'm sure someone will recommend.
 
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Outside the rubber gasket, to me, says the gasket was weeping and therefore wet, and the truck collected a lot of dust and dirt from the road. Make sure the new filter is tightened per the filter manufacturer's instructions, and pop your head under there every now and then to check on the gasket. It's likely no worry.
 
The o-ring probably went bad, and oil slowly leaked out onto the base plate. The leaked oil catches all the dust and contaminants from the air, and heat from the engine sludged it up. I'd let the engine idle for an hour or 2 with the AC off after changing the oil, and change it out again.
 
OH!!... YOUR first oil change on it....

I read the title and was thinking IT'S first Oil Change....and was expecting the sludge dome in the shape of the valve cover type pictures....

was that just a fram orange can?
 
It was a Fram Xtra Guard (the kind with the grip on the bottom).

I sure hope it was from oil seeping out and accumulating dust, but the more I think about it, I don't really know if the sludge was all inside the gasket when it was dropped. As it came off the block, I immediately turned the filter upside down on top of my oil catch pan. It is the kind with a sloped top that has a small hole in the middle to accept the oil. So in fact the old would have sort of accumulated around the filter gasket Nd sat there until I pulled the pan out from under the car and picked it up. Confusing, but I hope that was understandable.
 
I changed our old 1995 Cirrus to a PH8A. This results in the filter base extending past the filter mount, so it accumulated dirt and crud. If any oil seeped out of the filter seal, it would probably look like that.
 
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Originally Posted by zstand
My 15 year old son bought his Charger from a guy who told him it was "due for an oil change".


Excuse me for asking this....
Your boy is only 15 and he bought a Charger?
..... or did you buy him his first ride, prior to your son earning his first drivers license?
 
I would do a dump and fill clean out, like a few hundred miles. Who knows what the car has been through. How did the oil look when it came out the drain? It wasn't gloppy or anything? At least they sprang for a premium filter. That's a clue towards something positive.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by zstand
My 15 year old son bought his Charger from a guy who told him it was "due for an oil change".


Excuse me for asking this....
Your boy is only 15 and he bought a Charger?
..... or did you buy him his first ride, prior to your son earning his first drivers license?


I don't see how this is relevant or helpful to this thread.
 
Originally Posted by 69Torino
I would do a dump and fill clean out, like a few hundred miles. Who knows what the car has been through. How did the oil look when it came out the drain? It wasn't gloppy or anything? At least they sprang for a premium filter. That's a clue towards something positive.

Agree with this. Do a sacrificial oci, say 500 miles and please keep us posted. Happy New year, good luck!
 
Triple Se7en
Excuse me for asking this....
Your boy is only 15 and he bought a Charger?
..... or did you buy him his first ride, prior to your son earning his first drivers license?

He turns 16 in May. He has had a mowing business since he was 12. He also mows some acreage for his grandparents and they helped him out. I didn't buy the car. I did, however let him use some 5w20 from my stash.
 
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I agree with the others who say do a sacrificial OCI of 500 miles. In fact, I would do a couple. Or, based on that picture, maybe even three. Probably you should change out any and all other lubricants and liquids as well.

5k into the non-sacrificial oci I would treat my son to a UOA. That would be an opportunity for explaining the value of paying attention in chemistry class. If it's a bad UOA , it's also a "learning experience " for life.
 
Originally Posted by zstand
The oil was dirty, but flowed well and not gloppy at all during drain.

Well that's good to hear. Plus I like the idea mentioned regarding changing all the fluids, not only are you teaching, you also get some bonding time. Lots of bonding time changing trans fluid on a NAG-1 trans, as I suspect it's equipped with. You will need a special cable type dipstick, available on Amazon or eBay. Get a name brand one, such as Dorman, because it comes with a temp/fluid level chart. Also some Torx bit sockets. Quite the task, and you will wear some trans fluid in your hair. It's a messy job even on a lift.

Check the valve body harness plug on the passenger side of the transmission for leaks, likely it has had the updated cup plug adaptor installed by now, but if not it's probably leaking. The original had an opaque/whitish o-ring, the updated plug adapter has a black o-ring. If it's not leaking leave it alone.

The rear axle shaft seals are known to leak at the rearend housing, pretty intense job. You must remove the differential to replace them, and must twist it just right to get it out with the axles still in place. Trust me, it's easier to remove the differential than to remove the axles.
Maybe check the front suspension tension rod ball joints for wear and play, very common wear item. These are the arms that go from the steering knuckles towards the core support.

Enjoy the car and hopefully all goes well.
 
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zstand
Will your son be towing a small equipment trailer with the Charger? Rotella Gas Truck oil should work well. Hard to beat the value of Wix filters also.
 
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