Changed oil tonight - what a fine evening

[pacem]

Weather was in the 70s and delightful during right before sunset. Not too warm or cold. The time has come to swap oil that has been there for a while. Observations. The stainless steel cooking pan comes awfully handy for oil changes. It has served me well for 25 years. I think I've used it for oil changes only in the past 15. I cannot believe I've had it that long. It's durable and does not break or disintegrate like plastic units. If you need an emergency cooking pan, you can always clean it up and enroll it in that task. The mattress or the futon type cover comes in very handy also. It's about 1" thick or so but very comfortable to lay on to do automotive tasks. I always forget the size of the socket. youtube incorrectly told me 15mm. Don't believe everything you hear on the internet. It's actually 13mm for Chevrolet 6.0L 2006 vintage. I love sockets versus wrenches. The snap-on ratchet is nice. I also have a matco which is a pretty good copy. The last time I changed the oil, I did not change the oil filter. Perhaps not entirely wise, I know. I won't repeat it, since I got a good deal on Purolator filters and have enough for 3 years sitting here. The best oil is of course fresh oil. I ran about 6500 miles on synthetic I think I will make it 5K next time. It does burn a little oil. Up to a quart between oil changes it appears. I have never noticed any difference no matter what brand of oil I used or whatever weight. I just do synthetic and change twice a year, pretty much when I feel like it, I don't even write it down anymore. Mental note: Do a tuneup when the weather is nice. Change O2 sensor. Maybe take it somewhere to flush the tranny with synthetic. 4L80 is heavy duty tranny with 206K miles. Not sure if the fluid is original or not.

 

[RedOakRanch]

I just changed the oil on my 2005 5.3. I put 9900 miles on Castrol Edge Gold and Blackstone recommended 14k. I'll stick to 10k though, easy to remember.

 

[Greggy_D]

Your grass looks really nice.

 

[pacem]

I am actually not entirely sure how many miles since last change. I remember I changed it right before it hit 200K. Now it got 206 and change. So it's possible it has 6500 and possibly close to 7000 miles. given I did not change the filter last fall, I felt that was a good time to change both.

 

[Pontual]

Your oil doesn't look very dirty by the splash over the cooking pan walls. Still dark golden!

 

[bvance554]

Sounds like an enjoyable evening. The bad weather we've been having makes us really appreciate days like today.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: Greggy_D

Your grass looks really nice.

must be all the splashes from the oil changes providing the added fertilizer.

 

[ls1mike]

206,000 miles? My 02 just rolled 44,000. I have some time.

 

[Donald]

You can change (exchange) the ATF yourself. Easier than you think. Cooler line exchange is the best way and makes the most efficient use of new ATF. I would go with a synthetic like Mobil 1 or Amsoil.

 

[Lubener]

Sounds like a life changing experience.

 

[Kira]

It's good to feel good. I do not doubt for a minute that the break in the weather contributed to your bliss. MY OBSERVATION: Driving down from upstate whilst you were in oil change heaven I too noticed the LOVELY day. I also noticed every police car in the state concentrated on I-87. On days like these people get "naturally stoned" and speed. I've seen it before lots of times. Kira

 

[supton]

I actually kinda liked changing the oil this past winter. 0W20 flows just fine when cold, thank you very much. Ground was nice and hard and dry--even if it was covered in snow&ice. Just pick a day that is not windy and it's a pleasant time outdoors, as long as it stays below freezing (I sweat badly). This time of year gets nasty; all sorts of bugs morning and evening, and when the sun comes out my glasses get sweat on them and/or slide off my face, leaving me half blind while working. That crossmember under the oil pan is looking a bit crusty--I'd spray something on that.

 

[Bud]

Yep, nothing like doing an oil and filter change on a beautiful day. Only us oil nerds will understand.

 

[IndyIan]

I just changed the engine oil on my tractor, and it has two drain plugs! Its nice as I don't need ramps or a jack, just put some card board down and a bucket under the plugs. The filter on the side of the engine so its all pretty painless.

 

[bubbatime]

We dont get too many of those days down here. Oil change here is 95 degrees while getting attacked by fire ants.

 

[Kestas]

Two comments from me. I take care of four cars. I too can't remember what size wrench I need for oil changes. I made a one-page cliff notes for auto maintenance. I list all the important specs needed for each car. Some of it is listed below. - oil change capacity - oil plug wrench size - trans fluid type - ps fluid type - coolant type and capacity - spark plug type and gap - lug nut size - battery size type - rotor min thickness - VIN - radio code There's more, but I think you get the picture. This saves me from digging out the information each time I work on the cars. For the mat that you lay on, I use cardboard. It insulates well, offers noticeable cushion, and can be tossed out, since it gets dirty very quickly.

 

[camrydriver111]

Great pics! I love it!

Originally Posted By: Kestas

Two comments from me. I take care of four cars. I too can't remember what size wrench I need for oil changes. I made a one-page cliff notes for auto maintenance. I list all the important specs needed for each car. Some of it is listed below. - oil change capacity - oil plug wrench size - trans fluid type - ps fluid type - coolant type and capacity - spark plug type and gap - lug nut size - battery size type - rotor min thickness - VIN - radio code There's more. But I think you get the picture. This saves me from digging out the information each time I work on the cars. For the mat that you lay on, I use cardboard. It insulates well, offers noticeable cushion, and can be tossed out, since it gets dirty very quickly.

That's a great idea! Did you laminate it?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: supton

I actually kinda liked changing the oil this past winter. 0W20 flows just fine when cold, thank you very much. Ground was nice and hard and dry--even if it was covered in snow&ice. Just pick a day that is not windy and it's a pleasant time outdoors, as long as it stays below freezing (I sweat badly). This time of year gets nasty; all sorts of bugs morning and evening, and when the sun comes out my glasses get sweat on them and/or slide off my face, leaving me half blind while working. That crossmember under the oil pan is looking a bit crusty--I'd spray something on that.

You're working on the car outdoor with below freezing temperature ? I didn't even want to do anything on my cars in garage when outdoor temperature was below 50-55F(inside garage was below 60-65F). My ideal temperature is 70-75F to do any work outside the house. Just changed oil+filter in my S2000 and E430 the last 2 months, using Miyvac 7201 to siphon old oil via dipstick tube, changed oil filter without getting under the S2000, cartridge oil filter of E430 is on top of the engine so it was easy.

 

[supton]

Well, it's not freezing right now. It's actually headed to miserable now, must be in the 80's when I went outside. 50-55 is a good working temperature when outside. 60's is tolerable, a bit warm in the sun. 70's and sunny is pushing it, just sweat and miserable. I've found 20's to be a good hiking temperature actually. Now 70 or a pinch warmer is ideal "working" temperature--when I'm in front of a computer, that is. 68 is good house temp, although we keep it at like 66 or so in the winter (struggle to keep it in the 70's in summer). On my Jetta I did topside oil changes, loved it. I thought I was stepping back in time when I got my Toyotas.

 

[demarpaint]

I like the idea of a night time oil change during the warmer months. I usually do them at the crack of dawn when it's hot out. But I typically get up at 0500 Monday-Saturday.