New way to change oil!!!

[turbochem]

acThis letter was sent to our favorite Car Talk guys........

I do most of the light maintenance on my vehicle, and I've added a step in my oil changes that I think is beneficial in the long run. Here's what I do: I drain the warm, dirty oil, just like everybody else. Then I add this step: With the drain plug still out, I start the engine and let it idle for about a minute. I usually manage to get an extra cup or so of oil purged from the oil pump and related plumbing. My question is: Am I doing more harm than good? I change the oil every 5,000 miles, and I figure the more dirty oil I can remove when changing the oil, the better. -- Ken


Yeah....uh....... Actual Web Page

 

[SteveD2]

I think part of the test to get your license should include knowing about at least the simplest car maintainence...

 

[Chris142]

I've heard of this before. I actully know a guy that does it! He wont listen to me though.

I think dirty oil is better than no oil myself.

 

[Rick in PA]

 

[qadsan]

quote:

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Originally posted by turbochem:
acThis letter was sent to our favorite Car Talk guys........

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This guy must have been related to the cheif technician at Firestone in Yorba Linda CA several years ago because that's exactly what they did to my 71 Firebird's 455HO when they changed the oil on it!

I normally do all the maintenance myself, but I just had back surgery the week prior to having this done and my wife begged me to have the work done by somebody else so I woudln't screw up my back. I felt paralized when I heard my car start because I knew they had just draind the oil and didn't put any in yet. Then I was in complete shock & awe when they reved the engine

After a moment of shock & awe, I began screaming at them to shut it down. They told me they were trying to get all the oil out of the engine as if what they were doing was routine

 

[SteveD2]

quote:

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Originally posted by qadsan:

quote:

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Originally posted by turbochem:
acThis letter was sent to our favorite Car Talk guys........

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This guy must have been related to the cheif technician at Firestone in Yorba Linda CA several years ago because that's exactly what they did to my 71 Firebird's 455HO when they changed the oil on it!

I normally do all the maintenance myself, but I just had back surgery the week prior to having this done and my wife begged me to have the work done by somebody else so I woudln't screw up my back. I felt paralized when I heard my car start because I knew they had just draind the oil and didn't put any in yet. Then I was in complete shock & awe when they reved the engine

After a moment of shock & awe, I began screaming at them to shut it down. They told me they were trying to get all the oil out of the engine as if what they were doing was routine

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Do you think they wonder why return customer's oil is allways so sparkley?

 

[Dan4510]

Yet another confirmed idiot that needs purging from the gene pool....

Dan

 

[Al]

I'd be inclined to tell the guy to let it run until the engine gets really noisy. That way he can assume the oil is truly out of the engine.

 

[TSoA]

I sometimes remove the center elcetrode from the distributor and crank the engine for about 2 seconds. I would not run a spark though.

 

[TallPaul]

Tom and Ray's response is great!

Running the engine like that (even the 2 seconds cranking posted above) is likely only removing the oil in the pump and the line from the pump to the filter, right? And that means it will be dry running after you fill it up until the pump primes--if it primes. But wouldn't it be better to plug a rubber hose into the oil pump discharge hole (the hole next to the threaded filter mount) and blow into it until that cup comes out. But if you do, then follow up with the old-fashioned hand pump oil squirter can filled with motor oil. Pump it down that same hole at the filter mount until it comes back out. Then finish the oil change.

BTW, I once lost prime on an oil change, apparently from letting it drain too long, and it took what seemed forever (probably 30 sec) for the oil indicator to come up (since then I bought a real gauge). The cure, instead of running it 30 or more seconds, is to shut down, pull the filter, and backfill the pump discharge, and then try again (this procedure is printed in the back of filter catalogs at your local parts store). I also prefill my filters.

[ December 25, 2003, 12:18 AM: Message edited by: TallPaul ]

 

[moribundman]

It's Christmas Eve, not April Fools Day!

 

[digitaldrifter91]

id rather put hecka old oil in there while its runnin so that i wont hurt anything.

but still, id rather drain, and just cap off and fill....you can never get 100% of the fluid out...something i had to live with hahaha

usually i just spray air into the dip stick hole and a whole lot of oil comes out.

 

[Robbie Alexander]

quote:

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Originally posted by turbochem:
-*-* Am I doing more harm than good? Yeah....uh.......*-*-

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Drain the oil, and THEN run the engine to get ALL the oil out...Hu-mmmmmmmmmmmmm, I'll pass.

I take it you have been here awhile from your member number, so I guess youre serious. Hummm

Lets review. Oil keeps the engine Clean, Cool, Lubricated, Etc... Hummmmmm

I would not advise you continue this method of oil removal. If you want to do a good job removing most of the dirty oil, then

Do a short OCI with all the oil

Do put at least a couple quarts in with the plug in before you try this again

Run some kind of Heavy Duty MOLY on a couple OCI's before you even consider then

I know you can GET away with it but for how long?
I have ran DRY of oil over a dozen times in THIS truck with 396K... I have had my wife :-}, drive for over TWO HOURS with the check Engine light on, only to find out the FRONT MAIN went and there was NO, repeat NO oil that came out when I went to drain the oil... So yes it may appear you can, but NOT advised!

 

[cousincletus]

...and you should tighten the drain plug until it turns easy again.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Yeah, running the car without oil is a wise move. Just ask this guy...

Several years ago at a now closed down 1/4 mile oval racetrack, "raceway park" in Alsip, IL ...I saw a guy race his old Oldsmobile (2 dr Skylark?) with a 455 cid motor without oil (after he ripped off his oil pan from other debris on the track) for a couple laps in the spectator-based, bring-your-own-junker "Enduro".

It was quite memorable! Seeing the carb catch on fire was a blast! Then FINALLY after being black flagged and seeing all the smoke billowing from his car, the driver figured it was a wise move to bail out of the car. Just as he exited the vehicle the fuel cell caught on fire. I've always wondered if he felt the heat from the engine burning or if it was the smoke pouring out of then engine compartment that clue-ed him into stopping his car.

I'd rather have oil in the crankcase, even if it's old oil.

 

[Drew99GT]

quote:

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Originally posted by TallPaul:
Tom and Ray's response is great!

Running the engine like that (even the 2 seconds cranking posted above) is likely only removing the oil in the pump and the line from the pump to the filter, right? And that means it will be dry running after you fill it up until the pump primes--if it primes. But wouldn't it be better to plug a rubber hose into the oil pump discharge hole (the hole next to the threaded filter mount) and blow into it until that cup comes out. But if you do, then follow up with the old-fashioned hand pump oil squirter can filled with motor oil. Pump it down that same hole at the filter mount until it comes back out. Then finish the oil change.

BTW, I once lost prime on an oil change, apparently from letting it drain too long, and it took what seemed forever (probably 30 sec) for the oil indicator to come up (since then I bought a real gauge). The cure, instead of running it 30 or more seconds, is to shut down, pull the filter, and backfill the pump discharge, and then try again (this procedure is printed in the back of filter catalogs at your local parts store). I also prefill my filters.

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I lost prime in my Dad's Blazer once, and it scared the CRAP out of me. It would not pressurize I guess because air got trapped in or something. The bad thing? The remote filter mount is below the level of the pump, so I had to tow it to my trusted mechanic, and he hooked up a pressurized thingy to the oil filter mount that pumed oil in the oil pump tube and that solved the problem. He said to not let the oil drip forever cause losing prime can be a common problem. He recomended replacing the drain plug after the oil has just started dripping from the hole. Which makes sense if you look at certain oil pans. The threads stick upo into the pan quite aways on some pans, which makes it absolutely impossible to get every last drip out of the pan.

 

[Chris142]

quote:

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Originally posted by cousincletus:
...and you should tighten the drain plug until it turns easy again.

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Using pliers.

 

[RavenTai]

quote:

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Originally posted by Robbie Alexander:

quote:

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Originally posted by turbochem:
-*-* Am I doing more harm than good? Yeah....uh.......*-*-

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Drain the oil, and THEN run the engine to get ALL the oil out...Hu-mmmmmmmmmmmmm, I'll pass.

I take it you have been here awhile from your member number, so I guess youre serious. Hummm

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turbochem was quoting someone else

 

[Quick_lude]

This must be that pizza delivery guy from the other thread..

 

[twentynine]

This guy has got to be kidding.

I can't imagine anyone being so slow.

In a helpful sort a way so I can make a lest a small contribution to this forum I will leave this advice. NEVER EVER NEVER EVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER RUN YOUR CAR WITHOUT OIL IS YOU TOUCHED IN THE HEAD.

That should be easy to understand.