Art & Inspiration Tales From the Oil Change Pit...

Last week I drove the Impala to the oil change place, it s longest trip in over 20 years. I know, I'm lazy but I don't like dealing with used oil and the inevitable mess I make. The guy in the pit came up with the oil filter, with an astonished look on his face and said, "This filter is dated April, 2012! That can't be right, can it?"
Yes, yes it was. The car had been setting that long.
Last winter we took the 2005 Toyota Avalon my aunt left me to an Uncle Ed's to get it's oil changed, the guy asked the milage.
"12, 500". I said.
"Your car is the one we're gonna be talking about after you leave", he said.

 

The Vette I recently bought has an oil sticker dated 2015. According to the mileage, it only had 500 miles on the oil since it was changed. Oil looked it, too, is still honey golden.

 

I've been a pretty good Stogy with my oil changes...I feed it Driven Hotrod Rod Oil with ZDDP...it gives me good service...

This spring the change was a ***** as I misplaced my filter wrench and hole eee cow was it tough coming off...I used a C-Clamp in lieu of the wrench and I did achieve success without puncturing it...but a simple job turned into a career...

And no ****...didn't I see the wrench hanging on a shelf hook a day or two later...I spent an hour looking everywhere to find it......well not every where...

That's oil I got to share...

Moral of the story...remember where you put things...

 

I recently sold my '64 Belair with a 409" Had owned it for over 15yrs, rebuilt the entire drive train,
M22, 3.70 posi, 10yrs ago. Looked at my paperwork on oil changes and realized I had only driven it
444 miles in the last 10yrs. Decided it was time to let it go and have someone else enjoy it even more.

 

You drove it a lot more in that time than the folks we bought this from. Less than 200 miles in 20 years. Not enough to even break the engine in, nor the rear end. I've driven it more in three weeks.

 

I never had to change my oil much on my old cars.
Just keep dumpin' it in.
Change the filter instead.

And I did it all myself. LOL

 

Bought my wife a used 2014 import last year with 8500 miles on the odometer. Came from an estate of an elderly woman who bought it new and only used it to drive to the grocery store once a week.

 

Oh, this one's got a 4.11 Posi in it now, that's going away. I have the original 3.36's, but a buddy of mine has several pumpkins with that same ratio, although they're all open. I was going to just have the ring and pinion changed, but it'll be much less $$ to just swap the pumpkins. I'm not gonna race it anyway. If I ever sell the thing, the Posi can go with it, the car will be worth as much with it in the trunk, and way more comfortable to drive, with a longer legged gear.

 

New engine in the avatar, run in, time for it's first oil change. Got a new oil filter ready, and even bought one of those shiny new Ryco oil filter sockets. Dropped the oil out, and found out that my fancy new Chev sump holds 6½ litres… cause my drain pan only holds 6. Cleaned that up, and tried to get the old oil filter off.

Can only get at about 1/3 of the filter cir***ference due to the sump shape. No way was it coming off by hand. Fancy Ryco socket did not fit the fancier Cooper filter. It also laughed at the strap wrench. Something was clearly wrong, as the strap wrench has a 2’ handle. Thought I was turning the wrong way (lefty loosey, righty tighty…. checked a dozen times)… nope, turning it the correct way to remove.

Figured it was desperation time, so punched a screwdriver through the filter (OK, now we are committed). Still wouldn’t turn. Got a bigger screwdriver. No turny either. Got stuck in with a podgy bar, and a wood block. Managed to drop the wood block square between my eyes, and crack myself in the mouth with the podgy bar. Number 1 Son was wise enough to ask if I was OK before laughing, then rapidly departed. Wise boy.

Demolished the filter all the way down to the spin-on ring part. Tried tapping it off with a screwdriver and hammer. Busted the handle out of the screwdriver. By this time I have taught the neighbours kids to swear like a sailor.

Made up a pin wrench with ½” steel rod, and engaged it on the spin-on ring drain holes (see photo below). Bent the ½” rod. Straightened the rod (multiple times) but no turny. Managed to slice my finger open on my marvelous pin wrench metalwork.

Figured it was beyond desperation time, and broke out a cold chisel and 3lb lump hammer. Finally got the damn thing to spin off.

For sale: 1 SBC oil filter, barely used.

Looks like the rubber seal had not been given a smear of oil when it was put on. Rubber hadn't vulcanised, but sure did grip the engine block well.

Cheers,
Harv

 

...you win Harv...jeeze...I'm sure you did two rounds of every swear word you could think of and invented a couple while you were at it...

 

On EngineMasters they cut the filter apart to check for particles. You've taken that step to a whole new level.
BTW did you find any particles ?

 

My very first oil change
4 quarts of new Kendal GT oil in the filler
and
Out the drain hole
learn that day the proper sequence of steps to an oil change

 

I had to do similar once many years ago. Back when Hastings filters had a nut on the bottom. I must have been in the head torque frame of mind when I changed the oil before that.
Got my dad involved (read “cry for help” ) and he snipped the filter and used a drift punch to knock it loose.
He the said “hand tight and a 1/4 turn”. Lol.

 

Every Chrysler big block I have ever changed the oil on seemed to come off like that!

 

It ain't a real project until you bleed on it.

 

Pre spin on filter SBC 327. Change the oil, take the canister off, change the filter. Put the new gasket in the groove, and spin on the canister. Fire up the engine and pump half of the oil out before I could get it shut off.

Yep, you guessed it, forgot to remove the old gasket... brain fart!

 

So glad this wasn't a sob story post.
Harv, you have my sympathy.
Carry on, fellas.

 

I change the oil on my hot rods myself, most of the time. If I am taking the hot rod on a long trip (like from Freeport Il to KY), I will take the hot rod into the service station my buddy owns that used to sponsor my race car, and have him do the oil an filter, then check it over because its going on a long trip. I figure its always a good idea to have someone look it things with fresh eyes. I've been doing that for years.

One spring day, I took the hot rod to my buddy to have him check it out and do an oil change, and one of his guys stick an oil change sticker under the hood I didn't notice. After the trip, I did a few oil changes myself. In the fall we were taking another trip, so I took the car to my buddy for the oil change. Usually, I drop the hot rod off then come back later and pick it up. For some reason, I just hung around that day and sort of shot the bull with my buddy. Shortly, the guy that stuck the sticker under my hood was standing beside me telling me I had over 10,000 miles on that oil change, with a rather concerned look on his face. My buddy and I both started laughing, and the poor guy was really bewildered. My buddy filled him in one my oil change deal, and told him that I had likely changed the oil 3 times since that stickered oil change. The guy had a hard time believing I actually put 10,000 miles on the car in 4 or 5 months. Gave him a whole new respect for the old hot rod. That guy has been working for my buddy for a few years now, he knows the drill.

 

I think it says on the filter I put on which is a Napa Gold 1060 I believe is to turn one full turn when rubber contacts the surface...and of course to rub oil on the mating face of the gasket...I fill the filter with oil before I screw it on too...it takes damn near a quart too...

 

The filter says 3/4 turn after hand tight... not 34 turns! First time I did an oil / filter change on a new ute I had bought, went to the auto parts shop, the bloke asked what model vehicle, I told him all the info, got the filter, oiled up the seal, installed it, filled the oil, started it up and stuck my head under there to have a cursory look at it- and half the oil had dumped out past the filter. Took it off, had a look at the sealing surface, turned out to not mate with the machined circle on the block. Took the filter back, and the he looks up the "computer" again, and says "Oh, after May 197? the oil filter was different". He didn't see that bit when he looked it up the first time . (I had to buy another filter because now my old filter could not be returned because it was :"used".)

 

The installation instructions are seriously important...I look my filter up online and not one mention of turns, torque...obviously not for Joe Garage guy...just for the schooled...

I watched a Napa video, he just ran it on you could see it contact and he hand tightened till is gloves slipped...done...WTF...3 guys in that room too...

It's not rocket science but they should highlight the details and hand torque is sketchy...

That company should have covered your filter...they f'd up...

 

I need to spend some time with you. I'm sure that I have all the American English and border Mexican swear words down pat, but I don't know any of the "Strine" variety .

 

Thats all I ever have done, as long as I can get my hands on it. Motorcycle or auto. I have had to do some work to get others off.

 

I saw the instruction on the filter, I am going to go out and take a picture...as I couldn't find any details online...

Allowing people to make the rules on anything mechanical is an invitation to disaster...as simple as a filter is it still should have install instructions...period. Not having it brings on a series of opinionated options some helpful others seriously flawed...remember when ones hands slip off will vary with each individuals grip...you can just imagine the rubber flexing as we speak.

A filter wrench is also a nessesary tool as even when hand torqued correctly it generally requires more to back it off.

Any filter I've installed I've removed...I've also used my knowledge to install as you have and right or wrong a hand is generally behind it...

I do a visual on a detail on the filter and watch for it coming around...some may make a mark or put tape, whatever the guideline 3/4 turn, 1 turn it's a blueprint for less hell down the road...

Ignoring torque is one of Auto's biggest nightmares...and it's not to be taken lightly...

 

For some reason never explained to me, my Dad would take the new filter in the house and smear cooking shortening on the rubber seal before installing it.

Gary

 

Maybe that might make removal easier...but motor oil is supposed to work well with many types of rubber and rubbery things...so I guess at a minimum you get one fingersmudge more oil in the pan...

 

3/4 turn after rubber contacts surface...that's it as you said 36...I was thinking 1...but I followed what was on the filter, what's not really shown in advertising online. The Ikea like visuals are on the side of the filter...

Looks like they suggest a rag or gl*** jar lid remover helper to hand bomb the old one off (good luck)...lubricate new seal or mating area (I do the seal) and then install and torque...

​

 

GARY, I don't know you or your family, but just let me say, don't ask your mom!

 

Grab some lard for the filter, take cookies out of oven and toss in differential case heat to 300° for twenty minutes and enjoy your oily tasting apple pie later on...then go have a smoke...

 

Hello,

Living three blocks from one of the best supplied auto parts store in all of Long Beach back in those early 50s to the present times was a handy thing. When my brother needed a can of oil or two, I did the pick up and delivery. (it was my designated job as a pre teen kid to do those little things, if I wanted to get a ride to my own destinations). So, off I pedaled on my bike with an old Army backpack empty on the way over and full on the way back.

Then over time, the same thing was happening during our hot rod days, but I was driving our cars, then. I did all of the oil changes and disposals at the nearby county dump. But, as we got our various cars, it seemed to be the newer cars required more time between oil changes. Usually, the oil color told a story or two. But, when checked before the said designated oil change date was approaching, the color was the same. No little bitty s****ings, residue or anything else to set off an alarm or two.


Jnaki

The one thing I noticed is that any oil, new or old can be used for longer periods as long as the strain is not prevalent in daily driving or usage. But, the oil we needed for our Flathead sedan delivery was almost a can a month after we had our long coastal surf adventures. That got expensive, so, we were told to use reclaimed oil for the Flathead motor.

The motor did not leak, leave droplets on the concrete or on the pipes, smoked out of the rear pipe, or anywhere else. It just used oil. The color was always the same as when it went in and checked thousand miles later. So, the cost of reclaimed oil fit our teenage budget much better and the motor still ran great.

The high performance 58 Impala required no additional oil, or did it ever leak anything or anywhere. We were lucky or the motor was bulletproof. 30 wt Valvoline was always used from the beginning to the end. Power and smooth running was the key for that car. The reclaimed oil did the job well for our flathead motor. It came not in cans or bottles, but from a 55 gallon barrel with a hand crank outlet. (in return, we also contributed to dumping our old 30 wt. Valvoline from the family cars, including the 58 Impala into the building's oil receptacle spout leading to another huge barrel for more recycling...)

Over the years oil changes are now longer between services and that is good for everyone. Somehow, back in my mind, it sure seems like the oil companies/factories had a good thing going. Every 3000-5000 miles added to their coffers at an alarming rate all over the world… it does make one think… and the motors did not die or crumble if one missed the 5000 mile warning or even 10000 miles… so…YRMV