Well, I think I'm not an idiot anyway.. Today all I wanted to do was change the oil in my 38. Went down to get a PF1218 AC Delco oil filter for my SBC...like always. Long story short....wrong filter!! Looks the same on the outside, but after closer inspection the old filter has a slightly wider diameter top. The result was horrendous. Luckily it only ran for 10 seconds until I saw the gusher...It looks like the E**ON Valdez has been parked in the driveway.... in my horror I checked the part number several times.....THE SAME... FYI, dollar general has kitty litter on sale... What's the deal? Has this ever happened to anyone?
My favorite trick was the 1st time I changed the old in my then new '04 GMC. As I was removing the drain plug the hot oil was starting to come out around the edge and I dropped the drain plug and it perfectly plugged up the hole in the top of the plastic drain pan which caused the oil to overflow and then run down the driveway. Yeah I know sounds like that old joke that keeps floating around. So my trick was dumber that yours. I keep telling myself I am not stupid. . .I just keep doing stupid things.
Since I work at a dealership I see it all....When the average Joe changes his own oil thats all that he does. Case in point, my father-inlaw insists on changing his own oil at his buddies home garage.He picks me up one day to listen to an odd noise. The pinion seal on the rear diff had been leaking and he never ever checked the fluid level when he and his buddy changed the oil. The rear gear set is now toast.......
Several months ago, I got a new shipment of oil filters in at the dealership where I work, and I noticed that the "new" PF1218s didn't look like the ones already on the shelf. Upon conparing them, the new ones were shorter than the old ones, but we've had no oil leakage problems with them on anything.
I sat waiting for my truck at the dealer one day and saw the same thing, out of the 3 rear wheel drive vehicles he serviced, not one got the diff checked, none got all 4 tires checked and none got greased.
i worked in a quick change oil shop for a while and the most common reason for oil to go everywhere is that when you change off the old oil filter that on some types of filters the gasket does not come off with the old filter but stays on and the new filter with gasket attached + old filter gasket stacked = big mess always make sure u have that old oil filter gasket off and whipe it down, 2 seconds of double checking will save you the head ache of your mom or old lady giving you ****...not all vechicles need to be greased and some places are even using nitrogen in the tires so that might be why tires arent checked i know we were told to not even touch the cars with the green caps on the tires...
i take my daily driver S-10 to quick change place for oil changes. when they ask me if i want the full service i ask how many grease fittings does my truck have? 11....and count them off as you do them! and get the grease INSIDE the fitting , not just smear some around the outside. i also insist upon watching them check the oil in the ****** and the rear end some of the workers there are not pleased with me , but the manager seams to get a kick out of it
The Jalopy Journal
