How to do an oil change

[HopefulSHO]

Any oil that's SL rated (recent spec) will do the job. Name brands fare a little better than the cheapies but on a 3k oil change schedule you may never notice. Good rule of thumb I'd follow is 3k changes for conventional and 6k for synthetic.

For filters...avoid Fram, and if you have to use them, try the X2. Pricey but good construction.
I prefer Wix (Napa Gold/Carquest Premium akas) myself, I think their bypass valve is engineered much better than most, they flow pretty decent, and filter good.

I'd rather use a $2 SuperTech than the $3.50+ Fram. I just wish more filters had that neat grip surface they have. It's ridiculously useful.

 

[fricker66]

guitar333:
josh your guide says a "17mm" socket. That is way to big for mine. Mine is about 13mm. Am I crazy?

Maybe......I recall using 14mm on mine. shrug

 

[40BelowSummer]

i just changed my oil. mine is 14mm

 

[Sho_Freak]

my 3.2 took 5 quarts, and i remember plug being 14mm.....i didnt have a problem with the oil on the starter thing

<small>[ March 23, 2004, 08:57 PM: Message edited by: Sho_Freak ]</small>

 

[Dr. Tweak]

Well all SHOs are different, that is one thing I have learned.

The one on the Phoenix Project is 17mm, in fact if you look in the picture you can acually read it.

I will have to add that...

 

[AutoSHO]

If your plug is 17mm, then it is aftermarket.

 

[Shoman594]

It's 5 quarts.

Also the drian plug could be any size.

Mine is 5/8ths because the old one stripped frown

 

[Dr. Tweak]

I thought that it was a little big... I went in there with a 14mm socket.

So is it 5 or 5.5 quarts???

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

With a stock size filter, 5.5 wink

 

[40BelowSummer]

just out of curiosity how does putting the gas pedal to the floor when starting, then letting off pump oil. Not questioning it just wondering.

 

[AutoSHO]

guitar333:
just out of curiosity how does putting the gas pedal to the floor when starting, then letting off pump oil. Not questioning it just wondering.

The reason people say to do it is that it prevents the car from starting (WOT without the engine running shuts off the injectors to clear a flooded condition). It is a very bad idea to do, however, right after an oil change. Holding the pedal at WOT puts the highest strain possible on the rod bearings, and they have no oil flow to them to cushion them.

 

[Dr. Tweak]

AutoSHO:

guitar333:
just out of curiosity how does putting the gas pedal to the floor when starting, then letting off pump oil. Not questioning it just wondering.

The reason people say to do it is that it prevents the car from starting (WOT without the engine running shuts off the injectors to clear a flooded condition). It is a very bad idea to do, however, right after an oil change. Holding the pedal at WOT puts the highest strain possible on the rod bearings, and they have no oil flow to them to cushion them.

Any other opinions on this? I heard somewhere on the forum that this is a good thing to do...

 

[AutoSHO]

If you want to turn the engine over, unplug the coil pack or DIS so that the cylinders aren't filling completely. Opening the throttle completely allows the cylinder to fill with much more air charge, putting a larger strain on the rod bearings.

 

[Keith M]

Dunno the science on this, but it seems to me that a quick drain-n-fill will leave a film of oil over everything it was touching previously, and the wear induced during the brief couple seconds it takes to fill everything back up again would be no worse than a cold start in the morning.

 

[Bank of SHO]

Thanks much for the replies.

Nice web site JD, thanks. I put it in my favorites list; just hope I don't need to access it very much. wink Tired of this bull sitting in the garage (Fidanza nightmare).

 

[Devin]

My car took whatever size the spark plugs are. 14mm I think.

 

[Dassin]

Just did mine today, and mine was also 17mm. Maybe it's aftermarket? Dunno Wouldn't suprise me a bit. ****, if it was the oil pan off of a pinto it wouldn't suprise me with this car headbang . (yeah, I realize that's ridiculous, there's just so much random crap wrong with mine ). Anyway, I say screw doing this myself. I'm taking the car to jiffy **** or something from now on. The cost was about the same (since NAPA only had gallon jugs of Valvoline (3.75ish pints!? wtf?), causing me to buy 2 of them, etc. Meh Also, I'm sick of dealing with oil after today. Scrubbing the driveway shore is fun, yo *** .

Yeah, lameness.
Jon