Date: Sat, 6 Jul 2013 14:41:53 -0700
Reply-To: Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Oil change experience
In-Reply-To: <20130706170455.8PEWB.75815.imail@eastrmwml206>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Okay, so I'd be in deep trouble too if I tried to use any kitchen pots or
pans to do my
automotive dirty work. Speaking of dirty, you should see the looks I get
when my wife
cannot find certain funnels that she needs... =O So I go out and buy
my own..... At
least that is what I have done. I also have a couple of turkey basters
for extracting large
amounts of liquid from containers when needed.
And regarding DIY versus a mechanic I stringently do my own VW oil changes
specifically
on the vanagon mostly because I don't want some ham handed, brute force
wrencher stripping
out my oil drain hole. I've actually have maintained the integrity of
that drain hole and have
not yet had to have it helicoiled or counter-sunk after 237K miles. The
other reasons are cost,
and knowing how much oil to put in in the first place. After I drain the
system overnight because
I want the last dirty drop out of there and no garage is going to do that,
I carefully loosen the oil
filter just enough to get a little stream going into the oversized drain
pan that has its own internal
reservoir. When the stream of oil from the oil filter slows to a drip and
carefully screw it the
rest of the way off knowing that I want to tilt it towards the center of
the drip pan. Yes it can slip
so don't feel bad. I've been splashed in the face with oil, gasoline and
antifreeze and I'm still
alive from those mishaps. Just don't make it a habit.
After I've gotten all of the oil drained, shove the pan aside a bit and
wipe down the excess dripage
and replace the drain bolt careful to get it just tight not a dying strain
as Muir would say. Then
I grab my new filter and slop a little oil on the top part and smear it on
the gasket with a good
coating and then screw it onto the van. I usually put some oil in the
filter maybe 1/4 to 1/2 quart.
I don't want it to slop out when I screw it back on.
Then I add exactly 4 and 1/2 quarts (less any added to the filter) to the
van. This should put the oil level
on the dip stick to about 1/2 way between the full and add marks. Thus
you don't over fill it and you're
well below the bubbling point.
I run the vans engine for a few minutes and check for leaks. With none
found I take the oil in the
oil pan and put it aside for day or so to make sure the filter is
completely drained. Then I pour the
contents from the pan into an empty used gallon water jug and then take the
jug full of oil and the
filter to Jiffy Lube and they take it here in California. Your local laws
may vary but I'm sure glad they
recycle the materials from the filters. They get lots of oil and metal
from those filters.
That's all,
Steven
91 Westy
On Sat, Jul 6, 2013 at 2:04 PM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
> 'twould have to be a pot long relegated to non-cooking functions, methinks.
>
> So far as the money saving for the diy oil change, locally the savings is
> only around $3-5. But, I do it myself, anyway. I know it has been done
> right. Last time I let someone else change the oil in one of my vehicles,
> I got home and found that the oil was overfilled considerably.
>
> Further, they quote a price for the oil change, but if you want the
> correct oil for your vehicle, they want more for that.
>
> I can get it done right, Darrel Cook, VW mechanic par excellence, but
> Darrel is 30 miles away.
>
> I buy my oil from a wholesaler who doesn't jack the price up to retail for
> individual consumers, order my filters from Van Cafe and Bus Depot, and do
> the oil changes in my garage. Auto Zone, a few blocks away, accepts the
> used oil and filters. I do buy some things from them from time to time, so
> do not feel bad about taking oil back to them that I bought elsewhere.
> mcneely
>
> ---- raceingcajun <raceingcajun@COMMUNICOMM.COM> wrote:
> > Karl,
> >
> > Have you got a death wish "GRAB A COOKING POT". That's grounds for
> > divorce in Louisiana! Or at the very least a sleep on the couch command.
> >
> > Howard
> >
> > >Subject: Re: Oil change experience
> >
> >
> > >Grab yourself a largish cooking pot
>
> --
> David McNeely
>
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