Change Your Own Oil

[riggarob]

25 GALLONS of oil. What are you driving, the QEII ? As long as there is a Speedco around, I can get everything done for 160 bucks. Not even worth the time it takes to put on a set of coveralls. Oh, that includes oil analysis, too. P.S. Mine holds 24 QUARTS of oil.

72 years not 22.

25 gallons of oil to dispose of.

Three filters to dispose of.

Laying on the ground for quite a long time to drain the oil.

Laying on the ground to check for leaks.

Crawling on the ground to grease all of the fittings.

Being hard to start because I forgot to fill the Fuel filters before I mounted them.

Take it to the local Cummins dealer, leave it, come back later and the job is done.

Wife not mad because I tracked in oil on my shoes and clothes.

Hmmm, let me think about that for a nano second.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!!!!!!!!

[NWJeeper]

Yes, I plan to change my own oil as I did on my last rig (Chevy 454). My brother mentioned that he had read that using pure synthetic oil might be hard on the engine seals. Does anyone have a thought about this for a Ford V-10 engine?

Our '09 Georgetown on the F53 chassis and the V-10 came from the factory with synthetic oil. The fears of the oil ruining a seal goes back 15 or more years when synthetics first came out. They are much different today.

I have always changed my own oil on everything I own. Also do most of all my own maintenance. I firmly subsribe to the old addage "if you want it done right you have to do it yourself" It also gives me a really good chance to wheel around under my rig on the creeper and look for damage and inspect the undercariage.

I do agree with a previous poster though that a Fumoto Valve is a must on the F53 (and many other rigs). I can attach a hose to the barbed fitting, give the lever a 1/4 turn and drain the oil right into my old 5gal oil jug. On the filter I put a oil pan under it and use an old ice pick to punch a hole in the bottom then go have a cup of coffee while the oil drains from the filter. Removing it is then much cleaner and easier.

[bewartz@gmail.com]

Yes. I do change my own oil in my 1978 GMC Royale.

[crobin1940]

Yes, I change all my filters. The engine oil has become really easy because I installed a valve in place of the oil pan plug. I save up gallon milk jugs, attached a clear hose to the valve and let the oil drain into the jugs. I use one or two paper towels, that's it. I do have to warm up the engine to get the oil to flow quicker. If you lube your front end and have kingpins make sure the wheel is off the ground to lube correctly. You need the weight off the kingpin to get the grease all the way around it.

Chris

[hermanmullins]

25 GALLONS of oil. What are you driving, the QEII ? As long as there is a Speedco around, I can get everything done for 160 bucks. Not even worth the time it takes to put on a set of coveralls. Oh, that includes oil analysis, too. P.S. Mine holds 24 QUARTS of oil.

You saw that to. I am not over filling my Cummins 400 HP ISL, I'm very bad a typing (McKinney High School Typing Teacher would be upset with me for not proff reading). Sorry I ment 25 Quarts not Gallons.

And you are right. Between my work and Rving I put close to 69k miles on my Yukon and Monaco. I always have the same place do each vehicle. If there is ever a oil related problem I know where to turn. Been lucky never had one.

Happy RVing.

[dparij]

Went the pusher route this year, but always did my own oil changes. I'm a desk jocky so doing my own maintenance is kind of a good release for me, I enjoy it. Anyway, being an engineer, I read up on everything I could find which made it sound like a daunting task. That is until I went into the local Cummins joint. the guy behind the counter hooked me right up, got me all the right filters, and I was surprised the prices were the same as what I would pay on the internet, but didn't have to pay for the shipping. He told me all the tips too. I followed his advice and the job went easier then I expected. One 5 gallon plastic pail was perfect for the job, and with a quality metal strap filter wrench, the filter was easy. Actually, the hardest part of the job was pouring in the oil from 1 gallon jugs. I think I'll go the drill powered pump for the next time. Overall, I could have had the job done in 15 minutes with the drill pump.

Next up, is the gen-set, this looks harder then the engine.

Gerry

2000 Journey

[dalltop]

We bought our used motor home this year. It was supposed to have been serviced from the dealership. I stopped at a Camping World as we traveled when it was time for the 3000 mile service. I had not switched to the 100% synthetic yet. I wanted to check oil consumption before making the transition to synthetic. The MH only had 10,800 miles when I bought it but it was a 1995 so I wanted to be sure there was not any major leaking or burning of oil.

I asked twice that the unit be greased and all fluids topped and checked. Full service. Now even Jiffy Lube will check differentials, tranny, windshield washer fluids, coolant fluids along with air filters, lights, wipers and so on. I expected a full service to be that.

When I got back home it was time for the next service. I serviced the unit myself and found that there was no way that the rear differential plug had been off in the past 15 years. The drive shaft had not been greased, there was no way the air filter should have passed based on 3000 miles (two weeks) from the last Camping World service.

I would not judge all Camping Worlds based on one shop but if you can, try to use your local trusted mechanic. Always check the work. My service is easy since I am running a gas Ford 460.

My regular mechanic is a transmission specialist so I let him service the transmission. This is more so he can inspect it as he services the unit incase there is anything that does not look right.

[gkcashmer]

Not only do I change the oil and oil filter, but also the air, fuel, oil, and trans filters, trans fluid, differential fluid, grease all the fittings, and adjust the valves. My experience with Freightliner dealers is they do not do all the work the claim to have performed and billed. A couple of major items is they did not adjust the valves, but charged for it, changed the trans fluid from synthetic to mineral based (I did not ask them to service the trans, but they did anyway), yes I got charged. The last time I went to a Freightliner dealer I was out of town and had the coolant changed. A week later the transcooler developed a leak. When I picked up the coach with the new transcooler the oil line between the engine oil pump and injector pump was disconnected. There was no reason to have disconnected that oil line.

My recommendation is do all the service you can or find someone you can trust.

[f58342]

My answer to a drain pan is a 10 gallon blue boy. Fits under the engine and has the capacity to to handle 7 gallons. But the caps back on and haul it to a recycle center.

[iama67moparman@gmaiL.com]

Harvey,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

A couple of suggestions.

Drive the rear wheels up on boards to give a little extra clearance. Put safety blocks under the frame (if at home, a couple of logs cut the right dimension work well).

Measure your vertical clearance under the engine. Buy Rubbermade container large enough to easily hold the oil capacity with "reserve room" at the top that will fit under the engine. I usually put it on an old cardboard box to make it easier to pull out from under the coach.

After refilling the crankcase, use a coffee can and large funnel to pour the used oil from the container into the gallon jugs for recycling. Put the gallon jugs back in the case they came in for easy handling.

Be sure to verify the proper fuel filters (do NOT ASSUME the ones on there are necessarily correct) and check SCA level in coolant with the little test strips before determining what coolant filter (if yours has one) to use, as they come with different quantities of SCA.

Brett Wolfe

[gibsonjv]

I just got a 1999 Discovery. 5.9L I & Allison 6 speed. I work at a car dealership as a service writer. However, I have been working on vehicle all my life. I have problems doing my own work/repairs to a certain extent. I replaced the waterpump and serp belt. I plan on doing my own Oil & Filter, Air, Fuel & Transmission Fluid and Filter changes. However. I saw in the above comments, something about a coolant filter. I have checked all over my engine and do not see one. I've never heard of a coolant filter before, however, that's not saying there isn't one. Any ideas how I can tell if my MH has a coolant filter and where it might be located?

Thanks

Vic

[wolfe10]

Vic,

Not all diesels have a coolant filter. It is more common on larger engines.

Coolant filters serve either one or two purposes:

ALL of them do serve as a filter for the coolant.

SOME of them also add SCA (Supplemental Coolant Additive). The amount of SCA is expressed in UNITS. They come in zero units SCA if you do not need to add SCA or if you are using an Extended Life Coolant (OAT-based coolant). They also come in 4 units through 16 units SCA from most coolant filter manufacturers.

Before changing a coolant filter, you need to know if you have ELC (so zero units SCA is correct) or the concentration of SCA in your coolant. "Dip and Read" strips are available to tell you SCA concentration as well as freeze point and pH. Too much SCA is bad, as is too little-- that's why you test before adding. And SCA's are used up as the engine runs, so adding SCA is normal.

Brett

[gibsonjv]

Thanks for the reply. I went out again last night and found no coolant filter. As I said I work at a car dealership (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep) so I have alot of experience with or have technician that can maintain/repair the 5.9L Cummins. I didn't think mine had one but I'm new to the MH scene.

Thanks again

Vic

[shields]

I look forward to retirement, full timing, and joining those or you who are servicing your own coaches. Until then, I'm having the service work done by a trusted mechanic, and I inspect everything frequently.

Save travels to you all,

Tim Shields

[Guest BillAdams]

Full-timing does not lend itself to changing your own oil. I am not saying you can't but most campgrounds frown on this kind of activity and finding somewhere that you can do this without problems can be troublesome.

[orickoh@hotmail.com]

Full-timing does not lend itself to changing your own oil. I am not saying you can't but most campgrounds frown on this kind of activity and finding somewhere that you can do this without problems can be troublesome.

EXACTLY... I would truely love to learn to do more of my own work on the coach but we full time and I just can't see me trying to handle all of that oil with limited tools while set up in a CG.... at least without making a real mess at some point.

[kenosavvy]

I've changed my own oil and filter on every vehicle I've owned since the first car I bought after graduating from high school almost 50 years ago. These vehicles include automobiles, a diesel truck, and now a diesel pusher MH. Here's some things I do when changing oil:

1. You're always going to spill some oil somewhere so be prepared for it. I keep sheets of cardboard to place under the engine to catch everything that I spill. I have learned to always wear a pair of coveralls over my clothing and to have plenty of paper towels handy and in each pocket of the coveralls before I start. My wife never complains about washing my dirty coveralls since it doesn't matter if they are spotless or not after they are washed.

2. Remove the oil filler cap before draining the oil. This is supposed to allow the used oil to drain faster. Get a large plastic storage container that will fit under the MH to catch the used oil. WalMart has a variety of sizes and they are cheap. Don't bother to clean the container after using it, recycle the oil and put the cover on it and set it aside until the next oil change. After removing the oil pan bolt, look at your watch and wait at least 1/2 hour before replacing the oil pan bolt. Use this time to get your new oil, filter, and filter wrench tools ready to change the oil filter.

3. Replace and tighten the oil pan bolt and then move the used oil storage container to a location directly beneath the oil filter.

4. Remove the oil filter and drain the used oil that it contains into the storage container that holds the used oil. Use your index finger to wipe new oil around the rubber gasket on the new oil filter. Then if it's a diesel engine, fill the oil filter with new oil. This will insure that your engine won't stall because of low oil pressure when you first start it up after the oil change. When installing the oil filter, screw it on until you feel the gasket make contact. Then using a magic marker that you keep in your coveralls, mark a line on the bottom of the oil filter so that it will point to the front of the vehicle after tightening the oil filter an additional 3/4 of a turn. Then tighten the filter 3/4 of a turn, using a filter wrench if necessary. I can usually do this with my bare hands, but I'll use a filter wrench if my hands are slippery or it's hard to turn.

5. Add the new diesel oil. My Cummins ISB engine requires 15 quarts. Be sure to include the oil that you put into the oil filter. If you buy new diesel oil in gallon containers, have the exact amount ready before you start. For me, I remove one quart from a gallon container so I have 4 gallons (minus one quart) available to add.

6. Where I live, the retail establishments that sell oil are required by law to take your used oil. I usually dump my used oil into a ten gallon container with a lid on it. I then put that container into a a larger plastic box in the trunk of my car (to keep it from tipping over while driving) and bring it in to be recycled. They return my container after dumping the oil into their container.

7. Be sure to log the date and mileage of the oil change into a log book you keep for the vehicle.

[ramblinboy]

I have changed my Ford V10's oil. I love how they put a crossmember right under the drain plug - not! Here's a solution to drain the oil away from a simple drop straight down - http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/

One of the oil drain plug replacements has a nipple for attaching a hose to direct the flow away. I am considering purchasing one.

Happy motoring! rB

[pappabull]

I change my own oil simply because I trust my own work more than others and that last little bit to drain out usually contains what needs to drain out the most. One thing I did not read was the problem Ford had (I assume other brands also) with dip sticks being marked wrong. Every professional mechanic I have talked to will also was recommend relying on the owners manuel or shop book for liquid amounts as oil pans, etc. vary based on end use and dip sticks may not be matched correctly to the oil pan.

[Roodriver]

I've done it at home ever since I caught CW attempting to put the wrong oil in my engine. The other thing I have found is that the shops tend to NOT grease all of the fittings but just do the front ones. Has anyone used one of the oil plugs with a valve on it to use for draining the oil?

Ward

[deenad]

It doesn't take a professional with special tools to change oil or do other simple maintenance, and to validate that point, the shop person doing the job may not even be a certified RV technician.

And it certainly doesn't take a "certified RV technician" to do an oil change or most other work on an RV although I'd feel better if I was paying if they were.

[pnixon235]

Brett,

I know this is an old post but ditto to your statement. Me too on synthetics.

Paul

David,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

Synthetic oil is just fine for your engine.

Give your brother a homework assignment: Find documentation to support his claim.

BTW, I have used "pure synthetic" oil in my gasoline powered vehicles for the last 40 years.

Brett Wolfe

[t0005pb]

Check with local repair shops some as in my area has furnace that run on used oil to heat with. P.S. I change my oil also.

[MikeCanter]

Some great tips here on changing oil. A couple of things I would like to add. I can now change oil without getting it on the driveway. I went to Home Depot and bought a long under the bed plastic storage container that has little wheels on it. I raise my MH up using the air bags and put three five gallon buckets in the storage container. Then put that whole setup under the MH aligning the drain with the first bucket. I start draining and when each bucket gets two thirds full and pull the whole thing down to the next bucket and then one more pull I have split up the whole ten gallons of oil in the three buckets with any spill going into that storage container. Nothing on the driveway. Then after filling it up with the fresh oil I then pour the old oil into the now empty containers.

[mclavey]

I have been an auto mechanic for 30 years ... and have never thought of a plastic bag to remove the filter to prevent fluid running down your arm (guess I am just a slow learner). Thanks for the tip.