First oil change - Not my best day

[bpoteat]

HA! Why do I envision Clark Griswold when I am reading your story? Just seems like something that would happen to him while getting his car ready for the trip to Wally World.

[SCWDP911]

Jeffrey,

Bad news I'm afraid. My oil cap is apprently for an early car (only has 2 keepers on the bottom and the cap overall is different shape). It will not work on my 3.0, so probably not on yours either. Hopefully, you find the old one soon. Good luck! Make sure you get one by 4/14...

Shane

[bkreigsr]

Originally posted by bpoteat
HA! Why do I envision Clark Griswold when I am reading your story? Just seems like something that would happen to him while getting his car ready for the trip to Wally World.

the 1983 model year Family Truckster was not dry sump, so presumably oil changes would be a little less complicated.

Bill K

[nesslar]

Hope things improve for ya.....
Are you up to date on your insurance, both medical and life, and whatever booster shots might be in order?

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Hey Shane,

Thanks for the offer. My local shop will have one for me tomorrow.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Anybody know how much one inch of oil on the dip stick is?

[nesslar]

I understand it's about 1.75 litres from line to line. You should take out 2 quarts, I'd bet. Let's have someone confirm that. Oh, and keep the level at the midpoint of the marks, no higher.

[bkreigsr]

its okay to run for a while with only the first 9 quarts. let the filter element get fully saturated and come back after a few drives and top off by half qts until you get there.

[dfink]

It's easy to let out just a bit of oil. The sealing ring should reseal OK. Do this cold!!!!!!!!!
Just loosen the drain plug then unscrew while holding it in the hole. You will be able to feel when it is completely loose. Then just rock the plug a little to one side to slowly let the oil out. It can be very controlled. When you have let out what you want just put screw the plug back in and tighten.
I don't know why every body does the oil change hotter than hell. If you have a front cooler you are leaving some in the system anyhow the amount that sticks to stuff shouldn't matter. If you do your change cold you can very easily control the flow to the drain and not have the mess. I generally just get 2-5 quart containers when I do the change. System hold 12 complete 10 is just right after a change.
Many leave the tank a couple quarts low to prevent slop over when at the track. It is amazing how much expansion there is to oil when hot. Calling all engineers what is the actual expansion of 10 quarts of oil from say 70*F to 180*F.

[Gunter]

Let out 2 quarts but if you're mechanically challenged, DO NOT attempt it by hoping to get the plug back into the tank in time.
Instead, open the drain-plug in the sump (The right one this time) and drain from there.
There is usually very little oil in the sump.
In the future, fill in 9 Quarts with a new filter and let it run real hot before you check the stick. Middle of the marks is where you want it.

You'll need a lot more reading and studying 911's.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

I ciphened out 1.5 quarts and found a temporary replacement oil cap. My local shop has a real one on order for me.

This is truly an American solution to a replacement cap!



And a perfect fit I might add...

[SCWDP911]

You should find an old black leather woman's boot to cut up for the leather and cover that peanut cap in. That would be hot!

[Nostril Cheese]

Here's my horror story

Changed the oil, lowered the car, decided to go for a drive. I drive down to end of my street and realize there's this wierd scraping noise. I immediately drive back to the house and see a HUGE stream of oil going all the way to the end of the street and back. I immediately shut off the engine, thinking I forgot the drain plug. I look under the car to see the plastic oil pan half melted away, trapped between the heat exchangers and the road. That was a pretty big mess to clean up.

Second one.. I was driving down the Hollywood freeway when all of a sudden oil light comes on, oil pressure drops to zero and a huge cloud of white smoke comes out the back. I immediately shut off the enginge, coast across 4 lanes of traffic to see a huge trail of oil. The "S" hose to the engine burst off the fitting at the oil tank right at the hose clamp. I took what was left of it off, walked to a nearby auto parts store, bought a section of radiator hose and oil. 15 minutes later, I was on my way.

[dm36415]

Did my first oil change of "hot" oil a couple weekends back. All the books say to be careful, as the oil comes out fast. What an understatement! The hot oil shot out like it was coming out of a firehose, hit in the pan, and bounced out spraying the entire bottom of the engine, then dripping down onto the floor.

Wound up dropping both plugs into the pan, burned my hands mercilessly trying to fish them out.

Then things went downhill from there on the subsequent project, but that's too long a story to tell. Wound up fine after a lot of beer and bloody knuckles. I still love my car, and working on it.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Glad we can find some humor in all this! Thank you Dave, your fried finger narrative made me smile. I am not alone at the German surprise party.

By the way, anybody have a recipe for carport concrete miracle cleaner? I never had a drop of oil on the concrete till my 911 came home. Would like to keep it clean so I can tell when (if?) something leaks...

[450knotOffice]

Jeffrey, that was one of the funniest stories I've read in months! I felt like I was right there watching you the whole time. It really did feel like I was reading about a Clark Griswold moment!

Welcome to the club! We've all had these moments. I think you just reminded us all of that fact and gave us a good laugh.

Btw, love the non-standard oil cap.

[greenkaw]

Some times the best comfort is knowing things could always
be worse. Your car will still run. Try find a thread, I think its in the tech forum , entitled something like "your worst engine stories" about the guy who came in asking for a new exhaust gasket.

[snbush67]

Originally posted by v8_ranch
You should find an old black leather woman's boot to cut up for the leather and cover that peanut cap in. That would be hot!

V8....that is frikken priceless

OBTW I LMFAO on the steering wheel cover thread.

[Dueller]

Originally posted by JeffreyNMemphis
Glad we can find some humor in all this! Thank you Dave, your fried finger narrative made me smile. I am not alone at the German surprise party.

By the way, anybody have a recipe for carport concrete miracle cleaner? I never had a drop of oil on the concrete till my 911 came home. Would like to keep it clean so I can tell when (if?) something leaks...

Try pouring Simple Green concentrate (don't dilute per the instructions) on the oil. Let it sit in the sun a little while. Then, crank your water heater to high, hook a garden hose to your water heater drain faucet, hook it to a pressure washer and have at it. Don't ask me how or why I came up with this solution.

[Thomas Owen]

There was a funny story here a few years back. Someone had always managed to spill oil during the oil change. Pan not positioned right, hot oil, shooting out like a fire hose with the drain plug rolling down the driveway toward the street....

Anyway, after 3 times changing the oil with some kind of spillage he finally managed to do it without spilling a drop. Called his wife out to witness the clean garage floor, and with her looking on, he backed the car out and over the 2 spare five quart containers of oil still sitting in the driveway.

The resulting explosion of oil covered their driveway and part of the neighbors house.