DIY oil change - questions

Doing alright on this, thanks. I had the heui pump replaced under warranty, including the injectors. I was told at the time the first series of pumps had a too small shaft. The replacement parts in 2005 got better I am told. I was also told a dirty filter change can also ruin that pump. Looking at my records, the failure happened less than a month after the filter change. Also I have sent the rig to the shop for an oil and lube job that I found on inspection the last drive shaft zerk wasn't greased. Same thing happened at two different shops. Better to do it myself, learn about thet new diesel stuff.

I worked on older diesel tech in the Army, and I had an old International Scout diesel as well as an older f350. New stuff is very finicky! We've got a unique rig (f750. Chassis ) which has no real replacement to do what we need done, so I need to keep it in good shape.

hipower wrote:
There are numerous types of drain pans available from the commercial vehicle parts houses. Most have built in pour spouts for transferring your used oil to smaller containers for disposal.

NAPA may be a good source, but you don't usually find them at Wal-Mart.

Roger that. I use what I think is a 6 gallon drain pan and while it does get kind of full, it does the trick just fine. I have a five gallon Home Depot pail with a lid on it that I transfer it into. Yep, it's a bit of work but, I don't mind changing it myself. I know it's done right, I don't strip the oil pan plugs like I've heard some places have done. And, when it comes time to put the CORRECT amount of oil back in, I know what it needs.

To the OP, I know and certainly understand the feelings of wanting to do this stuff yourself. I just finished doing some serious analyzing of wiring issues and, when that was done, I just finished removing the left rear tires and wheels and, replacing that hub wheel seal. So, while much of the work is cumbersome, heavy and at times, somewhat technical, it's still quite gratifying to accomplish as many tasks on these things as possible. You save a buck, (or a lot of bucks) and, you continue to learn about them.
Scott

Chuck, no one mentioned this and I'm just throwing it out there! My last year working in 2010. My boss bought a shop truck to go to our truck domiclies to change oil (that way the trucks didn't have to be driven 60 miles to our shop). Are mechanic was changing oil outside on one of the rigs and the EPA showed up and put a stop to changing oil outdoors! Somebody drove by and reported the outdoor oil change to the EPA. There was no oil spilled so no fines were involved unless it happened again. Most people don't know changing oil outdoors is against EPA Rules (I didn't know) if your changing oil in a shop please disregard this post.

wny_pat wrote:
This helps out a awful lot:
Fumoto Valve


It may not be a fast flow, but it really makes the job much easier!!! And I drain into a big rubber pan that I picked up at Tractor Supply.

Even though it has a safety catch, I would still be very nervous about being totally dependent on a valve with a lever. If you could find a valve with a redundant plug, then it may not be a bad idea.

Thanks fornthen58 quart tip in amazon. I just ordered it. Had this motorhome form8 years, the older I get, the more I want to do myself, especially considering the errors and omissions I've seen from people well paid to do it!

Thanks again,

Chuck

Here is the one I got when I had to drain 7+ gallons.
58 Quart Drain Pan

Northern tool sells them and Ebay. Also Amazon.

cbigham wrote:
Dump to valve looks like a god idea, but the slow flow I have concerns about, not washing out the sediments/sludge fast enough.

If you warm it up first, you will not have any problems! Been using the Fumoto valves for years now with no problems.

I use a old 5 gal. bucket, I get them from my local deli, they are glad to get rid of them. My Cat C7 holds 22 quarts so I wait until I am at the add mark so it all fits in the bucket. I drop the bucket and oil at the local re-cycling center, they burn the oil for heat and dispose of the bucket.