I hate repairing what the "pros" mess up...

[MX793]

lol... I meant before I started pouring oil into the car.

See, that's the thing.  They often don't leak until you start the engine.

[Onslaught]

See, that's the thing.  They often don't leak until you start the engine.

I've only done it one time but it didn't start leaking until I drove it out of my shop.

[MX793]

I've only done it one time but it didn't start leaking until I drove it out of my shop.

Yeah, they don't even necessarily start leaking the instant you turn on the motor.  It can take a little time (or at least some engine load driving up oil pressure) before they start spraying oil out.

[BimmerM3]

Frams are shit. Just buy a Purolator.

Yeah Frams are crappy blah blah blah. I buy my oil at Wal-Mart and usually they don't have whatever other brand they carry in stock for my car and I'm not going to stop somewhere else just for a filter. If they were really that bad, they wouldn't still be in business.

[S204STi]

Unless your overtighten the crap out of your drain plug, you really shouldn't need to replace a crush washer every single time you cange the oil

Meh, I disagree.  I guess it depends on the type; the malleable metal ones deform with each tightening so eventually they are useless, but I guess you could get away with a couple of uses.  The type I get from Subaru is definitely a one-time-only washer though.

[S204STi]

Yeah Frams are crappy blah blah blah. I buy my oil at Wal-Mart and usually they don't have whatever other brand they carry in stock for my car and I'm not going to stop somewhere else just for a filter. If they were really that bad, they wouldn't still be in business.

True story: Honeywell (makers of FRAM) also make OEM filters for Honda, as well as Subaru and others.  I figure it's not that big of a deal to use my OE Subaru filters if the manufacturer is cool with them.

[Onslaught]

Meh, I disagree.  I guess it depends on the type; the malleable metal ones deform with each tightening so eventually they are useless, but I guess you could get away with a couple of uses.  The type I get from Subaru is definitely a one-time-only washer though.

I'm not saying you're wrong. But my Miata has had the same one on it for 20 years. I got a new one every time I picked up a new filter and when I'd put them on it drip. Next time I put the original one on and nothing. Did this over and over aging until I figured the original is made out of magic and just gave up. Not one drop again after that. What I can't figure out is why? The new ones looked just like the original in every way.

[S204STi]

Weird.

[Onslaught]

Yep, sometimes you just have to say fuck it and go with whatever.

[r0tor]

Meh, I disagree.  I guess it depends on the type; the malleable metal ones deform with each tightening so eventually they are useless, but I guess you could get away with a couple of uses.  The type I get from Subaru is definitely a one-time-only washer though.

You really only need a slight bit of crush for them to work in theory... and in theory the copper is soft enough to get a slight bit of crush for many uses

[JWC]

Weird.

Not really weird...I had a parts manager that insisted on buying cheap Chinese crush washers for 5 cents instead of those from the manufacturer.  You couldn't crush those things with a sledgehammer.

We tried to reuse a crush washer once on a Volvo at the Ford dealer.  I kept insisting on going home to pick up one from my supply, but the oil change "tech" insisted it didn't matter.  We ended up replacing the Mobil 1 oil a  few days later and sending someone to clean up the spots in his driveway.   It isn't worth the risk.  They are only a 75 cents.

(Just passing through--checking the photo thread, couldn't resist adding my two cents).

[S204STi]

You really only need a slight bit of crush for them to work in theory... and in theory the copper is soft enough to get a slight bit of crush for many uses

Yeah yeah, in theory.  I work with reality.

[S204STi]

(Just passing through--checking the photo thread, couldn't resist adding my two cents).

Take your coat off, stay a while!

[r0tor]

Yeah yeah, in theory.  I work with reality.

the theory works depending on the oil change gorilla

[Eye of the Tiger]

Yeah Frams are crappy blah blah blah. I buy my oil at Wal-Mart and usually they don't have whatever other brand they carry in stock for my car and I'm not going to stop somewhere else just for a filter. If they were really that bad, they wouldn't still be in business.

Supertech filters are better than FRAM. I use Supertech on the Swift!!

[JWC]

Best part - I've experienced this WAY too many times already and I'm barely cracking 20.

Thus, I've decided to not even go to shops for oil changes. Actually last time was the first time doing my own oil change on the explorer, I noticed the oil drain plug had almost no thread left (after having to fucking kick the wrench to break open the plug) because these idiots probably impacted the thing in without threading it in first.

Check your drain plug threads carefully with any oil change on a Ford product.  Ford drain plugs are a design that attempts to strip the plug threads before the pan threads strip.  Much easier and cheaper to replace the plug than the pan.   The drain plugs have a limited life. 

[The Pirate]

Check your drain plug threads carefully with any oil change on a Ford product.  Ford drain plugs are a design that attempts to strip the plug threads before the pan threads strip.  Much easier and cheaper to replace the plug than the pan.   The drain plugs have a limited life. 

That's a really smart idea.

[Rupert]

Yeah, all bolts should be like that...

[hotrodalex]

Yoy ever get in a hurry and start putting in oil before you put the drain plug back in?

The first oil change I did on my bought new 84 Camaro was a trial because the factory had the oil filter so tight the strap wrench wouldn't work and the screwdriver through the filter trick wouldn't workally wound up using a hammer chisel on the rolled rim of the filter to turn it a fraction of an inch at a time until it was loose enough to remove.

That incident should have been warning of the multitude of troubles that POS car was going to deliver during the remaining 140,000 miles of ownership.

I busted a weld on my oil filter wrench last time I used it. For some reason the filter on my El Camino was stuck on impossibly hard. I was working on it for a good 30-45 minutes just to loosen it up. I tightened it normally when I put it on, so I'm not sure what was up with it. Would it being a brand new engine have any effect?

[SVT_Power]

I busted a weld on my oil filter wrench last time I used it. For some reason the filter on my El Camino was stuck on impossibly hard. I was working on it for a good 30-45 minutes just to loosen it up. I tightened it normally when I put it on, so I'm not sure what was up with it. Would it being a brand new engine have any effect?

Brand new engines come with oil filters on 'em?

[hotrodalex]

Brand new engines come with oil filters on 'em?

Nah, I had to buy one and put it on. Only used it for the break in period since I was using straight 10W (I think).

[Rich]

Speaking of this, if I had any mechanical knowledge I might have been able to fix a mechanics screw up.  I had plug wires replaced on Friday and on Monday morning the car was missing again.  I guess when they attached the wires there was some air still in the connection.  Kind of sucked to have the car sputtering again after only a few days.

Runs good now though

[r0tor]

I guess when they attached the wires there was some air still in the connection.

wut

[MX793]

wut

I'm guessing they just forgot to push the plug cap all the way down and there was intermittent contact?

[Rupert]

Right, it wasn't the air, it was the lack of contact.

[S204STi]

FWIW, he wasn't stating an untruth; the gap was creating electrical resistance in the circuit.  Meaning that it would have jumped the gap but then it also would have to jump the gap at the spark plug as well, and that would have meant a weak or nonexistent spark at the plug under certain circumstances.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Right, it wasn't the air, it was the lack of contact.

No, it actually sounds like they forgot to bleed the plug wires.

[Rupert]

No, it actually sounds like they forgot to bleed the plug wires.

[Rupert]

FWIW, he wasn't stating an untruth; the gap was creating electrical resistance in the circuit.  Meaning that it would have jumped the gap but then it also would have to jump the gap at the spark plug as well, and that would have meant a weak or nonexistent spark at the plug under certain circumstances.

Right, what I said.

[VTEC_Inside]

My gfs mom was told that her '92 Integra needed a new universal joint two days ago at some shop.

(insert facepalm here)

The best part is that she brought it to some other shop to have them check it. Shop #2 pointed out the obvious, but I'm sure they got about as much of a chuckle out of it as I did.