Foiled trying to change my oil

[joshuabardwell]

I was unloading a bale of hay from my truck Friday when it starts beeping at me. Zero oil pressure. I shut it down immediately and pulled the dip-stick. Bone dry. Okay. No clue when that happened. I just bought the truck a few months ago, and I'm sure I've glanced at the oil pressure gauge a few times since then and it's been normal, but you know, stuff happens. So I toss more oil into it until it reads full and go about my business.

I figure, well, it was about to be time for an oil change anyway, so as long as it's full of fresh oil, I'll buy a filter, drain the fresh oil back out again, change the filter, and then pour the oil back in, and voila! Oil change!

So I go up under the truck today and try as I might, I could not break the drainage nut loose. I don't know if somebody just put it on tight with an impact wrench or if they loc-tited it or what. It's so tight I can't move it at all without worrying I'm going to strip the head.

So, off to the mechanic I go, and I get to explain to them why I'd like them to drain all my oil, change my filter (oh, here, I've got one right here), and put all my oil back in again.

This is the second time something like this has happened to me in my life. Years ago, I got a flat, and couldn't get my lug nuts off because the last mechanic who put my wheels on torqued them so tight with an impact wrench. I'm talking about jumping on the end of the tire iron tight. Urgh.

BTW, I have no clue where the oil went. The truck is parked in the same place every day, and there's no sign at all of a leak. I suppose it could be burning it, but I haven't owned it long enough to know whether that's going to be an issue.

 

[Dr Dave]

I would not reuse oil, consider it a flush! Take old filter and cut it open and check for metal,and send oil sample in.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I would not reuse oil, consider it a flush! Take old filter and cut it open and check for metal,and send oil sample in.

Tell me more? It's $30-45 in oil depending on how much the truck takes. I hate to throw that much money away after just a few days of driving. At the very least, I'll finish out the 500 or so miles until the next change interval and milk it for that long

Are you maybe suggesting that the old filter contaminated the new oil?

 

[Dale_Alan]

Just change the filter, you don't have to drain the oil to change a filter. You will need to check it and top it off.

Dale

 

[Dr Dave]

what oil was left would be very dirty, who knows when it was changed last? Last owner may not have been able to get plug out also. If you are going to wait 500 miles, at least change filter $5.00

 

[joshuabardwell]

Just change the filter, you don't have to drain the oil to change a filter. You will need to check it and top it off.

Never changed a filter without draining the oil first. You're saying it won't come spilling out or something when I remove the filter?

 

[joshuabardwell]

what oil was left would be very dirty

Hmm... you have a compelling point. The dip-stick was bone-dry, but it don't go all the way to the bottom of the pan. And come to think of it, the truck takes 12 quarts, but I only put 8 in to get it to the top of the line. I guess I know where the other four came from! :confused2:

PS: In case you hadn't figured it out, I am not a professional mechanic, or even an amateur one. Just a guy with enough initiative to change his own oil, like they used to do back when Men Were Men and Dinosaurs Roamed The Earth.

 

[robs660]

I would start fresh. Call it a $50.00 insurance policy. More then once I have done oil changes after someone went to an oil change place. Both times I had to destroy the drain but to get it loose. I drill out the center then use my impact on it. Takes forever for the oil to drain so you can remove the nut. I think you should have to pass a test before you are issued any sort of impact tool.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I think you should have to pass a test before you are issued any sort of impact tool.

I figure the answer is to fight fire with fire: this is the sign I needed that it's time for me to buy a compressor and an impact wrench. One idiot with an impact wrench deserves another, right?

I told my girlfriend this line of reasoning and she said, "Impact wrench? You mean it's time to buy me a nail gun, right?" She's wanted a nail-gun forever. Hates hammering and hates drilling more.

EDIT: I almost said, "hates screwing more," but I figured you guys would have too much fun with that.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Thanks for the input, folks. I'm going to run out this oil change interval and then take the truck in for a professional change. I'll ask the guy to please make sure the nut is human-tight so I can do the change in the future, and I'll save the filter I've already bought and ask him if he'll just use that instead of selling me one out of his inventory.