BillMeyer

Ok, I have the '94 home and am reading my owners manual. A few questions arise :
1, If you guys change oil in your garage , on your back like me, w/out a
lift, how do you get it up into the air enough to get under it. Am I
correct I would build a wooden ramp so as to get the floor jack
under it and then raise it?
2. In the manual it refers to the LT1 and LT5 motors- I assume I ignore
the code J and focus on the code p- that being the LT1.
3. Owners manual recommends Mobil 1 5w30- Is this what everyone
uses- I realize synthetic oil may be a personal preference as to
brand or location/ availability.
4. Antenna will not go down- am I correct to look for a relay and if so
where?
thanks in advance

87 vette 81 big girl

I can change oil on my 87 Vert on the ground with no car ramps or floor jack used & see my way around with both eyes.

Use what ever brand oil you prefer.

Premium brand oil would be my recommendation.

Synthetic oils are very good too.

dewfall

If you are used to most other cars, when you first try to cram a floor jack under a Corvette it can be a challenge. A lot of jacks out there won't even fit under the car, so try using a low profile one. Assuming you have that, you can either raise it by the lift points as outlined in the manual, or if you want to just raise the frt end, you can lift at center of the frame right between the frt wheels. Alternatively, get yourself a good pair of ramps from an auto parts store.

If you have an LT1 motor then yes, you should pay attention to only the "P" stuff when information is specific to the engine type. J is the oh so mighty ZR1 motor.

I personally use whatever oil the manufacturer recommends. Automotive engineers put a lot of testing and analysis into evaluating the best brand and weight.

If you are experiencing electrical trouble you really should think about getting a pair of factory service manuals, not Chilton's or Hayes, to diagnose. You can find them used on ebay or go to helminc.com for a new set.

BillMeyer

Thanks for the input , will I am sure be asking a lot more ?s in the future. The more I look under the hood the more I realize - WOW!!

oldalaskaman

low pro floor jacks rock.

pmihaltian

Rhino Ramps for $40 at Advanced Auto or O'Reilly's

jmgtp

If you dont have a low profile jack, just place a few pieces of wood in front of the wheels, drive the car so it comes to a stop on top of the wood and then you gain a bit of clearance, hopefully enough to get a standard size jack under it. My 3ton craftsman jack goes under it without a problem though.

You're antenna probably has a stripped ribbon cable. Mine was in the permanent up position when I bought the car too. I removed the antenna with the intent to replace the cable but even without it the local stations come in fine, I never reinstalled it. Have someone turn the radio on/off while you listen near the antenna. If you hear the antenna motor running without any movement then you know it is a stripped cable.

BillMeyer

thanks for the info. on the antenna- that is exactly what it does. I do have a Craftsman 3 ton floor jack. Will probably take the idea of building my own wood ramps to get some clearance before jacking.

ks5shooter

Standard ramps with a 2 foot piece of 2x6 laid on ground in front of ramps.Gets you enough clearance to go up ramps.

AVL94LT1383

Just one thing you might want to consider... the 94 doesn't have an oil cooler and I do recall the recogmendation to use syn oil for better heat performance... of course this assumes it is still stock.
Also, know that the LT-1 came in a few different versions and is def. different in some very interesting ways than a L-98. So be careful of advice from fellow L-98 owners or LT-1 information from 92 and 93 LT-1's as they have a few key items that are different.
No one means bad, they just might not know the differences and assume all C-4 SBC enginies are the same....

Ricky 91 vette

I have those too, and they r great !!

pologreen1

The cars with 275's or bigger have a hard time with those, at least all mine do. Tires got a little smaller on the later lt1's.

dewfall

I have a '94 LT1 and there is a small cooler mounted way down low on the frame between the radiator and HB. Never took the time to investigate what flows throught it, but I imagine it is oil or trans fluid.

BillMeyer

dewfall- HB- I assume is heater block? Will be going to Advance Auto for a look at the Rhino ramps.

dewfall

Good guess. I meant harmonic balancer (and crankpulley which is integrated into it).

rickneworleansla

Stick with Mobile One 5w-30.

I had the Rhino ramps and hated them. I used them a couple of times and then threw them in the attic. The front spoiler pushes the ramps forward as you try to go up them. As others have pointed out you can try to pull up on some wood and then up on the ramps. Personally I do not trust the material they are made from. I have seen a few posts on the Internet of them failing under normal use.

I use a floor jack on one side at the recommended jacking location then place two jack stands under it. One for support and one for backup. I then go to the other side of the car and repeat.


The pictures only show where I put one stand to support the vehicle but I always put two on each side. The second for backup.




If you decide to jack it up at the stock locations, between the two arrows there, be carefully the jack you use does not crush the lines that run along there.




I've also placed the stand here before.

AVL94LT1383

As I said.... if it is a 94 you might want to check the plumbing on that "cooler"... hey,, it could be a power steering fluid cooler ... but I would NOT put my money on that it is a engine oil cooler