OIL CHANGE
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,329
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OIL CHANGE
I have seen columns here on how to change C5 oil. Rhino ramps seem fine for the front end but why lift the rear end at all? I have seen this in some examples here and at other vette sites on the internet. Tell me all I have to do is run it up the ramps and change the oil!!! :auto: :auto:
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,380
Likes: 0
From: Life is all about power and control
Re: OIL CHANGE (Irish Whiskey)
You need to lift the rear end above the height of the front to be sure to get as much of the old oil out as possible. This is due to the shape of the sump used in the Corvette which allows the engine to be mouted lower, which in turn lowers the centre of gravity and therefore helps you corner better. If you don't raise the back end then you can end up leaving a pint or two of old oil behind which doesn't do much good to your engine.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,205
Likes: 40
From: Tucson AZ
Re: OIL CHANGE (Irish Whiskey)
Get yourself a floor jack, Irish, and do it right. Use a piece of one inch oak scrap, steel plate, or other thin, but tough, material to span the rear cross member and it will work well. :yesnod: :)
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 0
From: Simi Valley CA
Re: OIL CHANGE (te51cle)
Even if you don't care about a pint or two, it is very tight under there with just the Rhino ramps. Lifting the rear makes it a lot easier and allows you to use a creeper. Good luck :cheers:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 973
Likes: 0
From: San Jose, CA
Re: OIL CHANGE (Irish Whiskey)
There might be middle ground here. First of all to change the oil filter you have to have some type of access. Because the oil drain plug is close by, it has been simply a no brainer to undo the plug. Having said that, you can do it using ONLY the Rhino ramps if you use some type of evacuation tool like a mity vac or pela unit. This way, you can evacuate the oil thru the dipstick after you put the car on rhino ramps to do the oil filter change out.
I am using the mity vac tool on a VWJetta TDI (diesel) One of the neatest things is that you can do an oil change in literally 10 mins vs app 1.25 hrs that it normally takes( 1. 20-30 min jack up/down procedure. 2. 15 min drain procedure 3. 10 min R/R oil filter 4. 10-15 min fill and clean procedures 5. 15 min (VW has app) 10 fasteners and a plastic skid plate to remove in addition to the normal oil and filter change procedure) The oil filter is the cannister type and is accessible from the top of the engine bay! I can do the oil change without jacking !!! Proper jacking can take most of the time in the task! Most MB and VW oil changes are done by the dealer using the evacuation method.
[Modified by ruking1, 3:58 PM 6/20/2003]
I am using the mity vac tool on a VWJetta TDI (diesel) One of the neatest things is that you can do an oil change in literally 10 mins vs app 1.25 hrs that it normally takes( 1. 20-30 min jack up/down procedure. 2. 15 min drain procedure 3. 10 min R/R oil filter 4. 10-15 min fill and clean procedures 5. 15 min (VW has app) 10 fasteners and a plastic skid plate to remove in addition to the normal oil and filter change procedure) The oil filter is the cannister type and is accessible from the top of the engine bay! I can do the oil change without jacking !!! Proper jacking can take most of the time in the task! Most MB and VW oil changes are done by the dealer using the evacuation method.
[Modified by ruking1, 3:58 PM 6/20/2003]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 8,133
Likes: 144
From: Ex-SF Bay Area; now happily Denver area
Re: OIL CHANGE (ruking1)
I don't think someone mentioned that the plug is in the front of the crankcase rather than at the back. This is the reason that oil will remain if the back is not jacked up while the front is still on the Rhino Ramps. I'm 6'3" and 210 lbs and have no problem getting under the car with it just on the ramps. I don't like to get under there after it has been jacked up. So I run it up on the ramps, change the filter, take the drain plug out, jack it up and let it drain. Then I let it down, put the plug back in, along with the oil and that's it. Not a hard job at all.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,165
Likes: 1
From: San Jose CA
Re: OIL CHANGE (Irish Whiskey)
No need for rhino ramps . I have one of those flat plastic 8 qts oil drain pan, a concrete block and a floor jack. I lift the car from the driver side, put the concrete block under the LF wheel (just for safety) slide the drain pan under the car and remove drain plug and filter. Then I remove the floor jack and lift the rear about 5 inches or so and wait for all the oil to drain.
In the mean time I prime the new oil filter with fresh oil. Jack the car back up , install filter and drain plug , put car back on it's 4 wheels , fill new oil and I'm done.
Takes about 1/2 hour or so.
Hope this helps
Roger
In the mean time I prime the new oil filter with fresh oil. Jack the car back up , install filter and drain plug , put car back on it's 4 wheels , fill new oil and I'm done.
Takes about 1/2 hour or so.
Hope this helps
Roger
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 16,720
Likes: 1
From: Redacted
Re: OIL CHANGE (ruking1)
Hey, Ruking! A fellow TDI and Corvette person right here in Silicon Valley!
For me, the Rhino ramps work out perfect on my driveway. Backed into the drive with the ramps under the front wheels puts the vette ever so slightly forward tilted. All the drains right out, it's easy to get to everything on my creeper. O/C are a snap.
I sold my Golf TDI when I bought the vette, Dorie has a New Beetle TDI though, so we still have one in the household.
Taking the belly pan of the TDI is a PITA. It's worth getting an oil-sucker for that one.
The vette though is super easy to do on o/c with conventional methods though.
For me, the Rhino ramps work out perfect on my driveway. Backed into the drive with the ramps under the front wheels puts the vette ever so slightly forward tilted. All the drains right out, it's easy to get to everything on my creeper. O/C are a snap.
I sold my Golf TDI when I bought the vette, Dorie has a New Beetle TDI though, so we still have one in the household.
Taking the belly pan of the TDI is a PITA. It's worth getting an oil-sucker for that one.
The vette though is super easy to do on o/c with conventional methods though.
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Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,324
Likes: 2,079
From: Guelph, Ontario
Re: OIL CHANGE (te51cle)
You need to lift the rear end above the height of the front to be sure to get as much of the old oil out as possible. This is due to the shape of the sump used in the Corvette which allows the engine to be mouted lower, which in turn lowers the centre of gravity and therefore helps you corner better. If you don't raise the back end then you can end up leaving a pint or two of old oil behind which doesn't do much good to your engine.
Instead of doing that, an easier thing to do would be to take one quart of fresh oil and pour it into the engine about 10min after you've removed the drain plug (once it's down to just dripping that is). This will push out the old oil, and even though it costs you an extra $4, it's an easier method (and safer than trying to jack up the rear)