Changed the oil today...

71GMC_3/4T · February 21, 2005

Today I decided to do the first oil change on my '03 K2500HD Crew since I've owned her. I bought her on New Years Eve. Just over 3,000 since the PO changed it.

Man, what a MESS! I pulled the plug and oil shot out right into the exhaust cross-over pipe and spread out all over, missing the drain pan of course! Then, as it dribbled to a stop, it started dripping onto the skid plate and running toward the front and dripping out the holes. After that, I pulled the filter. How convenient that you can only access 90 degrees worth of the side of it. Had to go get the filter socket. I loosened it and out came another mess of oil, again right on the skid plate. Grrrr. Also, it kept on dripping and dripping, apparently draining some of the oil out of the oil cooler lines.

Should I have removed the skid plate? Only 4 bolts compared to 30 minutes of cleanup might be worth it.

Should I poke a hole in the bottom back of the filter to drain it first, and wait about 30 minutes for it to drip dry?

Should I use compressed air to blow out the oil cooler lines up to the rad and back?

Thanks for any suggestions or comments!

99silveradoz71 · February 21, 2005

Not sure about your truck, but what I've found works on mine is holding the drainplug in at first to kind of guide the oil into the collection tub...or place that tub about 2 feet from the drain. Also, though I probably don't need to, I put the front up on stands to give it a little pitch which helps keep things cleaner for me.

number9 · February 21, 2005

I had the exact same issue when I changed the oil in my HD 6.0 the other day. I thought the oil change on my 99 Z-71 5.7 was bad - NOT EVEN CLOSE. The 6.0 design is a nightmare. I am going to come up with a way to address this issue soon and when I do I will post pics and details.

COSilver · February 21, 2005

Yeah, this is really a bone-head setup how they did this.

I put my truck on ramps, so I didn't get any oil onto the skid plate, but the oil bouncing off the exhaust pipe is a joke, and luckily I already had a filter socket that fit (my other filter wrench would not work), otherwise I would have been majorly pi$$ed off if I had to go to the auto parts store to pick one up, and put my beer away until I got back.

It's a crappy mess of a project. What were they thinking on this one, if at all?

blue2kzr2 · February 21, 2005

Get a Fumoto valve with a nipple to slide a hose on. Slide the hose on, direct it where you want it to go and open the valve. I have yet to do an oil change using mine, but it should make things A LOT easier. If not with a tube on the valve, it'll be easier to hold up a drain pan and aim into it.

www.fumotovalve.com is where you have to buy it. On my ZR2, it doesn't extend beyond the skid plate, so there's no fear of it getting broken off on a rock...

Ron J · February 21, 2005

www.fumotovalve.com

Works great !!!

damammel · February 21, 2005

Use a 1L soda bottle. Cut the ends off and make a cut top to bottom. The natural curve of the soda bottle will wrap around the exhaust and keep the oil off it.

Derek

Freyguy · February 21, 2005

I use a rather large piece of tin foil folded over the crossmember/skidplate that angles down to my pan. I made the same mistake my first time and someone suggested I try tinfoil. Works like a charm! I still have to hold the plug there until the surge dies down a bit, but I'm gonna buy one of those Fumotos one of these days.

JimG · February 21, 2005

Just my $0.02 -

Whenever I change the oil, I use a laundry detergent bottle with the bottom cut off at an angle (about 45 deg). Bonus with this is you get a handle, so no matter how oily your hand is you can still hold this. All I do is pop the drain bolt, all the oil is funneled down the detergent bottle into the waiting drain pan. As the flow slows to a trickle, the bottle is cut so as to fit b/t the skid plate and the oil pan to prevent dripping.

When it gets warmer outside I'm thinking about cutting the skid plate just enough to clear that bolt so I don't have to hold the bottle up there at that point. Instead it should just drip down to the pan.

Ramps DEFINITELY help with this. The change in the angle is enough to help prevent the oil from going all over the skid plate.

Good luck!

It's a crappy mess of a project. What were they thinking on this one, if at all?

Indeed it is - bet the guy who designed this never changed his own oil, and probably never will. And it's obvious he didn't get any input from service people regarding this design.

gave20 · February 21, 2005

Not sure about your truck, but what I've found works on mine is holding the drainplug in at first to kind of guide the oil into the collection tub...or place that tub about 2 feet from the drain. Also, though I probably don't need to, I put the front up on stands to give it a little pitch which helps keep things cleaner for me.

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Works for me as well. After a few seconds the head is reduced and the oil will flow harmlessly into the pan.

BigRed8100 · February 21, 2005

As far as the filter, I use a large zip-lock freezer bag to catch the oil and filter as you spin it off.

71GMC_3/4T · February 21, 2005

Hey thanks for all the replies!

A lot of good suggestions so far.

I like the ziplock idea for the filter. That should keep the old hot oil out of my armpit!

I don't think I could do the "hold the plug kind of in there" trick. I change my oil hot, and the plug is usually too hot to hang onto for long.

I wasn't using ramps, but I had it up on jackstands with the front tires barely on the ground. When the oil finishes dripping, it still curls back and hits the skid plate. Me thinks a skid plate mod might be in order...

I have an old W/S washer fluid jug that might end up being my companion on my next oil change.

I thought my '92 Z-71 was a pain since the filter dripped all over the front driveshaft... At least I could get the oil out of the pan into the drain pan (without any special tools or equipment)!

Supurban · February 21, 2005

Here are some more antics about that first oil change......

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...topic=30646&hl=

71GMC_3/4T · February 22, 2005

Interesting read Superban. I like your suggestion for driving a nail in the filter.

I remember the first time I changed the oil in a C-65 truck on the farm where I worked. That mutha had a magnetic drain plug with a really strong magnet! When it was almost out, I gave it one last flip hoping for it to drop in the bucket and it swung around and stuck to the bottom of the pan. That created an umbrella shaped surge of oil that pretty much missed the bucket entirely. Of course the boss walked in right as I was cleaning this huge oil spill off the shop floor!

Another time, I changed the oil on the boss's wife's Olds 98. I was all done and dumping the oil when I found the gasket that belonged under the head of the drain plug, which I had already installed of course! Argh! I had the boss's kid hold a shop vac hose over the oil fill hole while I pulled the plug, put on the gasket and put it back on. Not a drop spilled! I was proud of myself for that one. No worry about getting oil all the way from the pan up into the valve covers and into the shop vac!

Supurban · February 22, 2005

OMG I had quite a laugh about that C65 story!

I totally know what you mean - somehow when you make a mess with oil it is always spectacular. On good days, I use 2 paper towels and not a dropped spilled. On bad days, the whole roll of paper towels and a new shirt. The worst was when I was changing trans fluid and the stream hit the edge of the drain pan like a spray and got it all over my hair.