Oil and Filter Change

Tegger wrote:
> "Daniel W. Rouse Jr." > wrote in
> :
>
>
>> So, is the reference point facing the head of the bolt and facing the
>> front of the vehicle? Or facing head of the bolt and facing the rear
>> of the vehicle?
>>
>>
>
>
>
> The reference point is that of an imaginary observer who is always able to
> face the bolt head, with the threaded portion of the bolt pointing away
> from him. This observer is supposed to be able to always face the bolt head
> square-on no matter which direction the bolt is actually pointing, or what
> parts happen to be in the way.
>
> If the top of the bolt turns to the right (clockwise) to tighten for such
> an observer, the bolt is "right-hand thread". If the bolt turns the other
> way to tighten (counterclockwise), it's "left-hand thread".
>
> 99% of the bolts you'll encounter in normal servicing will be "right-hand
> thread". That left over 1% can be a killer!

Or a life-saver! Some types of gas lines have left-handed threads, so
you can connect them wrong or take them off by mistake.

Jeff

Built_Well wrote:
>
> Ray O wrote:
>
>> ....API grade SM, which is what most, if not all, of the oil on the
>> shelves in auto parts stores is.
> ========
>
> Today I saw Royal Purple oil at a store with an older API SL rating.
> Saw a couple other brands like that, too, but can't remember who they
> were--probably Napa house brand and one other brand.

Those are great for older vehicles and for things like motorcycles that
have a wet clutch. The newer oils don't work well in those applications
as the additive package cause problems. They won't cause problems in
newer vehicles though.

--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

"Smitty Two" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
> "Daniel W. Rouse Jr." > wrote:
>
> > "E Meyer" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 10/11/07 5:34 AM, in article
> > > , "Daniel W. Rouse Jr."
> > > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > "Built_Well" > wrote in message
> > > > anews.com...
> > > >>
> > > >> I'm going to follow BadGolferMan's lead, and start
> > > >> changing my own oil.
> > > >>
> > > >
> > > > [snip...]
> > > >
> > > >> Use the correct size wrench to loosen (turn counter-clockwise) the
oil
> > > >> drain plug. Use a shop rag to protect your hand from the hot oil.
Keep
> > > >> a steady inward pressure on the plug to avoid the hot oil from
running
> > > >> down your arm. If oil seems too hot to touch, allow the oil to
cool.
> > > >>
> > > > From which reference point is this counter-clockwise direction
> > referenced?
> > > > Facing the front of the car, or facing the rear of the car (when
> > underneath
> > > > the car)?
> > > >
> > > > It may seem like an obvious question, but no oil change manual or
> > > > instruction set I have seen ever actually qualifies this. It seems
> > > > important, though, because turning counter-clockwise from the wrong
> > > > reference point would actually be turning more clockwise.
> > > >
> > > > [snip...]
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > That's just silly. The reference point is facing the head of the
bolt.
> > >
> >
> > I don't think it is silly, here's why.
> >
> > If I put the car on ramps and then go under the car, I can have my legs
> > pointed facing the front or the rear of the vehicle. Looking up and
applying
> > a socket to the bolt... it's going to make a difference from which
reference
> > point is the counter-clockwise direction.
> >
> > Similarly, if I could get the car high enough on a hydraulic lift so
that I
> > could stand under it, I could look up at the head of the bolt facing the
> > front or the rear of the vehicle.
> >
> > That's why I asked. The above response failed to sufficiently answer the
> > question.
> >
> > So, is the reference point facing the head of the bolt and facing the
front
> > of the vehicle? Or facing head of the bolt and facing the rear of the
> > vehicle?
>
> Are you trolling? If you don't know the difference between clockwise and
> counterclockwise, take your car to jiffy lube. You can lie under the car
> with your legs sticking out in any direction you want, clockwise is
> still the same direction. Seriously. Try it.

No, I am not trolling.

Several responses that did answer the question without any sort of smart
remark whatsoever referred to the possibility of left handed threads, that
is why I was asking. I don't want to turn the bolt what seems to be
logically counter-clockwise (i.e., towards the left when facing front or
towards the right when facing rear) and end up snapping off the bolt due to
over torquing it.

Hls wrote:

> Built_Well wrote:

>> Thanks for the reassuring words about not warping the rotors
>> even with 100 foot-pounds of torque being applied to the
>> wheel's lug nuts. At least, I think that's what you're saying?

>> The '06 Camry manual calls for 76 foot-pounds (ft-lbf) of torque
>> being applied, which seems a lot less than 100.

>> If my dealer's tech torqued'em 100 ft-lbs, instead of 76, I wouldn't
>> say that's premiere service. Do you think the $25 torque wrench at
>> O'Reilly Auto Parts is accurate enough? That's the only one I saw
>> there. Will check AutoZone tomorrow.

> Some impact wrenches can put up a heck of a lot more than 100 lb-ft.
> I have seen some that can literally shear off a lug bolt.
>
> TorqStix dont always solve the problem either. I had two sets of
> front rotors warped at Discount Tire with their damn torque sticks.

> A cheap torque wrench is better than no torque wrench. If you
> are off by 5 pounds or so (between 50 and 100 lb-ft) , what the heck
> as long as the tightening is uniform. Use the star tightening sequence.
========

Hls, I think your answer is important enough that I'm going to
re-post it here under the main thread to make sure I see it in case
I feel the need to re-read this thread 6 months from now when
I first change the oil.

Snuffy Smith had it right all the time.
Now, you turn to the right when I say Haw, and you turn to the left when
I say Gee.Now, Hawwww,,,,,, now Geeeee,,,,
cuhulin

"Daniel W. Rouse Jr." > wrote in message
> Several responses that did answer the question without any sort of smart
> remark whatsoever referred to the possibility of left handed threads, that
> is why I was asking.

I went back to your post and didnt find anything that I could correlate with
a question about left handed threads.

My response to you was not intended to be flippant. You did not seem to
know how to perceive "clockwise".

A post told you that left handed threads are rare in cars. They are. Some
Chrysler products used left handed threads on lug nuts on one side of the
car. ( It wasnt necessary, but they did it anyway). I believe some fan
clutches
may also entail left handed threads.

When removing bolts, you might not have any way to know if a left hander is
hiding there. So proceed cautiously. Lots of right hand threaded bolts
have been stripped and broken off by people who get too rambunctious with
a wrench.

Mark A wrote:
> "news" > wrote in message
> news:vxgPi.10148$1y4.2341@pd7urf2no...
>> I prefer to now use a pair of disposable gloves. Less mess, less used oil
>> goodies under my fingernails. The oil's not THAT hot, you're not soaking
>> in it, you're just removing the filler plug.
>>
>> The funny thing is the reason why I started wearing disposable gloves when
>> working on cars... kids. When my first kid started teething two years ago
>> and wanted to chew on my knuckle... it couldn't be if I just came in from
>> the garage, and even then... blech...
>>
>> Kids do the weirdest things to you...
>>
>> Ray
>
> From the NIH (National Institute of Health):
>
> "Warning: continuous contact with used motor oil has caused skin cancer in
> laboratory animal tests. Avoid prolonged contact. Wash skin with soap and
> water. Launder or discard soiled clothing."
>
>

Yup. Seen the warnings for a while. Even though I'm just a diy-er, I
really didn't think about this stuff until I had kids. Now, I do
because I'd like to live long enough to see my kids grow up.

(But I'm still going racing.)

Ray

Built_Well wrote:

> There's a great CD-ROM that comes with the book
> "Auto Upkeep - Basic Car Care" by Michael E. Gray.
> On the CD is a great checklist of things to do
> when changing your car's oil.

> Special Tools Needed:
>
> Safety glasses, basic hand tools, correct size wrench for oil plug,
> oil filter wrench, jack and jack stands (or an automotive lift),
> oil drain pan, funnel, blocks for chocking tires (jack and jack stands
> method)

What, no big metal pan to put under the vehicle to catch all the oil
spills? No magnet or long pliers to fetch the oil drain screw in
case it drops into the pan?

> While the oil is draining, use an oil filter wrench to loosen and remove
> the oil filter.
>
> Set the oil filter in the oil drain pan so the oil can drain out of it.

The first thing I do is I loosen the filter until there's a gap
between it and the engine so heat can escape.

The oil film on the gasket helps it seat better. It must be important
because when o-rings for air conditioner hose assemblies aren't lubed,
they leak like crazy.

hls wrote:
>
> "Daniel W. Rouse Jr." > wrote in message
>> Several responses that did answer the question without any sort of smart
>> remark whatsoever referred to the possibility of left handed threads,
>> that
>> is why I was asking.
>
> I went back to your post and didnt find anything that I could correlate
> with
> a question about left handed threads.
>
> My response to you was not intended to be flippant. You did not seem to
> know how to perceive "clockwise".
>
> A post told you that left handed threads are rare in cars. They are. Some
> Chrysler products used left handed threads on lug nuts on one side of the
> car. ( It wasnt necessary, but they did it anyway). I believe some fan
> clutches
> may also entail left handed threads.
>
> When removing bolts, you might not have any way to know if a left hander is
> hiding there. So proceed cautiously. Lots of right hand threaded bolts
> have been stripped and broken off by people who get too rambunctious with
> a wrench.

If you have a GM belt tensioner with a flat idler pulley it has a left
hand threaded bolt securing the pulley to the tensioner. Just replaced
another one on a vehicle that the owner tried to "repair" by replacing
the idler. OOPS.

--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

news wrote:
> Mark A wrote:
>> "news" > wrote in message
>> news:vxgPi.10148$1y4.2341@pd7urf2no...
>>> I prefer to now use a pair of disposable gloves. Less mess, less
>>> used oil goodies under my fingernails. The oil's not THAT hot,
>>> you're not soaking in it, you're just removing the filler plug.
>>>
>>> The funny thing is the reason why I started wearing disposable gloves
>>> when working on cars... kids. When my first kid started teething two
>>> years ago and wanted to chew on my knuckle... it couldn't be if I
>>> just came in from the garage, and even then... blech...
>>>
>>> Kids do the weirdest things to you...
>>>
>>> Ray
>>
>> From the NIH (National Institute of Health):
>>
>> "Warning: continuous contact with used motor oil has caused skin
>> cancer in laboratory animal tests. Avoid prolonged contact. Wash skin
>> with soap and water. Launder or discard soiled clothing."
>>
>
> Yup. Seen the warnings for a while. Even though I'm just a diy-er, I
> really didn't think about this stuff until I had kids. Now, I do
> because I'd like to live long enough to see my kids grow up.
>
> (But I'm still going racing.)
>
> Ray


The problem with this and many other warnings of this type are these
words "continuous contact" with "whatever product" has caused skin
cancer in laboratory animal tests.

That basically means they shave the rat. Put a product soaked cotton
ball on the spot and tape it there. Then they replace it with a new one
every few hours or just shoot some more of the product onto the cotton.
Not a realistic test of what really happens. I doubt there is anyone out
there taking baths in used oil. or soaking their clothes in it and
wearing them while dripping oil.

How about this warning. Continuous inhalation of H2O has been shown to
cause death in humans in actual life.


--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York
NRA Member
Pacifism - The theory that if they'd fed
Jeffrey Dahmer enough human flesh,
he'd have become a vegan.