Where do you change your oil?

Yep, about 2 hours for me. That includes fuel filter and water separator, grease/check and almost always some other small issue or part replacement or two I put off until oil change time.

I've got a pretty well set up automotive shop with a lift but I can't get my truck inside. I did two things that helped me be a lot quicker and cleaner with oil changes since I'm out in the weather.

First, I built some long, low ramps for the front wheels since I drive an low truck. Built them out of 6x6 pine and some 2x8/2x10's. They are about 50# apiece, a foot or so wide and 3-4' long giving me about 10" of clearance.

Second, I bought one of these below, low profile rolling drain cart with pump. Makes cleanup a breeze.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/t...AnYuXUyglQ1739RfNOBoCnkEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Start carrying a grease gun and grease the truck yourself. Let a shop change your oil and grease the chassis but go over it yourself after and in-between.

 

I just started at Penske as a tech. I've never been to a place that has training like this one. Some grade A stuff and the pm process is super simple. We literally have a headset that tells us where everything is and what to check. To be fair I'm just did a career change so I am new but everyone else has been there for +5 +10 years. Coworker just got his 25th anniversary. Just saying ppl ain't leaving this place for a reason and it's a corp so if you do ######## your ### is gone so... penkse isn't doing something wrong. Not trying to kiss the company's ### but I'm confident that they provide quality service.

 

Biden does too, and he's still effing up everything. Get 30 years of excellent mechanic experience under your belt, and come back with real world experience.

 

I can dump my oil hit the main grease points on my truck refill and back out in bout a hour. That’s leaving my shop a #### wreck too. To be fair I do not use bulk oil. It’s a gallon at a time.

Or I can pressure wash it off (frame, springs and diffs only) pull samples. I use a hand type suction pump and send them to CAT. Catching them while draining can contaminate the sample. Dump the oil and refill (including the front sump in my pan), hit every zerk Including slip yokes till they are full. Which I’m sure most don’t do ya know over greasing kills lmao. Looking around at everything with a good flash light including inside all drums for leaks cracks etc. checking boxes as I go. Then I jack the front by the axle beam to grease king pins. Let it down then jack it up by the frame to grease spring hanger bushings. The springs have to much drop to do it all at once with my equipment. Change water filter and test coolant PH as well as fuel filter and a general honest to goodness look around for anything rubbing or needing attention. Adjust all brakes even though it has auto slacks. Check all tire pressure with a gauge and fill as needed. Then clean my area up. Put up tools etc. I also pump my waste oil from drain bucket to holding barrel while I’m doing other stuff. As well as start it and let it run checking for leaks while I’m checking my tire pressure. This is what I consider a full PM. I can’t do it in no hour. I also never do it that I don’t find other things that need attention.

PM means different things to different people. Loves, T/A, Speedco do not do PM’s they are simple oil changes to me. They are set up to move oil quickly and easily. The reason they do not do major work is what they pay. Do you want a “tech” that doesn’t know come here from sick em or a professional?

ETA Do you really want a guy with a headset that’s tells him where everything is working on your ride? Mine means more to me than that. I’m not downing anyone we all start somewhere. I have seen many guys that never seen a truck start and work beside a seasoned guy till they get the hang of it.

Before flaming a guy bout how long it takes ask him what that includes. You hate it when a broker low balls you. Don’t low ball others in supporting businesses of your field.

 

I dump my oil and then let the pan sit under truck over night so all the oil comes out of the head and everywhere else. Shops just dump the oil and fill back up. There is about a gallon that has yet to fall and will usually take about a couple hours or more for that to happen

 

Haha hopefully in 30 years neither of us are worried about that lol. I hear what you putting down.

 

Lol right. Pretty sure it's a little more in-depth than that.

 

So the headset isn't there so monkeys are qualified to do the job. I mean does it tell you what to do yes but the steps vary from truck to truck. From my understanding it's there for that very reason. Assumption that one way fits all could lead to ramifications just by not knowing that this truck has a campaign on the ecm. Details like that reduce downtime, and money. Just pulled up at the shop hour early for some extra training time cuz I'm actually working on my pm certification funny enough. But thanks for the criticism cuz it's #### like that is what's gonna help me do better. Opens a different perspective to things. Constructive. Time to get dirty lol. Thanks for the reply