working on it

I just did my first at-home oil change on the Panel. Finally got the Rhino Ramps so I had no excuse not to. Anyway, it was a breeze...no drips,runs, or errors (until I thought I could back off the ramps leaving the drain pan in place). Caught the lip of the spoiler, but only splashed a teaspoon out on the garage floor. I compared the dealer installed filter to my Walmart purchase. The dealer's AC was USA made, with a small open center, and thick end caps. My AC was Bulgarian made, with a much larger open center. I had previously bought a Fram 3x @ Walmart...it had the same look as the USA made AC, but with thinner end caps and a semi-pointed small end. The pleated material of all three was similar. Despite all the trashing of Fram on the web, it looked just as good as the AC's. I have a question...why the obvious difference in the two AC's? Will the thinner cross-section of my freshly installed AC be significant? I cut open the old filter... no metal, so even a less dense filtration medium should suffice. P.S. I have always changed oil at 4-5k (DIC = 55-60% left)since I went to Mobil 1 on my 2nd oil change. This time, I had let it go to 45% and 7k miles. I'm now using M1 extended life. I would use RP, but I don't think GM approves of it.

hyperv6

I hope you called Haz Mat and cleared 12 city blocks with that oil spill or Al Gore will come a calling. LOL!

Filters can vary a little depending on the market. Remember GM also sells this same engine in Europe. Also it could be a running change. All my filters were USA and the same so far here.

If you are using Mobil one you can go down to zero under normal driving conditions. If you tow or live in a very dirty condition then a early change should be considered. As it is you are just dumping good oil.

Too often many of us hold to the old ways when oil and engines are not like they used to be. Oils have improved as have the engines as they have much less blow b y and or gas getting into the oil.

Also the special oils are really not needed if you change oils regularly. You are just paying for a gimick. Same with most additives as they are not needed if you properly maintain a engine.

Many people make more out of oil changes than they need too. This is not a complex religion here and just following some simple rules will give your engine a long life under normal conditions. Now if you are under extreem conditions the rules change and you do have to address things a little more often.

donbrew

ECO-Tech engine. The ECO stands for ecology & economy. It is designed to put less used oil into the eco-sphere and consume less oil overall. The engineers put a lot of work into these features, why would you discount their work? If you change the oil more often than the DIC tells you to you are POLLUTING the world more than is necessary, and WASTING precious natural resources.

If you continue in this activity, somebody will take an equal and opposite action; i.e. raise the price of oil, make it impossible to dispose of used oil etc. Gas prices ARE affected by the use of oil in general.

1967 is long gone. They used to make engines that had .01 inch tolerances, they are now made to .0001 tolerances, the oil ONLY lubricates now, it used to fill gaps in machining as well. "They" are also aware that soccermom & soccerdad do not know what engine oil is, so they plan for an engine going 100,000 miles on the ORIGINAL oil and filter. Please to cite an instance of an Eco-Tech engine (or any engine made since 2000) failing due to bad oil maintenance (Mike Rowe for FoMoCo service excluded, since they do not cite ANY particulars)?

working on it

Old habits die hard,you know. I've been changing oil for my family and myself since about 1960 (10 years old), and I agree that things have indeed changed. I've seen (and bought) some vehicles that were sludged up beyond belief. I bought a '75 Chevy-10 pickup (99k mi), a few years back, that the owner said had always been run on Pennzoil 30w (3k mi oil changes). He had a book,started by his dad, that kept track of it for 25 years. I checked the oil...thick on the dipstick. PCV clogged. Vacuum booster lines plugged with sludge/carbon. Even though the engine didn't smoke, I pulled it anyway. The oil pan was completely filled with sludge; only the area around the pickup was liquid. So even though there was "documentation" of adequate? care, the Pennzoil dino had solidified over the years. I wonder if they ever noticed that the truck had gone from 5quart to 1-2 quart oil changes? I rebuilt that whole truck, nothing was good. But back to the subject > I am slowly gaining confidence in synthetics' longevity. I'm extending my street car oil change intervals; and gained more faith in synthetics, having freshened up my race engines and observed NO wear with Royal Purple,even after 2 seasons. I go 7.5k mi on my trucks now with RP. I guess I'll have to trust the technology, and the DIC, and M1 oil, to further extend future OC intervals. Thanks.

Maven

The Bulgarian (and USA) made "early" style Hengst manufactured filters are better IMO. The second type American made filters that look like the Frams tend to distort more. I prefer the early Hengst style filters (and I hoard them )

sleeper

I have gotten my AC Delco (Hengst) oil filters from Advance Auto @ $4.99 ea.

mroney

Working_on_it

I noticed you have a '66 Malibu. That my first car as a teenager many years ago. Mine had a 283 V8 and a three speed on the column. But judging by your 1/4 mile time, yours is very modified. I'd love to see some pics for nastalgia if nothing else.

HeavenlyHellRaiser

I was told from a young age by my uncle not to use Pennzoil, and have seen first hand a few times myself the problems it causes. I've seen 2 motors completely sludged up, both always run on Pennzoil. From what I've heard the refinery they get their oil from has some kind of wax in it. Apparently Quaker State gives the same results. Don't know if it's true, but both engines I saw were heavily caked in a nasty sludge.

Greybeard999

I've never had a problem with Pennzoil...... been using it exclusively for 30+ years.

working on it

here it is, before the fiberglass hood and front bumper