adg44
Enthusiast
And she sounds a lot better now. I don't think she enjoyed being on the same oil for two years, although it was only 2500 miles.
Anyway, the tools you'll need:
3/8" Torque Wrench
Funnel
Oil Filter Strap Wrench
15-Quart Drain Pan
16mm Socket/16mm Box Wrench
Brake Cleaner
Shop/Paper Towels
Ramps
As we all know, the Viper is too low to get onto most ramps. I have a set of Blitz Rhino Ramps and they are just a bit too tall to get the Viper on without any help. I was going to build a "step" up to the ramp with two 2"x10"x16" pieces of wood, but this worked just fine:
I used some permanented double sided tape on the bottom of the wood where it touches the ramp and the ground, and the piece stayed in place just fine. I will eventually angle the ends of the wood so it will lay flat, but this works if you need something quick.
Once in the air, remove the oil filler cap:
Mobil1 - yuck!
Get under the car and put down some newspaper so that when some oil drops on the ground, you won't get yelled at by your significant other. Put the 15 quart drain pan under the drain plug and get your 16mm box wrench and loosen the plug. Then with your arm perpendicular to the ground, remove the plug by hand:
In the middle of the drain I got an oil collection kit and took a sample, and I'll send that off tomorrow to get analyzed so we can see how the Mobil1 stood up.
Once the oil starts to trickle out of the pan, put the plug back in and finger tighten it. Then go over to the oil filter:
This was on there way too tight for me to remove by hand, so I got a strap wrench and loosened it. Unscrew it a bit and thne let the oil drain out of it while it's still attached to the car. Once this stops, continue unscrewing the filter and then let the rest of the oil drain from the oil filter post. I'd say about half a quart came out.
Then get your new filter and put some oil on the rubber gasket so it will remove easily. Get it on there and then hand tighten it - I believe the instructions on the filter say get it tight and then give it another turn. An oil filter doesn't have to be extremely tight, contrary to what a lot of people think. Just make sure it is snug and you'll be good.
When you remove the oil filter, you've changed the pressure in the system, so some more oil will go back into the oil pan. Unscrew the drain plug and watch as about another half a quart coems out. Since the car is on ramps, and the oil drain plug isn't on the back of the oil pan, there is still going to be some in the system.
This drain plug has a rubber washer built into it, which is why it doesn't need to ever be replaced. I'm not sure what the actual torque is for the drain plug, but most are about 20-25 ft/lbs, so I torqued it to 25 with my torque wrench.
Then all you need to do is add about 9 quarts of your favorite oil (I used Valvoline SynPower 10w30) and then start the car, check for leaks, and then remove it from the ramps. Let it run for a few minutes, then let it sit for about five minutes, and then check the oil level. Mine was right where it was supposed to be.
Anyway, hope this helps some of you if you are planning on changing your oil but don't know what's involved. It is a very, very straight forward process. Everything is right infront of your face, and there is plenty of room to work. You don't have to remove any splash guards or underbody panels to do this. I'd say it took only about 45 minutes to do, and most of that was waiting for the oil to drain out.
- Anthony
Anyway, the tools you'll need:
3/8" Torque Wrench
Funnel
Oil Filter Strap Wrench
15-Quart Drain Pan
16mm Socket/16mm Box Wrench
Brake Cleaner
Shop/Paper Towels
Ramps
As we all know, the Viper is too low to get onto most ramps. I have a set of Blitz Rhino Ramps and they are just a bit too tall to get the Viper on without any help. I was going to build a "step" up to the ramp with two 2"x10"x16" pieces of wood, but this worked just fine:
You must be registered for see images
I used some permanented double sided tape on the bottom of the wood where it touches the ramp and the ground, and the piece stayed in place just fine. I will eventually angle the ends of the wood so it will lay flat, but this works if you need something quick.
Once in the air, remove the oil filler cap:
You must be registered for see images
Mobil1 - yuck!
Get under the car and put down some newspaper so that when some oil drops on the ground, you won't get yelled at by your significant other. Put the 15 quart drain pan under the drain plug and get your 16mm box wrench and loosen the plug. Then with your arm perpendicular to the ground, remove the plug by hand:
You must be registered for see images
In the middle of the drain I got an oil collection kit and took a sample, and I'll send that off tomorrow to get analyzed so we can see how the Mobil1 stood up.
Once the oil starts to trickle out of the pan, put the plug back in and finger tighten it. Then go over to the oil filter:
You must be registered for see images
This was on there way too tight for me to remove by hand, so I got a strap wrench and loosened it. Unscrew it a bit and thne let the oil drain out of it while it's still attached to the car. Once this stops, continue unscrewing the filter and then let the rest of the oil drain from the oil filter post. I'd say about half a quart came out.
Then get your new filter and put some oil on the rubber gasket so it will remove easily. Get it on there and then hand tighten it - I believe the instructions on the filter say get it tight and then give it another turn. An oil filter doesn't have to be extremely tight, contrary to what a lot of people think. Just make sure it is snug and you'll be good.
You must be registered for see images
When you remove the oil filter, you've changed the pressure in the system, so some more oil will go back into the oil pan. Unscrew the drain plug and watch as about another half a quart coems out. Since the car is on ramps, and the oil drain plug isn't on the back of the oil pan, there is still going to be some in the system.
This drain plug has a rubber washer built into it, which is why it doesn't need to ever be replaced. I'm not sure what the actual torque is for the drain plug, but most are about 20-25 ft/lbs, so I torqued it to 25 with my torque wrench.
You must be registered for see images
Then all you need to do is add about 9 quarts of your favorite oil (I used Valvoline SynPower 10w30) and then start the car, check for leaks, and then remove it from the ramps. Let it run for a few minutes, then let it sit for about five minutes, and then check the oil level. Mine was right where it was supposed to be.
Anyway, hope this helps some of you if you are planning on changing your oil but don't know what's involved. It is a very, very straight forward process. Everything is right infront of your face, and there is plenty of room to work. You don't have to remove any splash guards or underbody panels to do this. I'd say it took only about 45 minutes to do, and most of that was waiting for the oil to drain out.
- Anthony
.. although it's a month too late since I had to figure it out myself at that time 
