thank you for such a thorough and enlightening DIY on how to change my oil brendan 

oh another thing....instead of the screwdriver through the oil filter...perhaps you could have suggested an oil filter wrench....pretty cheap at any spare parts shop....just so some of the noobs dont accidently stab themsleves with the screwdriver

Nice one Brendan, but I have a couple of things I'd like to add:

* if you don't have a container for the old oil, your ex-girlfriend's driveway works a treat.

* Sump plug washers - I replace mine every oil change. Ask for them at your subaru dealer when buying your filters there.

* Oil. This is a personal thing, but I think 10W60 is a bit much on a EJ20. I like 10W40, and I'm liking at the moment, the Royal Purple line of oils.

* Smokes. I like the hubbly bubbly myself. But they're impracticable under the car.

* Drip tray... do you really need one? I don't have one, and I think it's rather cumbersome having one there. Would it make a difference if it weren't there? Think of it as a weight saving excercise!

* Draining of oil. Once I undo my sump plug, and undo my oil filter, I drop the car back on its wheels, and I go out for a couple hours. Really let the old oil come out.

* Once you have put the oil into the car, don't jack down the car so quickly. Let it run for a couple of minutes, and inspect for any oil leakages from the sump plug or anywhere else for that matter.


Oh and Brendan... That wire coming off your oil pressure sender is way too close to your headers! Make sure it doesn't melt and short!

Good calls Alex,

and XoN, you gotta find yourself some wog mates to teach you little tips and tricks.:victory:

From what I hear 5w30 is a bit sh!te for the bearings in subies. I'm running 10w40 and might switch to 20w50 depending on how much is burnt (royal purple). Petroleum based so it burns off a lot quicker apparently, some guy put in 4.8l and only took out 3litres on his next oil change. No issues with the 20w50 and runs just as good.

another quick tip to make sure you get it all out.

*seeing the sump plug is on an angle on the side of the sump, jack the car up on the opposite side (chassis rail is fine) this will allow pretty much all of the oil to be removed from the bottom of the sump!

great DIY for the inexperienced can definately save some dollars every 5000!

deapoNe wrote:

+1 for the hubbly bubbly!!! :grin:
good job brendan.. now all noobs know!!

If you let it cool down too much, it takes for ever to flow out.
I was told by  a mechanic to do it after the car has been up at running temperature.
Todate i havent burnt my self on the oil. The extractors surrounding the oil filter on the other hand........... one step behind the 351c...

hahahah!! I too have forgotten the sump plug!

and suprauc (what the fu** does your username mean?) , I did it with engine oil still hot, it was a bit uncomfortable, but nothing too drastic..

oh, and the worst thing I hate is when the sump plug falls into the drip tray!! oh!!!

anyways,

I hoped this has helped out some noobs!~

p.s why dont the mods make this a sticky for noobs to get to easily, along with my HID one

Drain the oil hot.
It drains more quickly, and more completely.
And if you want to get all the old stuff out, disconnect the electrical
connection to the spark box and turn the engine over nine or ten times.
This helps empty the oil galleries, pump and filter.  It also wipes the old oil off other surfaces.  Don't forget to put the car in neutral first.
Then, after putting new oil in, do the same trick in reverse.
Leave the ignition disconnected and turn the engine over until you see the oil pressure light go off.
This way when you start the car up after the oil change you aren't running the engine dry while it picks up the new oil and makes pressure.
Enjoy.

one other trick as yet not mentioned to help the oil out of the engine is to take off the oil filler cap, thus creating less of a vacumn within the engine. oil out one hole, air in another!

I use Nulon oil flush prob once a year or around every 3-4 changes just to give it a good clean cos it thins down the oil a fair bit. I wouldn't recommend driving around with that stuff tho

Kosti wrote:

All good except the crap oil used!