vincent
Member
Who does their own and what products(brands, filters, gear lube) do you use?
auto, equipment maintenance
- Thread starter vincent
- Start date
Dolly Llama
Number 5
oil..nothing but Vavoline
Filters..what ever are on sale.
any hi-temp bearing grease
not real picky about gear lube either.
Been using Valvoline synthetic for the blower the last couple years
Never changed gear oil in the axle of the van or any vehicle I've ever owned.
..L.T.A.
Filters..what ever are on sale.
any hi-temp bearing grease
not real picky about gear lube either.
Been using Valvoline synthetic for the blower the last couple years
Never changed gear oil in the axle of the van or any vehicle I've ever owned.
..L.T.A.
The Great Oz
Member
Baldwin or Wix filters. Mobil 1 oil and gear lube.
Nate The Great
Member
I've just done my own. Went with Kawasaki oil filter and air filter for the Kawasaki motor. Got the correct plugs and it doesn't backfire anymore when I shut it down.
Which brings me to the question, the previous owner of the TM had a Fram oil filter on it from a toyota carolla. I went with the dealer one just because. Can/do others run different oil filters on there TM's?
Which brings me to the question, the previous owner of the TM had a Fram oil filter on it from a toyota carolla. I went with the dealer one just because. Can/do others run different oil filters on there TM's?
Ron Werner
Member
Do my own on the steam cleaning machine.
Take the vehicle to the Pennzoil Lube shop. BY the time I put the vehicle on the blocks, drain the oil, pull and change the filter, put the plug back in and add the oil, and then clean up and take the oil for recycle, I've spent more in both money and time.
For my equipment however, I've never taken it to the supplier for service. One, they've never seen it before and I would have to teach them about it, two, its far easier for me to change it.
Pennzoil 10w30 and Fram filters
Take the vehicle to the Pennzoil Lube shop. BY the time I put the vehicle on the blocks, drain the oil, pull and change the filter, put the plug back in and add the oil, and then clean up and take the oil for recycle, I've spent more in both money and time.
For my equipment however, I've never taken it to the supplier for service. One, they've never seen it before and I would have to teach them about it, two, its far easier for me to change it.
Pennzoil 10w30 and Fram filters
R
rotovacguy
Guest
I do as much as I possibly can, due to the fact that I have ZERO trust in auto repair shops, both large and small.
But to answer the question, I use nothing but Mobil synthetic oil and gear lube, along with the 10,000 mile Fram filters (changed every 3,000).
Nate, you can use any oil filter, provided it's the same diameter and seals properly. I can pretty much guarantee you Kawasaki, Honda, or any other manufacturer does NOT make their own filters. Personally, I would stick to a brand name (Fram, AC Delco, etc.) And having the proper spark plug is essential, too. Various plugs have different heat ranges, as well. One type of plug may fit, but it might be a tad longer, maybe even long enough to make contact with the valve / piston (not good), or have a different heat range than what your engine was designed for. Definitely stick with what the manufacturer recommends. You can cross reference each brand. Personally, I prefer Autolite plugs, but Champion and NGK make good plugs, too. Also make sure to gap them to spec.
I had a very reputable GM dealership charger me for a new fuel filter ($40 for the part, another $25 for the labor) and they didn't even change it, even though it said they did right on the invoice. So I splurged and bought the special $10 part and did it myself.
Also had a reputable Dodge dealer swap out my rotors while the vehicle was in for an alignment, which only had 10,000 miles on them, with a severely worn out pair that clearly seen better days. They pull my car out to show me the brakes they "slapped on". I laughed, told the guy those are NOT my brakes, that I do all of my own brake jobs, and could tell by the amount of rust on them, and grooved rotors, they were not mine. They said they don't operate that way, were "offended by my accusation", and would need $400 to remedy the situation. I politely told them to f*ck themselves, went out and did it myself for less than $150 for new pads and rotors all the way around.
When I was 18 I bought a new set of headers for my Cuda. Well there was a flange that needed to be grinded off cause it was causing the header to stick out and not sit flush on the head. At the time I didn't own a grinder, so I took them to the local shop. The job took all of 5 minutes, literally, they come back with a bill for $95!! I told them I wasn't going to pay that, as the headers only cost $125, and couldn't see how it cost $95 to grind down a flange. They said they would keep the headers if I didn't pay. I calmed myself and simply told them, as I'm writing a check out for $95, that in a small town like that, word of mouth travels VERY fast! I must have not been the only one that had been screwed by them, cause they were out of business within 5 years after that. :mrgreen:
Ron, just one word of caution, as you take your vehicle(s) to those quick oil change places. My father ALWAYS did oil changes himself, but decided to try one of those quick change places once. Things went good at first. He saw how quick it went, how clean he stayed, and the price wasn't much more than doing it himself. He starts driving down the road and notices the car losing power, then all of a sudden, BANG! He cripples the car to the side of the road, pops the hood and pulls the dipstick. The "mechanic"...
....only put one quart of oil in!! Needless to say the engine was done, threw a rod right out of the block. Luckily for my dad, a guy he works with wanted the car, as he had a spare engine that would swap right in. So it could have been worse, I guess. But when he called the oil change shop up to complain, they told him that once you leave their property, it's YOUR liability, and they refused to pay for any repairs. So I guess as long as you check the oil level on site, it may be ok. But that still doesn't make up for the fact that you really don't KNOW what type/brand oil they are putting in your vehicle. I have a buddy that used to work at one of those places, and he told us some stories that would make you cringe. He said if they saw a sucker, or someone they didn't care for, they would put used oil back in the car. Also, if you pay extra for the synthetic, how do you KNOW they are putting it in? He also said that on more than one occasion they would just wipe off the filter to make it "look" new. 
I can't speak for the shops near you, but from what I've seen around here, you can NOT go out in the shop area. They always say due to insurance regulations, yadda, yadda. More like they don't want you to see what type of shit they are doing to YOUR vehicle. That would be like one of us carpet cleaners telling a home owner they can't watch us clean their own carpets. Do I enjoy having the owner watch over me and the way I clean? Not really, but I certainly understand why they do.
If you found a good place with guys you can trust, good for you. I just can't say I've had good experiences with repair shops, so I do whatever I can myself. Even though I hate working on my vehicles, I enjoy the peace of mind knowing it was done right, and the savings don't hurt, either. :wink:
But to answer the question, I use nothing but Mobil synthetic oil and gear lube, along with the 10,000 mile Fram filters (changed every 3,000).
Nate, you can use any oil filter, provided it's the same diameter and seals properly. I can pretty much guarantee you Kawasaki, Honda, or any other manufacturer does NOT make their own filters. Personally, I would stick to a brand name (Fram, AC Delco, etc.) And having the proper spark plug is essential, too. Various plugs have different heat ranges, as well. One type of plug may fit, but it might be a tad longer, maybe even long enough to make contact with the valve / piston (not good), or have a different heat range than what your engine was designed for. Definitely stick with what the manufacturer recommends. You can cross reference each brand. Personally, I prefer Autolite plugs, but Champion and NGK make good plugs, too. Also make sure to gap them to spec.
I had a very reputable GM dealership charger me for a new fuel filter ($40 for the part, another $25 for the labor) and they didn't even change it, even though it said they did right on the invoice. So I splurged and bought the special $10 part and did it myself.
Also had a reputable Dodge dealer swap out my rotors while the vehicle was in for an alignment, which only had 10,000 miles on them, with a severely worn out pair that clearly seen better days. They pull my car out to show me the brakes they "slapped on". I laughed, told the guy those are NOT my brakes, that I do all of my own brake jobs, and could tell by the amount of rust on them, and grooved rotors, they were not mine. They said they don't operate that way, were "offended by my accusation", and would need $400 to remedy the situation. I politely told them to f*ck themselves, went out and did it myself for less than $150 for new pads and rotors all the way around.
When I was 18 I bought a new set of headers for my Cuda. Well there was a flange that needed to be grinded off cause it was causing the header to stick out and not sit flush on the head. At the time I didn't own a grinder, so I took them to the local shop. The job took all of 5 minutes, literally, they come back with a bill for $95!! I told them I wasn't going to pay that, as the headers only cost $125, and couldn't see how it cost $95 to grind down a flange. They said they would keep the headers if I didn't pay. I calmed myself and simply told them, as I'm writing a check out for $95, that in a small town like that, word of mouth travels VERY fast! I must have not been the only one that had been screwed by them, cause they were out of business within 5 years after that. :mrgreen:
Ron, just one word of caution, as you take your vehicle(s) to those quick oil change places. My father ALWAYS did oil changes himself, but decided to try one of those quick change places once. Things went good at first. He saw how quick it went, how clean he stayed, and the price wasn't much more than doing it himself. He starts driving down the road and notices the car losing power, then all of a sudden, BANG! He cripples the car to the side of the road, pops the hood and pulls the dipstick. The "mechanic"...
....only put one quart of oil in!! Needless to say the engine was done, threw a rod right out of the block. Luckily for my dad, a guy he works with wanted the car, as he had a spare engine that would swap right in. So it could have been worse, I guess. But when he called the oil change shop up to complain, they told him that once you leave their property, it's YOUR liability, and they refused to pay for any repairs. So I guess as long as you check the oil level on site, it may be ok. But that still doesn't make up for the fact that you really don't KNOW what type/brand oil they are putting in your vehicle. I have a buddy that used to work at one of those places, and he told us some stories that would make you cringe. He said if they saw a sucker, or someone they didn't care for, they would put used oil back in the car. Also, if you pay extra for the synthetic, how do you KNOW they are putting it in? He also said that on more than one occasion they would just wipe off the filter to make it "look" new. I can't speak for the shops near you, but from what I've seen around here, you can NOT go out in the shop area. They always say due to insurance regulations, yadda, yadda. More like they don't want you to see what type of shit they are doing to YOUR vehicle. That would be like one of us carpet cleaners telling a home owner they can't watch us clean their own carpets. Do I enjoy having the owner watch over me and the way I clean? Not really, but I certainly understand why they do.
If you found a good place with guys you can trust, good for you. I just can't say I've had good experiences with repair shops, so I do whatever I can myself. Even though I hate working on my vehicles, I enjoy the peace of mind knowing it was done right, and the savings don't hurt, either. :wink:
Ron Werner
Member
I've a great shop I go to. They show you the dipstick with the oil level, always right on the line after running the engine for a minute.
I can stand out there with them and watch them. Been dealing with them for years. The brothers who own it are clients.
I can stand out there with them and watch them. Been dealing with them for years. The brothers who own it are clients.
I do all my own maintentance... Bout half price on air/oil filters here. http://www.mowmore.com/
And here comes Bawb.. :roll:
And here comes Bawb.. :roll:
