small 400V pnp sot-23 transistor, xxxTA94, etc.

[Joerg]

Hello Jim,

Probably been 30 years since I last changed my own oil ;-)

I had it done a few times. Once the oil filter leaked and made a mess,
another time they filled it way over max, and the last time the
protection panel rattled (not tightly bolted down). Then when I finally
vowed to do it myself again I found that the plug was so jammed that I
could hardly loosen it, and there was no new seal ring.

But the main difference when I do it myself is the much longer time the
oil stays clear. The worst "professional" oil change I saw in Europe.
They pushed some kind of thin slurp hose down where the stick is, hit
the button on an oil vac and ran it for a minute or so. Nobody got under
the car. In with the new oil, done. Even though the filter was changed
the oil turned dark after a few hundred miles.

 

[Jim Thompson]

Hello Jim,


I had it done a few times. Once the oil filter leaked and made a mess,
another time they filled it way over max, and the last time the
protection panel rattled (not tightly bolted down). Then when I finally
vowed to do it myself again I found that the plug was so jammed that I
could hardly loosen it, and there was no new seal ring.

But the main difference when I do it myself is the much longer time the
oil stays clear. The worst "professional" oil change I saw in Europe.
They pushed some kind of thin slurp hose down where the stick is, hit
the button on an oil vac and ran it for a minute or so. Nobody got under
the car. In with the new oil, done. Even though the filter was changed
the oil turned dark after a few hundred miles.

At my advanced age I have the Infiniti dealer do it. Since it's
warranteed forever, if they screw up they eat it.

Plus I don't have to sit around and wait... I get a G35 loaner for
free ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Eeyore]

Hello Jim,


I had it done a few times. Once the oil filter leaked and made a mess,
another time they filled it way over max, and the last time the
protection panel rattled (not tightly bolted down). Then when I finally
vowed to do it myself again I found that the plug was so jammed that I
could hardly loosen it, and there was no new seal ring.

But the main difference when I do it myself is the much longer time the
oil stays clear. The worst "professional" oil change I saw in Europe.
They pushed some kind of thin slurp hose down where the stick is, hit
the button on an oil vac and ran it for a minute or so. Nobody got under
the car. In with the new oil, done. Even though the filter was changed
the oil turned dark after a few hundred miles.

I like to do an oil flush from time to time too.

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

Hello Graham,


During my university days we took a busted transmission out of an Opel
(Vauxhall) on the German side of the border, hand carried it across the
border to my apartment in the Netherlands, through the entrance of a
pub, up three stories via staircase, repaired it, hand carried it back
to Germany and put it in. All with the car parked in the road (but onto
the curb so I could fit underneath).

That must have been a squeeze !

Graham

 

[Frank Bemelman]

But the main difference when I do it myself is the much longer time the
oil stays clear. The worst "professional" oil change I saw in Europe. They
pushed some kind of thin slurp hose down where the stick is, hit the
button on an oil vac and ran it for a minute or so. Nobody got under the
car. In with the new oil, done. Even though the filter was changed the oil
turned dark after a few hundred miles.

Seen that once too, not at a garage, but at gas station. I wonder if
the engine knows the difference between a 95% oil change and a 100% oil
change

 

[Joerg]

Hello Jim,

At my advanced age I have the Infiniti dealer do it. Since it's
warranteed forever, if they screw up they eat it.

Plus I don't have to sit around and wait... I get a G35 loaner for
free ;-)

Didn't you get a speed ticket last time you had that loaner? That can
make an oil change kind of expensive ;-)

 

[Joerg]

Hello Frank,

Seen that once too, not at a garage, but at gas station. I wonder if
the engine knows the difference between a 95% oil change and a 100% oil
change

Don't know but an aircraft engineer once told me that it does. It's not
just that old oil is worn but there is also minute metallic residue from
engine wear in it. This is also why it's a good idea (and usually
recommended) to put in a new oil filter at every change. I always do.

In the aircraft biz they actually send in the occasional sample, just
like it's done at the doctor's office for the cholesterol test. In both
cases it can help prevent a potentially fatal event.

 

[Jim Thompson]

Hello Jim,


Didn't you get a speed ticket last time you had that loaner? That can
make an oil change kind of expensive ;-)

Yep. Had to do my once-every-ten-years "traffic school".

But the acceleration/exhilaration was good for my heart... 0-to-100 in
about ten seconds ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Joerg]

Hello Graham,

That must have been a squeeze !

It was. Most amazing: After our repair the transmission worked better
than new. It never wanted to downshift from 3rd to 2nd without some
brute force and a wee grind. Afterwards it shifted as smooth as a Benz
transmission.

 

[Joerg]

Hello Jim,

Yep. Had to do my once-every-ten-years "traffic school".

But the acceleration/exhilaration was good for my heart... 0-to-100 in
about ten seconds ;-)

A friend is building a Cobra, aluminum body, pretty much from scratch.
Says it'll do that in under 8 seconds. The challenge will be to keep it
on the road for the first two.

 

[Jim Thompson]

Hello Jim,

I still change the oil myself. That way the plug doesn't get
over-torqued by some kid and I let the oil drain out overnight. Down to
the last drop. So, the new oil stays clear for a much longer time. Also,
I can be sure that only the good stuff is put in

Probably been 30 years since I last changed my own oil ;-)

[snip]

At my advanced age I have the Infiniti dealer do it. Since it's
warranteed forever, if they screw up they eat it.

Plus I don't have to sit around and wait... I get a G35 loaner for
free ;-)


Didn't you get a speed ticket last time you had that loaner? That can
make an oil change kind of expensive ;-)

Yep. Had to do my once-every-ten-years "traffic school".

But the acceleration/exhilaration was good for my heart... 0-to-100 in
about ten seconds ;-)

A friend is building a Cobra, aluminum body, pretty much from scratch.
Says it'll do that in under 8 seconds. The challenge will be to keep it
on the road for the first two.

Not for us experienced drivers ;-) I've owned several 280Z(X)'s.

...Jim Thompson

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Hello Graham,


I still change the oil myself. That way the plug doesn't get
over-torqued by some kid and I let the oil drain out overnight. Down to
the last drop. So, the new oil stays clear for a much longer time. Also,
I can be sure that only the good stuff is put in

Do you ever use crankcase flush to remove the sludge?


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Seen that once too, not at a garage, but at gas station. I wonder if
the engine knows the difference between a 95% oil change and a 100% oil
change

That last 5% has most of the crap in it, since its at the bottom of
the pan. Maybe 50% or more of what you're trying to get rid of is left
behind.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Joerg]

Hello Jim,

Not for us experienced drivers ;-) I've owned several 280Z(X)'s.

Yeah but an aluminum Cobra has next to nothing in weight on the rear axle.

 

[Joerg]

Hello Michael,

Do you ever use crankcase flush to remove the sludge?

Never did that so far. As far as I can peek inside, no sludge. The last
oil change was a few hundred miles ago and it's still as clear as new.

 

[Clifford Heath]

Hello Jim,
Yeah but an aluminum Cobra has next to nothing in weight on the rear axle.

Bah. Take a look at the Ariel Atom. 0-to-100-to-0 (mph, not kph, and
yes, that's *back to stationary again*) in under 10 seconds, and still
road-registrable, though not in AU unfortunately. I want one!

Clifford Heath.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Another driving force behind hobby electronics was wireless
communication. I vividly remember my first home-built matchbox-sized FM
transmitter. What delight! The fact that operating it was kind of
illegal was icing on the cake. Now every kid has a damn cell phone with
which it can call every other kid in the industrialized part of the
globe within seconds.

One of these days - 25 W of cell phone jammer. One of these days.

 

[Frank Bemelman]

Hello Frank,



Don't know but an aircraft engineer once told me that it does. It's not
just that old oil is worn but there is also minute metallic residue from
engine wear in it. This is also why it's a good idea (and usually
recommended) to put in a new oil filter at every change. I always do.

Yes, but a sloppy oil change still reduces the metallic residue or
weariness of the oil by 95%. Half way between oil changes you drive
around with ~10 times that amount, which does not seem to bother
anyone.

In the aircraft biz they actually send in the occasional sample, just like
it's done at the doctor's office for the cholesterol test. In both cases
it can help prevent a potentially fatal event.

Makes sense for airplanes. The stress and panic of a failing engine is
probably worse than crashing the plane itself

 

[Charlie Edmondson]

Hello Michael,


Never did that so far. As far as I can peek inside, no sludge. The last
oil change was a few hundred miles ago and it's still as clear as new.

Real danger is that, when you flush out the last of that gunk, you can
get leaks! Sometimes, the little gaps have all gotten filled in with
the gunk, and that is all that is keeping the oil in...

Charlie

 

[Jim Thompson]

Real danger is that, when you flush out the last of that gunk, you can
get leaks! Sometimes, the little gaps have all gotten filled in with
the gunk, and that is all that is keeping the oil in...

Charlie

Didn't we have a recent post here where someone toasted an old
motorcycle by putting high detergent oil in it ?

...Jim Thompson