Is it hard to change the oil?

3879 Views 38 Replies 14 Participants Last post by mistermike, Jan 23, 2004

speed_demon_freak

Discussion Starter · Jan 9, 2004 (Edited)

2

Is it hard to change the oil? ****UPDATE****

I just crawled under my car to look for the drain plug and the filter. There is a HUGH metal plate protecting the engine. It looks like you have to remove the metal plate to get to the filter and the drain plug.I will try and take some pics of it to show you all what im talking about.

After looking at this pic, I hope its not to hard to do.

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ls1builder

· #2 · Jan 9, 2004

Why would you think it would be hard to change the oil?

Jack it up, remove the drain plug, lower the car a bit, let it drain, reinstall the drain plug, pull the filter, oil the gasket..new filter on, fill with oil, start it and check for leaks, turn it off and check the level.

speed_demon_freak

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 9, 2004

ls1builder said:
Why would you think it would be hard to change the oil?

Jack it up, remove the drain plug, lower the car a bit, let it drain, reinstall the drain plug, pull the filter, oil the gasket..new filter on, fill with oil, start it and check for leaks, turn it off and check the level.

Can I get under the car to change the oil since ive never changed the oil on a LS1 engine before.

CMNTMXR57

· #4 · Jan 9, 2004

You'll have to drive it up on ramps or jack it up. But once you're under there, what's nice with the LS1 is you can drain the oil pan and remove the oil filter at the same time and let them drain as the oil filter is right next to the pan.

The only time it may become a tight fit is if you're running a set of long tube headers. But then, it's just a matter of being more careful.

mistermike

· #5 · Jan 9, 2004

Perhaps he was referring to the cover/shroud on the underbody

GTO_Again

· #6 · Jan 9, 2004

Thought this was carved into stone -

Thought this was carved into stone -

LS1 OIL CHANGE

Vehicle must be level. (VERY IMPORTANT.) The butterfly oil pan must be level for all the oil to drain.

Allow a MINIMUM OF 7 MINUTES for the oil to drain fully after the oil filter and oil drain plug have been removed. There are oil galleries in the LS1 that need time to drain fully.

FILL filter with oil BEFORE screwing onto engine block

Allow a MINIMUM OF 3 MINUTES for the new oil to fully fill the engine oil pan / sump before starting the engine.

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speed_demon_freak

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 9, 2004

mistermike said:
Perhaps he was referring to the cover/shroud on the underbody

Thats what i'm talking about. Can I lay on my back in front of the car and reach the filter and the plug? I dont want to use ramps or jack up the car because it causes oil to run away from the plug leaving oil trapped in the pan.

But since I've never changed the oil before on the LS1 engine, I wanted to know where the plug and filter were.

hada64

· #8 · Jan 9, 2004

speed_demon_fre said:
Thats what i'm talking about. Can I lay on my back in front of the car and reach the filter and the plug? I dont want to use ramps or jack up the car because it causes oil to run away from the plug leaving oil trapped in the pan.

But since I've never changed the oil before on the LS1 engine, I wanted to know where the plug and filter were.

I thought the GTO had a different pan/sump than the Fbody and Corvette, so draining may be a bit different. Depends on exactly where is the plug. Picking front of car up may be and advantage. ( I don't know but I understood different pan.)

Tails

· #9 · Jan 9, 2004

Since it has started to cost to get rid of the old oil I just drive over the oil changer pit at the dealers and have them do it. It only costs a $5-$10 more then doing it myself.
:drink: :drink:

CMNTMXR57

· #10 · Jan 9, 2004

The oil pan on the LS1 in the GTO is backwards. On the F-Body's the pan was different than the Vette in that the Vette has "wings" on it that act as a motor mount. But the drain plug was on the driver's side rear corner of the pan. So having it on an angle doesn't hurt anything.

Depending on where the drain plug is, the car being level may be important. Either way, for those like me who are big, I just can't crawl underneath it and need to lift it somehow.

ls1builder

· #11 · Jan 9, 2004

CMNTMXR57 said:
On the F-Body's the pan was different than the Vette in that the Vette has "wings" on it that act as a motor mount.

The vette's oil pandoes NOT act as a motor mount. The wings are there to provide capacity in the pan because the engine in so low in the chassis a traditional pan would hang lower than the chassis.

CMNTMXR57

· #12 · Jan 9, 2004

And it acts as a mount. THose wings attach to something, do they not?

ls1builder

· #13 · Jan 9, 2004

CMNTMXR57 said:
And it acts as a mount. THose wings attach to something, do they not?

Nope.

speed_demon_freak

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 9, 2004

It will be a pain in the ass!!!

extremegto

· #15 · Jan 9, 2004

You will have to remove that plate to get to the filter and plug. It has four bolts holding it on. Oh by the way it is heavy as hell......
You don't want to drive the front on ramps to change the oil. The plug is on the passenger side and towards the front of the motor. The sump is also at the front not the back like on the f-bodies. If you want to see something cool, pull down the front trim panel in the trunk.. Look at the reinforcment for the fuel tank.. Pretty solid....

There is nothing behind that close out on the drivers side under the rear bumper. So the first thing I'm going to do is run one of the exhaust pipes out the other side.

There is no room in the front for a wider tire unless it sticks out the fender. The tire is about 1/2" away from the strut.

Also, here is a little tid bit for you.. Try to find the fuel filter...

Its in the fuel tank..

But the fuel tank doesnt' look that hard to pull...

speed_demon_freak

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 9, 2004

extremegto said:
You will have to remove that plate to get to the filter and plug. It has four bolts holding it on. Oh by the way it is heavy as hell......
You don't want to drive the front on ramps to change the oil. The plug is on the passenger side and towards the front of the motor. The sump is also at the front not the back like on the f-bodies. If you want to see something cool, pull down the front trim panel in the trunk.. Look at the reinforcment for the fuel tank.. Pretty solid....

There is nothing behind that close out on the drivers side under the rear bumper. So the first thing I'm going to do is run one of the exhaust pipes out the other side.
There is no room in the front for a wider tire unless it sticks out the fender. The tire is about 1/2" away from the strut.

Also, here is a little tid bit for you.. Try to find the fuel filter...
Its in the fuel tank.. But the fuel tank doesnt' look that hard to pull...

Thanks for the info.

extremegto

· #17 · Jan 10, 2004

no problem.

CMNTMXR57

· #18 · Jan 10, 2004

The fuel filter in the tank is becoming more common. Dodge trucks have been doing it for awhile now, Nissan does it, and now even some GM vehicles do it.

In the case of some passenger cars I've replaced like Nissan's, if you pull the bottom of the seat there is an access cover to get to it. In the case of the GTO, I wonder of there is something the same if you remove the seat backs.

speed_demon_freak

Discussion Starter · #19 · Jan 10, 2004

After I change the oil after 500 miles, should I change it again at 1000 miles or can I got the full 3000 miles?

Also I bought a case of 5W30 Mobil 1 Full Synthetic Oil.

Thanks

CMNTMXR57

· #20 · Jan 10, 2004

I would, but it's not necessary.

I wouldn't go full synthetic until you get about 5,000 - 6,000 miles as that's when the LS1 fully "loosens" up. Until that point, I'd run a regular "dino" oil.

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