Welcome to my personal blog page.

From time to time I get oil or auto related questions or read something 
on an automotive forum and think I need to address it here.

My comments here are my own and have nothing to do with Amsoil. 

I have been an ASE master tech for over 35 years so I know 
a little about oils and vehicles, trust me.

Short cuts to topics:

The best way to change your oil

What good thing is missing in your oil?

Better grease for your heavy duty equipment

Jeep/Chrysler MS-6395 oil spec

Cheap filters and why you don't want them

One debate I have heard most of my life is the question of 
what's the best way change your oil, cold or hot ?

There is only one correct answer, hot and here is why.

Your typical  oil filter (non Amsoil) only filters most particles 
over 25 microns so all the 0-25 dirt particles are still in your oil 
and not your filter. You want to get all those contaminants 
out of your oil and the best way to do that is to run the engine
to operating temp, coming in from driving is the best way.
Drain the oil as soon as possible after stopping the engine.
Yes it will be hot but now is the best time.
Get the filter loose and let it drain too, let it all drain as 
long a possible, I like to let it drain overnight if I can as that
will really let it drip out all it can. If your schedule won't allow 
that then do as long as you can so you get as much out
as possible. 
Draining it hot like this allows the suspended contaminants
in the oil to quickly flush out with the oil and hot oil is thin
and moves quickly so you get the most for your effort.
Getting more dirt out means your new oil starts out cleaner.
All this also applies to motorcycles, riding mowers and small 
engines as many have no oil filter and/or have a small sump so 
getting all the dirt out is very important.
With small engines you may need to tip the engine to 
one side to get the most oil out.

The other side.
The opposite argument I have heard is to let the engine set all 
night and drain it in the morning when all the dirt has settled in the 
bottom and all the oil in the upper parts have dripped
down. This is flawed thinking as now the oil is thick and slow
and all the dirt is literally glued to the bottom of the oil pan.
Cold oil moves slow and it will drip and drip and it will 
leave alot of dirt behind.

A couple of oil change tips.
I like disposable gloves but they don't offer much protection
from heat so use heavy/thick rubber gloves to pull the plug
and loosen the filter so you don't get a burn.

Look at your oil pan, some cars and trucks have oil plugs
that may be "up hill" when the vehicle is jacked up and 
this prevents all the oil from draining out.
You may want to lower the vehicle after pulling the plug to 
better drain it. I have personally had to do this and in some cases 
you might want to tip it to one side if it has a side drain plug or lower 
it down with one wheel on a block to angle it to drain better.

I like to fill oil filters up if possible before installing, if you have 
an angled or horizontal filter you may not be able to fill it up but 
put as much as practical in it before installing it, some oil is better
than none. Most oil filters are the direct route for all of your 
engines oil so starting up with no oil in the filter lets your engine starve
for oil for a short time and that's never good.

Always check to be sure your old oil filter gasket didn't stick
and stay on your engine, if it does and you don't remove it you will 
likely have a big oil leak.
Always put some oil on your new oil filter gasket so it doesn't
bind and tightens up smoothly so you don't have a leak.

If you use a strap type wrench to remove your old oil filter
you are best to use it at the top or at the bottom of the 
filter as it's les likely to crush at those points.
If your old filter is over tight/stuck and you use a strap wrench
in the middle it can crush it and then you can have a 
real mess trying to get it off.

You should use your hands to tighten your new oil filter if
possible, snug is good, no need to grunt and groan and really 
cram it on as tight is tight. If it's in an awkward place 
and you need a wrench the best thing if possible is a cap type 
oil filter wrench that fits over the end of the filter like a socket wrench.

If you don't have one or your filter won't accept one 
and you can't get it tight by hand then use a strap wrench but only
at the end/bottom and be careful to not over tighten or 
kink/crush your new oil filter as it's easy to do.

Doing it right will pay off in the long run.

Need to look up your vehicle to see what 
oils you need ?

A little known fact:

Many years ago they cut the amount of  ZDDP in motor oil.
What is this you ask?
Its zinc and phos and it's an anti wear additive that helps protect your
engine and it's especially important if you have flat tappets
(like all the older hot rods and vintage cars had).

Amsoil offers several oils with aprox twice the normal levels of this important additive in them. Just because an oil is synthetic doesn't
mean it will protect your flat tappets and camshaft from wear/failure.
Many synthetics sold at auto parts stores are designed for passenger cars 
but not high performance engines and lack enough of this 
important additive.

Here is a link to an article that will show you what is what and why it was changed. There is a link to a TSB at the bottom of the article which will show you which Amsoil oils have high levels of this additive and the amounts in each oil.

Zinc and flat tappets.

Does your equipment squeak ?

If you run a skid steer, back hoe or loader then you likely have to deal with squeaky pins and bushings. Of course that sound isn’t only annoying to listen to but the sound of squeaky equipment is the sound of those parts wearing out.

I have heard many equipment operators say things like "it doesn’t do any good to grease them as they are just squeaking again in an hour" or "the grease just squirts out and it starts squeaking so why bother" and other similar statements. With traditional greases this is true but Amsoil has the solution.

The good news is Amsoil has developed the Synthetic Polymeric Off Road Grease and unlike regular gun grease it doesn’t pound out when hammered like what happens to bucket pins.

I could try to explain why it’s better but here is a video to show you why it does the job and protects your equipment better.
This video shows various equipment greases being tested and the pound out results.

The greases tested are:
Caterpiller Ultra 5 Moly
Phillips Megaplex XD5
Bobcat Supreme HD
Case Moly Grease
Valvoline Palladium
Amsoil Polymeric #2

If you want to see more about the Polymeric specs you can go here.

If you have a business I can set up you up with an Amsoil commercial account at no charge so you that can get you the best pricing available.
There are no minimums and no "first order" amounts.

Jeep/chrysler oil specs and LSPI

I was talking with someone who had bought a new Jeep and was getting ready for their first oil change and was looking for a good oil to use but had spent a lot of time reading oil bottles to see which ones showed the Jeep/Chrysler MS-6395 oil spec and has noticed that not many show that on their oil bottles.

The good news is Amsoil offers several full synthetic oils in several weights that meet or exceed the Jeep/Chrysler MS-6395 oil spec.

The Amsoil OE oil is for people who want to change their oil at the manufacturers recommended mileage.

The Amsoil XL oil is for extended oil changes up to 12,000 miles/1 year.

The Amsoil Signature series is for extended changes up to 25,000 miles/1 year.

All are available in 0w-20, 5w-20, 5w-30 and 10w-30 weights.
Check out the selection of Amsoil oils  here.

Something else to consider when picking your next oil.
Amsoil also protects against harmful deposits and low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI). Most new engines feature gasoline direct injection (GDI), often combined with a turbocharger to boost power and improve fuel economy. These new technologies, when combined with a poorly formulated motor oil, promote LSPI and threaten engine operation. LSPI is the spontaneous ignition of the fuel/air mixture prior to spark-triggered ignition. It occurs in today's advanced engines and is much more destructive than typical pre-ignition. A properly formulated motor oil is critical for protecting your engine.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like GM* have addressed the issue by designing tests to determine a motor oil’s ability to prevent LSPI. All three of these Amsoil Synthetic Motor Oils achieved 100 percent protection against LSPI1 in the engine test required by the GM dexos1 Gen 2 specification - zero occurrences were recorded throughout five consecutive tests.

Cheap fuel (and oil) filters and why you don't want them

All the time when at the parts store I hear the same thing.
"We have the name brand (Wix etc) for $$ and we have the other brand 
(the cheep house brand) for less $$". 
Do you wonder why the house brand / made up name is less money?
The sales line is usually something like they don't advertise or something similar (or tell you they are made by the name brand company but with another name on them) but the bottom line is it's because they aren't made as well and in most cases it means they don't have quality filter paper inside and also as the pictures below they have less filter area inside. 

I like to cut things apart and see what's inside so I can see for myself.

 
Both filters are the same part number, an under car/frame mount on a Ford Explorer.

The "fit" may be the same and they may be the same size and look alike but inside they are much different. This is why the cheap filter is actually cheaper, you are getting what you pay for. Actually you are getting way less than you are paying for, chances are the parts store makes more money on the cheep filter then the name brand one because the cheap imported filters cost next to nothing so they can price them at 2/3 the price of the quality one and make 2-3 times the profit at the same time.

So you saved $5 buying the cheep fuel filter but how long will it go?
Not as far as the quality one as the lesser filter will plug with dirt sooner and the outcome is you have run ability issues and need to change it sooner or worse you end up on the side of the road and need a tow to a shop.
I bet that will cost more than the $5 you saved on that cheap filter.

Keep in mind when you take your car to a shop to get it serviced you can ask for quality filters (oil, air, fuel, trans) and explain to them you don't 
want the bargain brands as many shops use the cheap brands too unless you ask for quality filters. 

Don't be penny wise and pound foolish, it's like that old tv commercial where the mechanic said "you can pay me now or pay me later", you get what you pay for.

For more info about anything Amsoil go here.

There are many reasons to use Amsoil and this is one of them, cleanliness 

This is my wifes 07 Escape at 236k, I was replacing the valve cover & intake gaskets and replacing spark plugs. 
This engine has been on Amsoil 5w30 (ASL) and it gets oil changes 
every 20-25k, you can see how clean it has kept the engine.

Click on the photo to expand it and better see it

Of course clean is nice but clean also leads to less wear
and that means less problems and less expense
fixing things that wear out.

What's the best way to change oil. How do I change my oil, hot or cold oil change.
Should I change my oil when hot or cold. Let my oil drip out overnight.
Good way to change my engine oil. Drain contaminants out of my cars oil..
Best way to drain oil or best way to change oil.
Best gun grease, best construction grease, best grease for bucket pins, amsoil. Whats the best equipment grease. What's the best backhoe grease, Best skid steer grease, best bobcat grease. Best cat tractor grease. Amsoil Best contruction machine grease. Better bucket pin grease, best loader grease. Best grease for squeeky pins. Test of greases. Amsoil Gun grease test, grease pound out testing. Lab grease test, see which grease is best.
What's missing in my motor oil, what additive is missing from my motor oil.
Anti wear additives removed from oil. Lower zinc levels in motor oil.
Oil with high zinc additive, super heavy duty racing oil with high zinc.
Amsoil has more anti wear additive. Oil with better protection. Jeep/Chrysler MS-6395 oil spec for new Jeeps. Oil that protects engines from LSPI, stop bucket pins from squeaking, best grease for machinery, better grease for construction equipment, prevent bucket pin wear and noise. how to best drain oil, what's the best way to change my oil. Change oil hot or cold.