The cost for a Grease Monkey Mobil 1 oil change was 98.64. That was fine for a one time job but not for ongoing oil changes. If I am to continue with synthetic I would have to do so myself which I’ve never done. I again asked the local parts store and the owner said it would cost ~$100 for a creeper (I think that was the name for the thing you lie on your back on and slide under the truck) and front wheel steel things you drive up on.
I asked about greasing which I have even less a clue about then changing the oil. He said for my truck he didn’t think there were any grease points?
"The cost for a Grease Monkey Mobil 1 oil change was 98.64." unbelievable! I do my own oil changes on all my cars. 5 quarts of Mobil-1 Extended Performance oil costs just under $26 and AC OEM oil filters are just under $4. I don’t use ramps or a creeper.
I use 12" wide planks (doubled-up and screwed together to form 3" high steps) and a 5"x&’ tarp to slide on, oil drain pan and wheel chocks, probably $25- $50 invested.
I can change oil much faster and on my schedule and better than taking the cars somewhere. CSA
But what about the grease?
In one and half decades and nearly 1/4 million miles I highly doubt if you’ve got your original ball joints and tie-rod ends.
Don’t ask us. You need somebody who knows what they’re doing to see if there are grease fittings on the suspension and steering components, places to put grease fittings, or neither of those. Sometimes replacement parts can be different from the originals in that regard.
Once you find out then you’ll know how to proceed. CSA
No grease fittings. zI have a creeper but only use it to sit on to do brake jobs, For working under the car I much prefer a sheet or two of cardboard (free). I get mine free at Rent-a-Center. I ask permission first and make sure I put everything neatly back into the dumpster.
There should be no need to use ramps to change oil on a pickup truck. You should be able to slide right underneath. If you need a little more clearance just drive the front wheel uo on 2x4s. I think metal ramps are dangerous and took mine to the scrapyard.
My Toyota dealer only charges $59 for a full synthetic oil change. You can buy a 5 qt jug of Mobil 1 at the biggest box store for about $25 and you can order good oil filters online pretty cheap.
“non-adjustable solid lifters that are good for life.”
Ford and Mazda used this setup, with their dohc heads
You check the valve lash in the normal fashion
If it’s out of spec, you remove the camshaft(s), then replace the entire lifter with the appropriate one which will put the valve lash back within specs
The bad news is that if it’s out of spec, count on the car being out of action for awhile. There’s no way to determine which lifter you have until it’s out and on the bench. On the bottom is a number, which corresponds to the thickness. Then you have to do your math calculation, while consulting the chart and part numbers, to determine which part you need to buy
In my mind, it might be even more expensive, versus changing out a few shims
This Wednesday will mark 4 weeks with no lifter noise :-). This includes 2 mornings with snow on the truck and ~17 degrees when starting the truck in the morning.
As a reminder, the fix recommended here was: Seafoam before oil change, use Mobil 1 at oil change then MOA with new oil.
Glad this seems to be fixed! The issue I see is that the synthetic oil change you are getting is WAY too expensive. I get the Mobil 1 good stuff in a 5 quart jug for $25 and with a filter, it is a tad over $30. Most trucks are easy to change the oil so wouldn’t stress about taking it somewhere.
One issue you might have is that the engine may take more than 5 quarts of oil. In this case, you will need TWO of those big jugs on the first change, then another one each 2-3 after that before you need to buy TWO again. It is still cheaper than the place you take it. My Ford 4.6L takes more than a jug so I need to get two once in a while. I don’t know the oil capacity of this truck.
Doing things yourself is usually cheaper, I can make a sandwich for 50 cents but there in nothing on the Subway sandwich shop menu for 50 cents.
The OP stated that he doesn’t change his own oil so the wholesale price of oil is irrelevant. What should be considered is what oil is necessary for the vehicle, there is no reason to use synthetic oil in this truck.
If my truck developed a noisy lifter I would just change the oil and skip all that backyard chemistry.
When I change the Mobil 1 out @ 3,000 miles as previously suggested I will see what happens going back to the standard Grease Monkey oil also with MOA. If I start hearing noise, I’ll bite the bullet and do the oil changes myself with synthetic. If not, it may have been that the engine just needed a decent cleaning and I’ll be good to go with the less $ oil.
Honestly…Synthetic is for Turbo Charged vehicles due to the heat. Of course you can run it…and run it longer than 3K in your engine…nothing wrong with that.
This condition almost surely is a result of the high miles and or overdue oil change intervals gumming up the lifter valley oil feeds or simply leaky lifters…
Just be mindful of your oil change intervals and oil viscosity choice… An engine like this would like higher viscosity… 10/40W would be a good middle of the road choice. I always go thicker in summer…thinner in winter. If I had this engine that would translate to 10/30W winter…and 10 or15/40W summer…or even 20/50W in summer. But thats me.
As engines age and tolerances increase…its good to fill those larger spaces with an oil that doesnt get out of the way so easily…and acts like a cushion.
Up to you… We can argue for months on this topic on this site about oil and oil viscosity so do your own research… Be prepared to get confused however…everyone has an opinion on this subject but there is clear science behind the real answer… and the real info sort of reflects my theory above or leans in that direction. My theory has never failed me in over 30yrs…Ive never had any oil related failures and I am responsible for a VAST number of engines out there.
I’ve just scanned several GM boards on this topic. There’s way more agreement with @Blackbird than not. The supporting reason is the same. Logically, moving to a 10w makes sense and that’s what I’ll be doing. If I can get another 30k from this engine I’ll be all teeth
Hey I might be getting the hang of this mechanical stuff afterall… Its only been what 30yrs ? LOL I have pictures of me when I was little…with wrenches in my hands. Oh my…
What do I know? Ha…good luck with it…she will be ok.
You might also consider a good 5W40. With oil, EVERYONE has an opinion like religion or politics!
Either way, glad this all worked out for you. And to think someone told you you needed a new engine over a noisy lifter… This came up on the Geo Metro forum. Guy broke a timing belt and a shop quoted him $2000 to redo the head and put a new belt on. This is a non-interference engine and the belt can be changed in about an hour ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. Don’t ask me how I know this can be done. The belt for these costs $20 but a quality kit such as Gates or Dayco with the engine seals and tensioner bearing is about $60. Then I like to also do the water pump at the same time as that is under the timing belt. I can get a lifetime warranty one for $35 at Autozone.
ALWAYS get a second opinion. Some of these shops appear to be looking for extra work as illustrated by your story and the broken timing belt example I have.
The belt for these costs $20 but a quality kit such as Gates or Dayco with the engine seals and tensioner bearing is about $60. Then I like to also do the water pump at the same time as that is under the timing belt. I can get a lifetime warranty one for $35 at Autozone.