taking my '85 BRAT out of storage

[DaBrizat]

So I'm going to take the BRAT off its wheel dollies, but want to change the oil while its up there (car is relatively level and has more clearance), but am worried about draining the old oil after its been sitting in the pan all winter. But it makes sense to me that starting it up to warm-up the oil will redustribute the dirty oil and gunk back thru my engine.

 

What do you guys think? Plus I'm planning to use synthetic. Any comments on that? I've got <60,000 original miles on it.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

-DaBrizat

[Jerry DeMoss]

I would first drain out the old oil and change the filter.Then add some regular non synthetic stuff and run it for a couple days and then drain out that oil and change the filter.After all that you should be good to go with the synthetic oil.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

I just wanna Suggest you to Use this:

or Symilar Product.

Good Luck!

[daeron]

yes, adding some sort of crank case flush would not be a bad idea when you run a batch of fresh cheap oil through, to drain and clean everything out of the engine. Make sure you get the motor nice and warm, and if possible go for a bit of a drive at least once, with the temporary fresh oil/solvent combo, then drain it out.

[DaBrizat]

I am weak sauce!

 

So I tried to do all the work this weekend, and it turned out that I couldn't get the oil drain plug out. It wouldn't budge. Been having Jiffy-Lube change oil up to now, but want to start doing it myself.

 

So am I safe to yank on that drain plug? What about liquid wrench? Will that make the seal corrupt?

 

Thanks,

DaBrizat

[samneric]

I am weak sauce!

 

So I tried to do all the work this weekend, and it turned out that I couldn't get the oil drain plug out. It wouldn't budge. Been having Jiffy-Lube change oil up to now, but want to start doing it myself.

 

So am I safe to yank on that drain plug? What about liquid wrench? Will that make the seal corrupt?

 

Thanks,

DaBrizat

 

The seal should be a metal washer so Liquid Wrench/PB Blast will be fine.

 

If you are using a 6 point socket on the bolt that fits snug, try using a piece of metal pipe on the wratchet to extend your leverage.

 

One caution about switching to synthetic on an old engine (not sure if low miles will reduce the risk) - I just did the same thing with my '93 GMC truck with 256K miles - Flush followed by Royal Purple and it sprang a leak. I figure its because the synthetic is thinner than regular oil and it found the weak points in the gaskets. I have the engine in pieces at the mo and all clues point to a spot on the head gaskets that are quite a distance from a head bolt.

 

Just a FYI - maybe the Sube engine is more resillient than my truck - maybe more experienced users could chime in on that one...

 

Good luck with your revival - I'm trying to get mine rolling after 3 years off the asphalt...

 

Steve

[DaBrizat]

Just a FYI - maybe the Sube engine is more resillient than my truck - maybe more experienced users could chime in on that one...

 

 

Steve,

Thanks for the input. Don't want to spring any leaks. In fact there's aleady a small one my wife would like me to get rid of. ;-) I'm totally lame and unexperienced at auto mechanics, but aspire to learn (but not at an emergency pace because I f-d something). So I don't want to get in over my head, you know?

 

But re. the synth oil vs natch, does that suggest I use a different weight of synth than I would natch? Maybe I should stick with natch. Either way I don't want to have to take it to Jiffy Lube to do it, especially after I made a big production out of wanting to do it myself and how much less expensive it is to go there all the time...

[baccaruda]

the plug's stuck because Jiffy Shack used an air tool to tighten it. I'd put a box wrench on it and carefully tap it loose with a BFH.

[zyewdall]

I have not noticed any correlation between leaking and synthetic oil, in my subaru's. They've all been high mileage when I switched to synthetic. Some leak, and continue leaking. Some leak ALOT and still do. Some don't leak, and don't on synthetic either. Unless it causes catastrophic increase in leaking (which it sounds like it did on the chevy truck), I'd recommend it, as it runs so much nicer on synethetic -- easier starts with less noise, seems to rev easier and the bearings and everything should last alot longer -- and I want the engine to last forever, of course Plus, in general, it's easier to replace seals than main bearings and rods... Just a note, I use 5W50 synthetic -- instead of the 10W40 regular oil I was using. If I use 10W30 regular, the '89 GL burns about a quart every 400 miles. With the 5W50, it seems to get about 600 miles per quart, and runs better (I still regularly get 30mpg out of it). To me, this is worth the $6/quart for oil.

 

EDIT: I'm about to switch my '76 mazda pickup over to synthetic -- it's low mileage, but has been stored alot during it's life. Not sure if this is a good idea, but I'll give a report in a few months on whether I killed it, or saved it.