rev_les said:
I can squeeze under the safari, but raising it makes it easier. Bridgette the midget couldn't squeeze under the '99 Astro to get to the drain plug and oil filter! :mrgreen:
Yep, I experienced the same thing today, but finally got it done. :banana: lol
Having the ramps would definitely help with "comfort". Its a tight squeeze with just the jack stands unfortunately. I got a bit paranoid about the space and that cross member that supports the transmission. Man, if the van comes down and you're under that low piece of metal, it would be a crushing blow to my rib cage and brain box
. Having the ramps would definitely give me a little bit of peace of mind.
Some Positive finds:
• Engine sounds smoother (could be my mind though) and I can definitely tell the engine starts much more quiet.
• MPG improvements remain to be seen in just the 20 miles I drove today, but I'll get a chance to get better results this weekend, I hope it helps a little bit though (companies like Royal Purple say that their Synthetic oil improves MPG and Horse power, so I don't see why it would be any different with the oil I used). I used Mobil 1 0W-30 Synthetic with the Royal Purple filter.
• So far the oil pressure appears to be much more consistent (just over the half way line, sometimes 3/4's of the way up), and it doesn't dip as low when idling.
Some concerns and questions:
►Filter Removal: I bought one of those wrenches with the "teeth" for filters. It was a horrible fit and did not work at all. I had to give the filter a few taps with my wrench and use some brute force to overcome the slipping of my oily hands on the filter. Thankfully it budged and slowly I was able to remove it without using any special filter tools. But for future reference: do you use a tool to remove it? Would one of the filter wrenches with the flat metal band that fits around the filter work better for the Astro/Safari? The filter is really wedged in a corner, kind of hard to get to...
►The oil I drained had close to 4500 miles (mostly highway miles). It was pretty dark which I heard is peculiar of the standard petroleum derived lubricants...
Will the synthetic oil get just as black? Should I be carefully observing the color of the oil when I drain it?
► Another thing I noticed: that transmission gets HOT and STAYS HOT!!! The car had been off for over an hour, I could safely touch all engine parts, exhaust, etc (I even spilled some hot oil on my hands which wasn't too hot either) but the transmission was almost too hot to the touch even after I was done the job. Wondering if this is normal. Trans fluid is at a good level it seems..
► Found out that the plug that was already installed had the magnetic tip as well. I also noticed a coating of extremely fine metal shavings stuck to the tip of this plug as well. No idea how old they are (I am sure the mechanics in charge of these "fast lubes" don't clean the tip of the plug when they replace the oil),
but ideally, should I be seeing any shavings on there AT ALL? Is it normal to have a little bit? Or is any amount of that stuff a really bad sign? ...I think that there should not be any in there, but who knows.... maybe its other debris not from the engine? IDK??!!
► The new oil I used came from one of those 5-Quart jugs they sell. I checked the manual: 4.5 Quarts are needed (including oil in filter). Then I proceeded to pour the new oil and left a little bit in the bottle... guesstimating for 4.5quarts. Then I checked the dip-stick to see where I was and this is where I was a bit confused:
After I dry the dipstick and re-insert to pull back out real fast and check the level, I see no CLEAR/DEFINED line of oil sitting on the stick's LOW <----> FULL hashmarked range. I tried this like 5 times and every time I got a large bead of oil siting in the proper "Full" line but the wetness went still higher on the stick. This made it difficult for me to know whether I had put too much in???
If the manual is right @4.5Qrts, then I had to be spot on, but the stick was not giving me a clear reading. Being the newb that I am and fearing that I could hurt something if I added too much oil I got under the car again and drained a little bit of the new oil for precaution's sake. Then I check the dipstick again but it still gave me the same unclear reading!!!
Is there a trick with these dip-sticks or what? I am having the same problem with the transmission dip-stick.
► Finally: how much extra oil is necessary to hurt something in the engine in the case you over-fill? The manufacturers warn against over-filing, but how much is too much? When should I go and drain some out? What are the specific risks related to overfilling?
I know its a lot of questions and writing, sorry. I thank all of you for all the help and advice that you have given this newb! :dunce: