Tired of Cummins changeing my oil for $700 - Page 3

RightUR · 03-06-2020, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wetstuff

I am not in your league, but I long learned that crawling under anything to change oil was the hard way. I use an 'extractor' that acts similar to a Doc running a hose down your windpipe. Pump-pump ...out it comes. If there is a hole to put oil in - it can be the same one it comes out, no?

Mine is probably 20yrs old, I did have to replace the operating part once. I am sure there are electrics for those who don't like to pump.
Jim

Well, maybe one day I'll need one of those, thingamajigs. How much do they go for? How much is the maintenance on one those things?

RightUR · 03-06-2020, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerichorick

I know I am jumping in late here. My coach is the little sister to yours. I change my own oil and filters. I know the ISL is laid out different but with every coach I have had the oil came out and went back in in the same manner. The oil filter can be a challenge but with the correct tool even that can be changed. As far as the air filter goes, I do that one too. You need to replace the total canister. Access can be from a side door and from under. I can't say without seeing your rig. I run Royal Purple in all my motors. The generator is no big deal to work on. I believe yours is on slides so that you have easier access than I do. You can even change the belt on yours because of this.

My batteries are under the basement slide tray. Easy to get to but a pain to lift out. I'll be going to Nissan Leaf Gen 2 crash packs this summer. (Rabbit trail of topic.)

Everything you need to do the job yourself is available. Persistence on your part to figure it out is all that is missing .Don't forget to clean the screens on the end of the drain tubes for the heat pumps from time to time and the drain ports for the slide locks.
Happy trails,
Rick

Wow, thanks that was a lot of help. I will definitely follow your advice. As for my Air filter, I can see it from below and from the side, but from the side it's encased behind to welded on metal plates forming a half cube with no top or bottom. But I saw how to get to it from underneath, it just takes some work and patience. Cummins recommends Valvoline premium blue heavy duty 15w 40. I got a really good deal for 11.99 a gall. but, yeah, I know I could have used something else. Cummins has a partnership and Contract with Valvoline so that's why they recommend it. Duh. LOL. Infact one of the head mechanics at Cummins said since we do oil changes once a yr and rarely exceed 6000 miles a yr on our motors any Heavy duty 15w 40 rated CJ 4 and CI 4, will do. He said, you're not pushing the 20K mile limit as stated in the cummins manuals. So you're fine. Guess I'll use Super Tech from walmart next time. LOL. j/k.

RightUR · 03-06-2020, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaltLife

Silly me. I thought at a glance the end came off. Nope. Beed to repkace it all. They call it a "spin on" cleaner. I see nothing spin on about, they talk how quick and easy it is to install. Ya sure...... Although, while inspecting the filter I found 2 broke ground wires........ uugghh..

2 broke ground wires? well hey, look at it this way, at least something good came out of our discussion here. Had we not gone in depth, you maybe would have not looked. Better than breaking down in the middle of nowhere. LOL.

SaltLife · 03-06-2020, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RightUR

Oh man, pls do. Maybe we can learn something from eachother. I looked for a filter alone, but when the guy came out with the part prescribed by freightliner and cummins, I saw that it was actually encased and built into the hausing. Oh well, 129 (w/taxes) is better than 270. LOL.

I researched it and they said the whole canister needs to be replaced. And don't try and take it apart. I equate this whole process as having to change the air cleaner on a car instead of just the filter element.....🤔

al1florida · 03-06-2020, 09:31 AM

About using a pump to do the oil change. While that is what some people do to change the oil there is some advantages to removing the drain plug versus the pump method.

-- Removing the drain plug and you get a good fast flow of the oil and sediment in the bottom of the oil pan. It also does a really good job of emptying all the oil. Even though you ran the engine and got the oil hot, it really doesn't stir up a great deal of the sediment in the bottom of the pan.
-- Using the pump you will leave a 1/4 inch or so of the oil in the bottom. Most of the sediment in the oil will be in the bottom of the pan. So you leave a little more of any contaminants in the oil pan.

How much harm will using the pump do? Maybe not much, but I believe a fast drain is the better way to do it.

SaltLife · 03-06-2020, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RightUR

2 broke ground wires? well hey, look at it this way, at least something good came out of our discussion here. Had we not gone in depth, you maybe would have not looked. Better than breaking down in the middle of nowhere. LOL.

You're exactly right.

As far as removing the plug rather than siphoning when changing oil, I completely agree with the given reasons.....

RightUR · 03-07-2020, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by al1florida

About using a pump to do the oil change. While that is what some people do to change the oil there is some advantages to removing the drain plug versus the pump method.

-- Removing the drain plug and you get a good fast flow of the oil and sediment in the bottom of the oil pan. It also does a really good job of emptying all the oil. Even though you ran the engine and got the oil hot, it really doesn't stir up a great deal of the sediment in the bottom of the pan.
-- Using the pump you will leave a 1/4 inch or so of the oil in the bottom. Most of the sediment in the oil will be in the bottom of the pan. So you leave a little more of any contaminants in the oil pan.

How much harm will using the pump do? Maybe not much, but I believe a fast drain is the better way to do it.

That's what I was thinking when the Cummins Tech showed me how they do oil changes. He pointed at his "Oil Vacuum cleaner" LOL. He said we don't get under the trucks or RV's. And in my mind I kept thinking about eh "Guck" or sediment as you call it.

SaltLife · 03-07-2020, 11:54 AM

So the "experts" are slacking, getting lazy. Crawl under until we physically can't do it anymore. .

RightUR · 03-09-2020, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaltLife

So the "experts" are slacking, getting lazy. Crawl under until we physically can't do it anymore. .

Man, I changed the oil yesterday. lowered the jacks, to prop up the rig. Unscrewed that huge oil filter with both hands. Had a 18 quart bucket below it. Emptied the bucket. Loosened the oil pan screw with a torque wrench, no attachments (the one with the 9-10 handle), placed the bucket underneath the screw, before the last turn (I had 2 buckets, had to change the 1st on out after 16 gallons). Meanwhile, Got the new oil filter, filled it up with oil. By that time all the oil had run out of the motor and pan. So I Screwed the new filter with oil contents back on, hand tight, as tight as my two hands would let me. Then opened the back and poured 6 and 1/4 gallons in the oil spout. That was easier then changing the oil on my car, where the space is more confined and you may have to use those little ramps you can get a walmart. Now I just have to change out the water/fuel separator and the fuel filter.
so far Easy peasy. LOL. Thanks for you encouragement.

SaltLife · 03-09-2020, 08:12 AM

Told ya! Lol. Glad to hear it went well. U just saved a bunch of money and you're getting to know your rig....

jerichorick · 03-13-2020, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RightUR

Man, I changed the oil yesterday. lowered the jacks, to prop up the rig. Unscrewed that huge oil filter with both hands. Had a 18 quart bucket below it. Emptied the bucket. Loosened the oil pan screw with a torque wrench, no attachments (the one with the 9-10 handle), placed the bucket underneath the screw, before the last turn (I had 2 buckets, had to change the 1st on out after 16 gallons). Meanwhile, Got the new oil filter, filled it up with oil. By that time all the oil had run out of the motor and pan. So I Screwed the new filter with oil contents back on, hand tight, as tight as my two hands would let me. Then opened the back and poured 6 and 1/4 gallons in the oil spout. That was easier then changing the oil on my car, where the space is more confined and you may have to use those little ramps you can get a walmart. Now I just have to change out the water/fuel separator and the fuel filter.
so far Easy peasy. LOL. Thanks for you encouragement.

I hope you filled the oil filter before you installed it. It is a very bad idea to crank the engine with a dry oil filter. Air is a terrible lubricant.