Oil Changing an LBZ, DIY or Not?

[Prestonia24]

got a flyer in the mail from my local dealer advertising oil change/filter/lube for 30 bucks. of course upon reading the fine print it states 'diesels and synthetic oil extra'.

I called the service department to inquire how much extra diesel oil change would be and he said 79.99 plus tax... so this gets me thinking.

How much more work can it be doing an oil change on my 06 LBZ than on my 01 C1500 5.3L...

I understand that my truck takes 10 qts of oil compared to the 6-7 in the vortec 5.3. That and the slightly more expensive motor oil makes up some of the difference.

Even at 4 bucks a quart and 8 bucks a filter i'd still save nearly 40 bucks on taking it to the dealership.

So what i'm getting at is:
1) How much more difficult is it to change the oil in the LBZ that makes it so much more expensive.
2) Is it worth it to change it myself, for example what's the cost breakdown on DIY vs the dealer's cost breakdown.

Now i've never changed the oil myself but helped many a friend change theirs. Also my friend does all the work on his family's 5 cars/trucks and he's offered to help me do it, especially since he's got the drain pans wrenches etc...

[More Power]

Changing oil in a diesel is not all that difficult. Aside from needing more oil, the oil filter is also a little more expensive, but the procedure is the same. You'll need a bigger drain pan than most offered at auto parts stores. Many auto parts stores offer to recycle used motor oil.

Lubing the chassis is something best done by the owner anyway. Getting just the right amount of the right lube into the steering and ball-joints is easier when it's your truck. One quick-lube type shop I visited last year smeared a small dab grease on the A-arms, but didn't actually grease the ball joints. I called the owner, and had them send a lube jockey to my home to do the job right..... :rolleyes:

Jim

[Prestonia24]

the change went relatively well, the drain plug was secured quite tightly, and needed a socket wrench to get the thing off, and man was my oil dirty :-P

It took a good 15 minutes of fangling with the Oil filter (by hand) before it finally came loose (some yahoo at the factory must have tightened it with a torque bar...).

Replaced it with a Mobil-1 filter, picked up for about 9 bucks at the local Auto Zone, Then loaded her up with 2 1/2 gallons of 15W-40 Shell Rotella T.
(Next time will go fully synthetic, but they just didn't have any selection in the HD oil section, as far as in the gallon sized jugs, didn't wanna pay $8/qt x10, when i could buy a case (of gallon jugs) for that much lol...)

Since the change the exhaust already smells better (less diesel-y) and it sounds nicer.... (The best part is resetting the Oil Life indicator took 3 seconds lol.)

Overall, it took about an hour. The whole thing cost me about $40, coulda skimped on the filter and oil, and gotten away for maybe $30, but would have likely needed to change the whole thing at EXACTLY 3k miles... I expect to get 4k out of this one.

Thanks for the reply MP.

[FBJR]

Heck even Rotella Synthetic is just $4 a qt at Wally World.

You can get 5 gallon buckets there too. Just don't get the $5 Fram filter!

Been picking up Napa Filters on Ebay for about $7 ea.

FB

[nicholg2286]

I've always been a DIY guy, but I must admit, I'm a little worried about working on my 2007 LBZ myself for fear of giving the dealer a reason to say "you ^@&#*%*&'d it up by ________. thus, the warrantee is now void. Is this realistic or am I just paranoid?

[Quack_Addict]

I've always been a DIY guy, but I must admit, I'm a little worried about working on my 2007 LBZ myself for fear of giving the dealer a reason to say "you ^@&#*%*&'d it up by ________. thus, the warrantee is now void. Is this realistic or am I just paranoid?


I think you're a little paranoid. I feel most people whose took kits consist of more than a prybar and sledge hammer are more qualified to change oil than some of the wizards working at the quike-change oil shops. A sizeable amount of my father-in-law's business is changing engines for a well-known, national oil change shop. Their shops from this area seem to send him at least a couple cars a month because their technician forgot to tighten an oil filter and it bypassed the seal or the tech didn't tighten the drain plug and it fell out somewhere down the road and the customer is understandably miffed and threatens legal action or other. If you did something blatantly stupid like not tightening your oil filter or dropping your drain plug on the highway, a dealer may have reason to deny a warranty claim on a seized engine, but I feel much better KNOWING I did everything proper than HOPING the guy in the pit did. A dealer CAN NOT force you to have them do all your oil changes...

Other than the fact that it's a pain in the arse to get the factory filter off your LBZ (as already mentioned), the oil change is straight up and identical to any other Chevy application I have ever seen.

[Prestonia24]

Other than the fact that it's a pain in the arse to get the factory filter off your LBZ (as already mentioned), the oil change is straight up and identical to any other Chevy application I have ever seen.

My complaint with the dealers handling of the last oil change was with how much torque was used in tightening the damn filter... I've helped friends with theirs and we almost never use a filter wrench to put them on. Basically get it as tight as humanly possible using your own two hands, and it should be pretty well in...

[2tough2park]

I change my own oil on my LBZ. It's actually easier than on my old 6.5. The front driveshaft isn't in the way anymore. I have the factory skid plates and even they aren't in the way. I use the alum foil drain gutters as I do on my other cars and it's no different changing the oil. I use the same AC Delco filter as I did on the 6.5 and the PF35 socket wrench filter adapter. And as it turns out, at least on my truck, my PF35 wrench fit the factory filter.

[chipper]

I think you're a little paranoid. I feel most people whose took kits consist of more than a prybar and sledge hammer are more qualified to change oil than some of the wizards working at the quike-change oil shops. A sizeable amount of my father-in-law's business is changing engines for a well-known, national oil change shop. Their shops from this area seem to send him at least a couple cars a month because their technician forgot to tighten an oil filter and it bypassed the seal or the tech didn't tighten the drain plug and it fell out somewhere down the road and the customer is understandably miffed and threatens legal action or other. If you did something blatantly stupid like not tightening your oil filter or dropping your drain plug on the highway, a dealer may have reason to deny a warranty claim on a seized engine, but I feel much better KNOWING I did everything proper than HOPING the guy in the pit did. A dealer CAN NOT force you to have them do all your oil changes...

Other than the fact that it's a pain in the arse to get the factory filter off your LBZ (as already mentioned), the oil change is straight up and identical to any other Chevy application I have ever seen.


Get yourself A FUMOTO oil drain valve & it will be easier the next time.

[Prestonia24]

Get yourself A FUMOTO oil drain valve & it will be easier the next time.

is it the F-106? I've heard of these before and for $25 it'll save a hellofalot of time... Do you have the one with the nipple on it? I figure that'll be a good way to make less of a mess, considering you could make sure that none of the oil lands on the skid plate (protecting the oil pan) and forgo some of the messiness associated with Oil Changes...

[Stlheadake]

is it the F-106? I've heard of these before and for $25 it'll save a hellofalot of time... Do you have the one with the nipple on it? I figure that'll be a good way to make less of a mess, considering you could make sure that none of the oil lands on the skid plate (protecting the oil pan) and forgo some of the messiness associated with Oil Changes...

I may be wrong, but I think the only Fumoto for the new engines (both lly and lbz) is the F106 WITH the nipple. That is what I have, and it is THE only way to go!

Keeps that D@mn plug from flying out of your hand along with 2 gallons of oil going everywhere! Worth every penny! I had a short pice of vinyl tube lying around and it accidentally fit perfect. I think it is 3/4. It is about 6-8 inches long. Just enough to make a slight arc and point the oil into the pan without the mess!

[DmaxMaverick]

F106N is the correct Fumoto valve if you want the nipple. The "N" is for nipple. Too simple, eh?