Oil Change Question

[jus2shy]

Well, I believe 6 months is your minimum, if you want to keep the warranty intact. That is unless you can get something written where a dealer or RAM would OK once a year.

 

[Essy]

I to have never pre filled a new oil filter when changing. Never had any problems!

On a different note.... When I was changing my fuel filter last week I seen in the owners manual in bold letters Do Not Prefill fuel filter! That really took me by surprise!

 

[Ram4Sam]

Right out of the on line owners manual, diesel supplement.........

" Replace the engine oil and oil filter every 15,000 miles
(24 000 km) or six months, or sooner if prompted by the
oil change indicator system. Under no circumstances
should oil change intervals exceed 15,000 miles
(24 000 km) or six months, whichever comes first"


Pretty much says it all......unless I'm missing something.

Sam

 

[JLandry]

...unless I'm missing something.

What you're missing Sam, is that some folks just can't stand to follow the manufacturer's maintenance requirements.

John L.

 

[Ram4Sam]

You know, I used to be one of them.....on my 2001 I did plenty of mods during the 5 year/100,000 mile warranty on my 2001, wasn't to worried about it. In fact, Dodge voided my warranty with about six months left on it. Fast forward to 2014, the Cummins option is $8000 and the aisin is $3000...... It's the new me I plan on following the rules to the letter. The bossman says 6 months, that is what it will be, especially since they gave me free lifetime oil changes. Although, after doing all my oil changes myself for the last forty years, I am not quite sure how I feel about a lube monkey with his hands on my stuff. That being said, after spending the weekend installing my goosneck/companion, running boards, and in bed seven pin plug, I have been staying pretty close to the motrin bottle.......geting old sucks!

Sam

 

[TimBrunett]

Sam

Old? If you’re doing all that in a weekend then your taking dotage by storm. Just don’t slow down!
And where are the pics? Without pics it never happened.

Tim B

 

[ARedmon]

Dieselnerd: I wonder why they would tell you to remove the turbo intake AND remove the wheel and fender liner to get the oil filter loose. It seems one or the other would suffice! Actually, I believe it will be rather easy to remove the oil filter through the fender liner opening now that I've changed the factory installed filter already. I used a strap wrench from above to break it loose because it was unbelievably tight. The factory machine that installs the oil filters is set waaaaaaaaaay too tight! From now on, though, it will be a breeze removing the filter with an ordinary common band filter wrench through the fender liner. It's the removing without spilling oil that's a bit tricky. The Glad bag method works if care is used!

 

[Dieselnerd]

Dieselnerd: I wonder why they would tell you to remove the turbo intake AND remove the wheel and fender liner to get the oil filter loose. It seems one or the other would suffice! Actually, I believe it will be rather easy to remove the oil filter through the fender liner opening now that I've changed the factory installed filter already. I used a strap wrench from above to break it loose because it was unbelievably tight. The factory machine that installs the oil filters is set waaaaaaaaaay too tight! From now on, though, it will be a breeze removing the filter with an ordinary common band filter wrench through the fender liner. It's the removing without spilling oil that's a bit tricky. The Glad bag method works if care is used!

I have no idea why they try to make it so complicated. I do know that an oil filter will not fit through my liner opening. I plan on removing the intake but nothing else.

 

[Ram4Sam]

Sam

Old? If you’re doing all that in a weekend then your taking dotage by storm. Just don’t slow down!
And where are the pics? Without pics it never happened.

Tim B

Oh, it happened, I feel like I was rode hard and put away wet.:{ Actually, the gooseneck hitch was a breeze, practically fell on all by itself. B&W makes a nice piece, perfect fit and finish. The running boards went on quick, once I quit reading the instructions, they sent me the right parts and wrong instructions......just got to adjust the hitch height and I'm good to go. Most of the install time was spent just getting up and down from under the truck, the wrenching part is easy.

Sam

 

[ARedmon]

I've always pre-filled my oil filters with oil also but I don't think it hurts anything not to. In fact, I remember a Q&A session with Cummins engineers at the May Madness in Pahrump a few years ago, where the Cummins guys said NOT to pre-fill the oil filters! I believe their reasoning was that the oil would be poured into the filtered part of the filter. They'd rather you put the oil filter on dry so that the oil is pumped through the filter and cleaned. I don't know why new oil wouldn't be considered clean, but, hey, . . what do I know? They're the engineers! If anybody else remembers this, speak up if I misunderstood their position on the matter.

 

[jus2shy]

The only item I am aware of not pre-filling are the fuel filters. It was an old practice to pre-fill the fuel filters, but with the cartridge style filter, you can stir up some sediment in the filter housing and get it into the fuel system and destroy your pump. I haven't seen anything in the manuals against pre-filling the oil filters though.

 

[Dieselnerd]

I changed my oil and filter for the first time today. The factory service manual says to take off the turbo intake, the charge air cooler line, the right front wheel and wheel liner to change the filter. Really? Why not just pull the engine...

I took off the turbo intake, used a strap wrench (left over from the fuel filter change procedure on my 2nd gen) which easily overcame the really tight filter. Easy to tilt the filter a little without pouring oil out and remove it. I pre-filled the new filter, put it on, replaced the turbo intake, filled with oil, reset the oil life and was done. Next time it will be a lot easier since I'll know exactly what I'm doing.

I feel a lot better now, knowing it isn't that bad of a job.

 

[ARedmon]

One of you that is going to Pahrump for May Madness: Would you ask one of the RAM engineers about pre-filling the oil filter? It's been about 5 yrs since I made a May Madness at Pahrump but I'm sure the engineers told us then to NOT pre-fill the oil filter. The reason I remember this info is because I was shocked that this was their recommendation. If the engineer wants to know why you asked, tell him that it's very difficult to pre-fill the filter and then put it through the hole in the wheel well without spilling the oil back out of it! I was able to fill mine about 1/2 full without spilling it, though, even during tilting it to get it through the hole. I know that some of you have started taking the turbo inlet hose off and going from the top to get to the oil filter, which would allow you to easily pre-fill the filter, but I found that, for me, it is much faster and easier to simply use the hole in the fender well to get to the oil filter. Apparently, though, some of the trucks have hoses mounted in a little different location, making it difficult for some to get the oil filter in/out of the fender well hole.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

see Issue 84, p. 90-91. By the way, I did not write "silly internet babble;" the editor did.

 

[JLandry]

Regarding prefilling the new oil filter...

I think someone asked that question this year at May Madness... probably during the lubrication technical presentation by Cummins.

The answer was along the lines of: It doesn't matter.

Do whatever works best for you and lets you sleep better.

Best regards,

John L.

 

[ARedmon]

Good article, Mr. Donnelly. Great pictures, too. On my particular truck, it's pretty easy to get the oil filter on/off through the wheel/fender liner hole. Apparently, though, several folks on here have trucks with insufficient space to remove the filter that way. I don't know what the difference in the trucks could be but guessing that the hose mounting spot on some of the trucks is different or the wheel/fender liner hole is smaller. Your method of removing the turbo inlet tubing, though, would make it easy to pre-fill the new filter which is something that I've always preferred to do, necessary or not.

 

[Too Tall]

Here's how the manual says to do it on the 2014 4 x 4. Looking at the wheel well, I have enough room to get the filter in and out but there's not much room to stroke the strap wrench. Also, notice they don't show that damn transmission line in the photo! Seems if you are going to remove all the stuff but break it loose from the wheel well, just do it all from the wheel well?

 

[gsbrockman]

He's how the manual says to do it on the 2014 4 x 4. Looking at the wheel well, I have enough room to get the filter in and out but there's not much room to stroke the strap wrench. Also, notice they don't show that damn transmission line in the photo! Seems if you are going to remove all the stuff but break it loose from the wheel well, just do it all from the wheel well?

Thanks for the well documented "by the book" procedure. It totally boggles my tiny little mind why they suggest removing the r/f tire and wheel well liner IN ADDITION TO the intake. If the intake is removed (that's how I do it)....there is ZERO reason to remove the r/f tire and wheel well liner. The ONLY reason I could fathom for the removal of the r/f tire and wheel well liner is an increase in labor charge for a simple oil & filter change.

 

[Too Tall]

Thanks for the well documented "by the book" procedure. It totally boggles my tiny little mind why they suggest removing the r/f tire and wheel well liner IN ADDITION TO the intake. If the intake is removed (that's how I do it)....there is ZERO reason to remove the r/f tire and wheel well liner. The ONLY reason I could fathom for the removal of the r/f tire and wheel well liner is an increase in labor charge for a simple oil & filter change.

Yes, I agree. I can't see where removing the wheel well gives you any more room because you are still working within the same space.

 

[ARedmon]

Totally agree with both of you! No need to do both. It's an either/or type situation. I'm going to be changing mine by removing the oil filter through the wheel house splash shield hole. I didn't have to remove the tire/wheel OR the shield. I had to use a strap wrench from above the first time because of how tight the filter was put on at the factory. Now that I've installed a filter at the correct amount of "tightness" though, from now on, I'll simply reach in through the hole in the wheel liner and remove the filter with a metal band type filter wrench. I used a Glad bag around the filter to keep the oil contained. After changing the oil the first time, I now believe that it's an easier job than it was on my 2005 Cummins Ram.