Oil changing question... hot or cold?
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Administrator/Jarhead


Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Jonesborough, TN
Oil changing question... hot or cold?
Afternoon (for me) DTR...
I have a little question about when you should change oil, and this is in general, not just CTD related...
In days gone by, I would (if I had time) park my vehicles on ramps overnight so that all the oil would seep down and be as out of the internals of the motor as they could be, so that I would get the majority of the old oil out when I changed it. Fast forward a few years, someone tells me, or I read somewhere, that the oil should be at operating temp when you change it, and this is what I've been doing since.
So.... hot or cold? Why?
TIA...
mad
I have a little question about when you should change oil, and this is in general, not just CTD related...
In days gone by, I would (if I had time) park my vehicles on ramps overnight so that all the oil would seep down and be as out of the internals of the motor as they could be, so that I would get the majority of the old oil out when I changed it. Fast forward a few years, someone tells me, or I read somewhere, that the oil should be at operating temp when you change it, and this is what I've been doing since.
So.... hot or cold? Why?
TIA...
mad
Advocate of getting the ban button used on him...
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,082
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From: Live Oak Texas
Honestly, I am in the middle 
I let mine get up in temp but not all the way to normal temp. This way the oil is thinner and I feel it will drain better. After I pull the plug, I let it drain for quite a while while changing the filter, checking the air filter and just doing an overall inspection of the truck from front to back (underneath). Also putting grease in that darn little grease zerk in the front drive shaft!!!

I let mine get up in temp but not all the way to normal temp. This way the oil is thinner and I feel it will drain better. After I pull the plug, I let it drain for quite a while while changing the filter, checking the air filter and just doing an overall inspection of the truck from front to back (underneath). Also putting grease in that darn little grease zerk in the front drive shaft!!!
It should be pretty warm, but not necessarily operating temp. When it's warm/hot it drains out better.
And you should also drain it soon after running the engine. All the particulates are still in suspension, and will drain out with the oil. Otherwise, they drop to the bottom of the pan and stay there.
And you should also drain it soon after running the engine. All the particulates are still in suspension, and will drain out with the oil. Otherwise, they drop to the bottom of the pan and stay there.
Administrator ........ DTR's puttin fires out and workin on big trucks admin
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It should be pretty warm, but not necessarily operating temp. When it's warm/hot it drains out better.
And you should also drain it soon after running the engine. All the particulates are still in suspension, and will drain out with the oil. Otherwise, they drop to the bottom of the pan and stay there.
And you should also drain it soon after running the engine. All the particulates are still in suspension, and will drain out with the oil. Otherwise, they drop to the bottom of the pan and stay there.
It should be at operating temp, then exactly what Bob stated is the reason.
Hot engine oil is also the best time to draw an oil sample, it will provide the most accurate assessment of the condition of your engine.
Tim
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It should be pretty warm, but not necessarily operating temp. When it's warm/hot it drains out better.
And you should also drain it soon after running the engine. All the particulates are still in suspension, and will drain out with the oil. Otherwise, they drop to the bottom of the pan and stay there.
And you should also drain it soon after running the engine. All the particulates are still in suspension, and will drain out with the oil. Otherwise, they drop to the bottom of the pan and stay there.
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