How it is assembled now.

What Is Needed

• Ignition Keys

Procedure

This is an easy process to check the total hours on the engine. First off insert your ignition key and turn the key on but do not start. Quickly pressed and hold the trip button until the odometer display switches over to displaying hours. You'll know that the hours are being displayed. The odometer display shows the Hr prefix for the hour number displayed. 

Purpose

If you happen to be using your truck in a manner that has extended idle times or possible PTO usage or using an 12-volt electric winch where the truck is idling for an extended period you can base your maintenance off the hour meter instead of the odometer which will not account for extended idling times. 

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Required Tools and Materials

3 Gallons of Engine Oil 15w-40

Oil Filter 

Waste Container

3/8 Ratchet

Oil Filter Wrench

Magnet Tool (optional)

Rags or Paper towels

Viscosity of Oil

Typically we all use the standard 15w-40 diesel engine oil for viscosity. The only time you need to change down to 5w-40 is in the dead of winter when temps are near zero for operation. I will warn this is going to be synthetic diesel oil and not very cheap. As for the 15w-40 oil I've been using it year-round here in Idaho with temps as low as 0*F to -20*F. 

API Specification

Be aware there is an oil type specification. All diesel oil will be labeled with an API seal typically on the back of the jug or bottle. It should show CJ-4 or newer which is CK-4. Most will agree that CK-4 is a good old but others will say CJ-4 has issues because of the removal of some compounds like zinc. If you stick to a quality brand like Chevron Delo, Rotella, or even NAPA brand oil you will be fine. 

Oil Filters

Then there is the filter I know this is going to be a touchy also. I've been using NAPA Gold filters most of the life of my trucks with zero issues. There is Fleetguard or Mopar but I will warn you that the Mopar filter is just a re-badged Fleet Guard filter. Then the other warning is do not use any Fram filters, there is a Dodge TSB warning that the warranty will be voided because Fram filters are poorly designed and may separate internally in the can and not filter any debris out causing engine damage. 

Oil Filter Wrench

The oil filter wrench is optional. The filter wrench might be needed if you cannot get a grip on the oil filter and twist it off by hand. Typically the oil filter wrench isn't required as long as you follow a simple tip, just seat the filter till it touches the base. Then tighten only 3/4 of a turn and that's it. 

Oil Change

Take the truck out and drive long enough to warm the engine up to 140*F to 160*F. Have a nice clear and level area like your lawn, dirt pad, or concrete area. Now position the waste container under the oil pan of the engine. Using your 3/8 ratchet the square tip of the ratchet will fit into the square hole of the plug. It's a standard right hand there so "lefty loosey" or counterclockwise as your looking at the bottom of the pan. This truck needed a bath before the photo it was rather oily down on the pan. 

Once the plug is loose you can spin the plug with your fingers and allow it to either drop the plug in the container or hang on to the plug and get a hand full of engine oil. That's what the magnet tool is for to fish the drain plug out of the container without sticking your hand in. I suggest allowing the oil to drain for a very long time at least a few hours to allow all the oil to come out of the oil cooler and oil galleries. Let it drain all the engine oil till it stops dripping completely to do it right. At this point, you can remove the air box or cold air intake to gain access to the oil filter. You can grab the oil filter wrench and loosen the oil filter. Spin the filter off and be aware the oil will run out over the top possibly maybe a bit hot. Be careful the filter will be slick and hard to hold. This will help allow the oil to drain out of the oil cooler and main galleries. Wipe the filter base off with a rag or paper towel make sure the old filter seal is not stuck to the filter base and it did come off on the old filter this is important. Leave the new filter off till the draining is done.

SUGGESTION: I've been known to do the oil change at the end of the day I'll pull the oil drain plug and oil filter and leave the truck sitting all night draining this is the best way to get all the old oil out. 

Now that all the oil is drained. Reinstall the drain plug you want it tight but don't go overboard on this the pan metal is thin and could be possible to strip the pan threads out. Take the new oil filter and add a bit of oil to the seal and lube it up. I highly suggest against pre-loading the filter. Anything that is poured in the center of the filter hole is unfiltered when it goes to the engine. I've seen engines damaged by bits of foil seal or plastics that were poured into the center hole of the filter plugging up oil cooling jets and scoring bearing up from the debris. Again DO NOT pre-load the filter and leave it dry. As said above screw the filter on the filter mount till it seats and then only tighten 3/4 of a turn that's it. You should have a 3-gallon case of oil. You can start pouring the oil back into the engine. It will take the full 3 gallons of oil. 

Now once the engine is refilled with oil start the engine and monitor the oil pressure gauge. The gauge should pop right up in about 3 to 4 seconds.

WARNING: If no pressure in 10 seconds, SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN IMMEDIATELY! Find out what went wrong before restarting again.

Leave it running and go out and look at your oil filter and make sure it's not leaking. This step is required to do. I've seen too many shops in a hurry and spin a new filter on and the old seal was stuck to the base and it will blow out and have oil everywhere. I've also seen oil filters rupture at start-up. After the inspection shut it down and wait a few minutes and let the oil settle into the pan. Now pull the dipstick and wipe it off. Re-dip the stick back in and pull it out again. The oil may be a very light color or might be black already. This will depend on it you hurried on the draining or let it go all night. Check your level it should be right at the full mark. 

Now, this completes the oil change but you should keep a log book for your maintenance. This way you know when to change the oil again. I use an app on my phone called Simply Auto which tracks my maintenance and my fuel logs so it get a notification of when oil changes are needed.

Materials Required

• 3 Gallons (12 quarts) 15W-40 Engine Oil when temperatures are above 0*F (-17*C)

  • Use only Diesel Engine Oil meeting standard MIL-2104C or API Classification CD or higher or CCML D4, D5. Petroleum Based.

• 3 Gallons (12 quarts) 5W-40 Synthetic Engine Oil when temperatures fall below -5*F (-15*C)

• Oil Filter

  • Do NOT use Fram Oil Filter there is a TSB concerning the use of Fram Oil filters. 

Tools

• 3/8 Ratchet

• Oil Filter Wrench

• 4 Gallon Drain Pan 

Procedure

Start the truck and drive the truck till it is up to full operating temperature. Bring it back home and park on flat level ground. Grab your engine oil drain pan and place it under the engine oil pan. Grab that 3/8 ratchet and loosen the engine oil drain plug on the engine oil pan. The square tip of the 3/8 ratchet will fit the drain plug perfectly. Now be careful that engine oil will be hot, a pair of nitrile gloves will guard your hand against hot oil splashing on your hands. Another way is to unscrew the drain plug and just drop the plug into the drain pan you can fish it out with a magnet. Next, you want to spin the oil filter off double check you have the rubber gasket on the oil filter and its not stuck to the filter mount base. Again be careful the engine oil and oil filter are going to be hot.  I would suggest allowing it to drain for at least a good 1 hour. If you want the best results I do this in the evening and allow it to drain all night long. In the morning I install the drain plug and the oil filter. When installing the oil filter make sure to lube the rubber gasket with a small amount of clean engine oil. Spin the filter till the oil filter seal makes contact. Then tighten with your hand 3/4 of a turn and stop. 

WARNING: Do not tighten an oil filter using a filter wrench you can over-tighten and cause the rubber gasket of the oil filter to weep or leak from deforming the rubber seal.

WARNING: I know a lot of people don't like dry starts and will prefill the oil filter with oil. I do not suggest this being if any materials or debris gets in the center hole of the oil filter it will be the first debris to the bearings and oil jets. It can do serious engine damage. If you want to prefill an oil filter make sure to plug the center hole and fill from the outer ring of small holes. These smaller holes are the inlet of the dirty filter from the oil pump. I've seen an engine ruined from a mouse turd that was in a bottle of Chevron Delo because the bottles are molded and left opened till filled so the mouse turd was poured into the oil filter and when the engine ran it plugged an oil cooler jet and fried a piston. 

Reinstall the drain plug. The FSM book shows that the torque is 37 foot-pounds. I've never used a torque wrench to install the drain plug. Now you'll want to fill the crankcase with fresh oil. Open the fill cap on the valve cover. Use a wide-mouth funnel and fill the crankcase with 3 gallons of engine oil. Again the oil typically is 15w-40 petroleum-based. Synthetics are not required for summer usage. Winter time with temperatures below -5*F consistently you need to switch over synthetic 5W-40 for winter time operation. 

After filling with oil and the oil cap is replaced on the valve cover. Start the engine up and watch the oil pressure gauge and verify there is oil pressure within about 10 seconds. If no oil pressure shut it down and investigate why the oil pressure isn't coming up. Once you see oil pressure get back out of the cab while it's running and verify the oil filter is not weeping or leaking. Then shut down the engine and allow to stand for a few minutes and check your level again to make sure it shows full on the dipstick.