My First Oil Change - Some Notes for those interested in trying it themselves

[SD Rebel]

Did my first oil change on the 5.7L this morning, at 4,725 miles, or 1 year since I purchased the truck. The build date was actually Jan 2019, so this oil was over 1 year 7 months old, so good idea to change it.

I went with Shell Rotella Gas Truck synthetic 5W-20 and Mopar MO-339 filter. Purchased two 5 quart jugs at Walmart for $22 each and the oil filter at $10. I love the fact these jugs don't have the foil seal to worry about falling into the crankcase when pouring in, just a clean top after your remove the cap.

For lifting the truck, I used a set of Rhino Ramps 16,000 lbs capacity ($50 amazon). They held up great, absolutely no issues driving up and down ramps, zero signs of tension on the ramps. I also used two waterproof tarps to lay under the truck for oil spillage.

My greatest worry (as is many) was that the oil filter would be really hard to remove. Luckily for me, it easily came off. I wonder if it's because I got the engine to full operating temp before I did the oil change? Maybe the 200F heat made the filter easier to remove? Either way, I used a strap wrench (Lisle Small Oil Filter Wrench $13 amazon) from the back side and it easily broke the seal.

Note - I didn't spill a drop of oil removing the filter. I used a two zip lock bag method. After breaking the seal and loosening the filter a bit, I put the first bag on. I continued to loosen until oil started pouring out of the filter. After the oil stopped pouring out, about 1 minute, I removed the first bag. Then I slipped on the 2nd bag and finished unscrewing the filter. Once the filter came off, about 1/4 quart of oil poured from the oil filter mount. Hold the bag there for about 10 seconds to capture this oil. Then remove the bag and filter and you are good to go.

This was honestly one of the easiest oil changes I've done in a while, I think getting the motor up to temp before you perform it may help with that notoriously over-tightened factory filter. Or maybe the ape who normally installs them was off at work when my engine was being built?.

Note - The drain bolt removal and pouring on the sway bar wasn't an issue at all. Even though my oil was very thin because it was hot, it came out easily and didn't make a mess. The trick is to leave the oil fill cap on tight during the first part of the drain. This will make the oil come out slower from the oil pan. It does hit the sway bar, but that isn't a big deal. Within a minute or so, it's just drips falling straight down and into your drain pan no longer hitting the sway bar. Once it's down to a slow drip, then loosen your oil fill cap and dip stick to aid in draining.

The oil drain bolt is 13mm and the torque spec is 25 ft-lbs. The truck took exactly 7 quarts to get it just at the 2nd dot on the dip stick. I took a sample of the oil and sending to Blackstone Labs, will update when I get it.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Looking forward to a UOA with almost 5K on the factory fill.

 

[SD Rebel]

Looking forward to a UOA with almost 5K on the factory fill.

Me too, especially that it's more than one and a half years old oil, if you consider it was over six months before I bought it after it was built.

I doing the full test, curious to see how well the additive packs stood up over that time. On the paperwork on the oil test I stated it was unknown factory fill 5W-20. I am curious if it's conventional, semi or full synthetic?

I own a few older vehicles and bikes that aren't driven/ridden often, so they get oil changes once every 2 years or so. Test I've done on them show I could have easily gone another year, but those were high-end full synthetic oil. Not sure about the factory fill.

 

[Big3MG]

I’ve used Fumoto Quick Valves on all of my cars since about 20 years ago. Makes oil changes easy. I have one ready to apply to the new RAM when the first oil change is due. I don’t have to use ramps as I just press a button on the air suspension control and the vehicle raises enough for me to roll underneath.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Me too, especially that it's more than one and a half years old oil, if you consider it was over six months before I bought it after it was built.

I doing the full test, curious to see how well the additive packs stood up over that time. On the paperwork on the oil test I stated it was unknown factory fill 5W-20. I am curious if it's conventional, semi or full synthetic?

I own a few older vehicles and bikes that aren't driven/ridden often, so they get oil changes once every 2 years or so. Test I've done on them show I could have easily gone another year, but those were high-end full synthetic oil. Not sure about the factory fill.

I don’t think time really is much of an issue, oil doesn’t suddenly go bad after a year. My guess is it probably isn’t synthetic since Ram doesn’t require synthetic for the 5.7 it wouldn’t make economical sense to put it in as the factory fill, and most conventional oils anymore have at least a small amount of synthetic to meet the current standards.

 

[Finn5033]

I don’t mean to scare you but I saw this thread and thought I should share. Even though I was only at 5k miles I just changed my oil last week of May this year because I was about a month and half away from 1 year of ownership. The manual is pretty clear that you should never go over 12 months between changes even if the mileage is well under 10k. Probably won’t come back to bite you but something to remember moving forward.

 

[SD Rebel]

View attachment 61954
I don’t mean to scare you but I saw this thread and thought I should share. Even though I was only at 5k miles I just changed my oil last week of May this year because I was about a month and half away from 1 year of ownership. The manual is pretty clear that you should never go over 12 months between changes even if the mileage is well under 10k. Probably won’t come back to bite you but something to remember moving forward.

Thanks for posting, I've read that as well. Don't let that scare you, that's on almost all vehicle manuals regardless of make. It's just to make sure low mileage driver's get services done. The one year isn't a magical number. I have oil analysis for 2 year old oil changes that I could have easily gone 3 years on and still had plenty of life left.

I'm still covered by the warranty as well, I met with the one year requirement on the RAM, because the countdown is based on purchase/delivery date, not manufacturer date. My service advisor said that I would be covered just as long as I performed the oil change within 2-weeks of 1 year. They got a bit a leeway on that, though my logs definitely say I was within 12 months

 

[SD Rebel]

I don’t think time really is much of an issue, oil doesn’t suddenly go bad after a year. My guess is it probably isn’t synthetic since Ram doesn’t require synthetic for the 5.7 it wouldn’t make economical sense to put it in as the factory fill, and most conventional oils anymore have at least a small amount of synthetic to meet the current standards.

Yeah, that makes sense, modern oils regarldess of type are very high quality, even the no-name box store stuff.

 

[SD Rebel]

I’ve used Fumoto Quick Valves on all of my cars since about 20 years ago. Makes oil changes easy. I have one ready to apply to the new RAM when the first oil change is due. I don’t have to use ramps as I just press a button on the air suspension control and the vehicle raises enough for me to roll underneath.

I was going to use the speed bump down the street, but I had these ramps because I started doing my wife's car. Kinda wished I got the air suspension though, that would have come in handy!

 

[Finn5033]

I know it’s fine technically, I just don’t want to give them any extra reasons to try and deny a warranty claim if it ever came up.

 

[SD Rebel]

I know it’s fine technically, I just don’t want to give them any extra reasons to try and deny a warranty claim if it ever came up.

Oh I hear you, and that's exactly what they will do if given a chance. I normally would have the dealership do these, but I don't trust my local dealerships, they all got terrible reviews, and FCA is essentially last when it comes to dealership customer service surveys. I don't think they were prepared for all the RAMs, Jeeps and Chargers/Challengers they would be selling recently.

I rather not pay them $75 to do a bad job on my truck. Get my seats dirty, ding my door on the lift, etc. They are also using some sort of interior disinfectant, like a Lysol spray which I don't want them spraying on the inside of my truck. I kept the receipts for the oil & filter along with a log just in case of course.

 

[Finn5033]

I hear you, I change my own oil too

 

[busa2009]

I’ve used Fumoto Quick Valves on all of my cars since about 20 years ago. Makes oil changes easy. I have one ready to apply to the new RAM when the first oil change is due. I don’t have to use ramps as I just press a button on the air suspension control and the vehicle raises enough for me to roll underneath.

don't need air lift to get under the ram truck period

 

[SD Rebel]

don't need air lift to get under the ram truck period

Depends on how fat you are

I was honestly expecting a bigger fight with the oil filter, so I wanted more room just in case. Otherwise I think I could have done without. However, it gave me more room to check out the rest of the truck and give a good visual inspection like the dealership techs would to catch any leaks or issues early.

 

[Jako]

Did my first oil change on the 5.7L this morning, at 4,725 miles, or 1 year since I purchased the truck. The build date was actually Jan 2019, so this oil was over 1 year 7 months old, so good idea to change it.

I went with Shell Rotella Gas Truck synthetic 5W-20 and Mopar MO-339 filter. Purchased two 5 quart jugs at Walmart for $22 each and the oil filter at $10. I love the fact these jugs don't have the foil seal to worry about falling into the crankcase when pouring in, just a clean top after your remove the cap.

For lifting the truck, I used a set of Rhino Ramps 16,000 lbs capacity ($50 amazon). They held up great, absolutely no issues driving up and down ramps, zero signs of tension on the ramps. I also used two waterproof tarps to lay under the truck for oil spillage.

My greatest worry (as is many) was that the oil filter would be really hard to remove. Luckily for me, it easily came off. I wonder if it's because I got the engine to full operating temp before I did the oil change? Maybe the 200F heat made the filter easier to remove? Either way, I used a strap wrench (Lisle Small Oil Filter Wrench $13 amazon) from the back side and it easily broke the seal.

Note - I didn't spill a drop of oil removing the filter. I used a two zip lock bag method. After breaking the seal and loosening the filter a bit, I put the first bag on. I continued to loosen until oil started pouring out of the filter. After the oil stopped pouring out, about 1 minute, I removed the first bag. Then I slipped on the 2nd bag and finished unscrewing the filter. Once the filter came off, about 1/4 quart of oil poured from the oil filter mount. Hold the bag there for about 10 seconds to capture this oil. Then remove the bag and filter and you are good to go.

This was honestly one of the easiest oil changes I've done in a while, I think getting the motor up to temp before you perform it may help with that notoriously over-tightened factory filter. Or maybe the ape who normally installs them was off at work when my engine was being built?.

Note - The drain bolt removal and pouring on the sway bar wasn't an issue at all. Even though my oil was very thin because it was hot, it came out easily and didn't make a mess. The trick is to leave the oil fill cap on tight during the first part of the drain. This will make the oil come out slower from the oil pan. It does hit the sway bar, but that isn't a big deal. Within a minute or so, it's just drips falling straight down and into your drain pan no longer hitting the sway bar. Once it's down to a slow drip, then loosen your oil fill cap and dip stick to aid in draining.

The oil drain bolt is 13mm and the torque spec is 25 ft-lbs. The truck took exactly 7 quarts to get it just at the 2nd dot on the dip stick. I took a sample of the oil and sending to Blackstone Labs, will update when I get it.

FYI on torque settings:

Reduced Torque with Lubricated Bolts

Lubrication effect on bolt tension and torque.

www.engineeringtoolbox.com

I try to tighten to torque specs but an oil drain plug can pose a challenge. I put the Valvo max drain plug on the last oil change so I no longer ponder that issue.
Nice tip on keeping oil cap on to reduce flow.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Agree that the one year maximum is what they could fall back on if someone neglected to change the oil for a long time, which does happen. The one year clock starts when you actually put the vehicle in service, not the build date, because it's not unusual for new vehicles to sit on a lot for over a year before they're purchased. When that happens then technically the new owner would be in violation of the warranty requirement as soon as they drove off the lot. Obviously that's not going to happen and it wouldn't be reasonable to expect the new owner to immediately change the oil just because it's a year old.

 

[SD Rebel]

Agree that the one year maximum is what they could fall back on if someone neglected to change the oil for a long time, which does happen. The one year clock starts when you actually put the vehicle in service, not the build date, because it's not unusual for new vehicles to sit on a lot for over a year before they're purchased. When that happens then technically the new owner would be in violation of the warranty requirement as soon as they drove off the lot. Obviously that's not going to happen and it wouldn't be reasonable to expect the new owner to immediately change the oil just because it's a year old.

Yeah, I read the manual and saw the one year maximum, realized it could be held against me should I have an issue down the line. Since the motor is covered for 5 years / 60,000 miles I wanted to make sure I protected that warranty coverage. Plus it was a rather pleasant experience on this truck, can't wait to do it next year!

My real fear is my rear window frame cracking, hopefully I got the good batch of those

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Yeah, I read the manual and saw the one year maximum, realized it could be held against me should I have an issue down the line. Since the motor is covered for 5 years / 60,000 miles I wanted to make sure I protected that warranty coverage. Plus it was a rather pleasant experience on this truck, can't wait to do it next year!

My real fear is my rear window frame cracking, hopefully I got the good batch of those

Think you can hold out for a whole year? Yeah, the rear window frame is a bit worrisome, I can see the mold lines others have seen but so far no leaks and it's been out in some heavy rain. I replaced the halogen bulbs in the CHMSL and cargo lights with LED's and have worried about it leaking since I had to take out the whole assembly but so far so good.

 

[J-Cooz]

5,000 miles in a year! Go drive more!

 

[Jim64]

Did my first oil change on the 5.7L this morning, at 4,725 miles, or 1 year since I purchased the truck. The build date was actually Jan 2019, so this oil was over 1 year 7 months old, so good idea to change it.

I went with Shell Rotella Gas Truck synthetic 5W-20 and Mopar MO-339 filter. Purchased two 5 quart jugs at Walmart for $22 each and the oil filter at $10. I love the fact these jugs don't have the foil seal to worry about falling into the crankcase when pouring in, just a clean top after your remove the cap.

For lifting the truck, I used a set of Rhino Ramps 16,000 lbs capacity ($50 amazon). They held up great, absolutely no issues driving up and down ramps, zero signs of tension on the ramps. I also used two waterproof tarps to lay under the truck for oil spillage.

My greatest worry (as is many) was that the oil filter would be really hard to remove. Luckily for me, it easily came off. I wonder if it's because I got the engine to full operating temp before I did the oil change? Maybe the 200F heat made the filter easier to remove? Either way, I used a strap wrench (Lisle Small Oil Filter Wrench $13 amazon) from the back side and it easily broke the seal.

Note - I didn't spill a drop of oil removing the filter. I used a two zip lock bag method. After breaking the seal and loosening the filter a bit, I put the first bag on. I continued to loosen until oil started pouring out of the filter. After the oil stopped pouring out, about 1 minute, I removed the first bag. Then I slipped on the 2nd bag and finished unscrewing the filter. Once the filter came off, about 1/4 quart of oil poured from the oil filter mount. Hold the bag there for about 10 seconds to capture this oil. Then remove the bag and filter and you are good to go.

This was honestly one of the easiest oil changes I've done in a while, I think getting the motor up to temp before you perform it may help with that notoriously over-tightened factory filter. Or maybe the ape who normally installs them was off at work when my engine was being built?.

Note - The drain bolt removal and pouring on the sway bar wasn't an issue at all. Even though my oil was very thin because it was hot, it came out easily and didn't make a mess. The trick is to leave the oil fill cap on tight during the first part of the drain. This will make the oil come out slower from the oil pan. It does hit the sway bar, but that isn't a big deal. Within a minute or so, it's just drips falling straight down and into your drain pan no longer hitting the sway bar. Once it's down to a slow drip, then loosen your oil fill cap and dip stick to aid in draining.

The oil drain bolt is 13mm and the torque spec is 25 ft-lbs. The truck took exactly 7 quarts to get it just at the 2nd dot on the dip stick. I took a sample of the oil and sending to Blackstone Labs, will update when I get it.