Raptor Flip-Up Oil Change

[Mr. Mower]

Wow, changing car spark plugs every year. All the other stuff I can see a point in, but to me that's excessive and totally unnecessary in a modern vehicle.

Think what you'd like but ever since I started driving (around 15-16 years old) I've always been on top of every type of maintenance on my vehicles. After seeing, listening, reading and learning from others I quickly realized that if you want to get the most out of something and make it last many years, the up keep maintenance is very important and should always be taken care of on a regular basis.

Basically its like this....."Take the time to care of it and it will take care of you"....this applies to everything in life....yes even your health.

Each of the vehicles that I've had, have lasted me 10 years or more and really with out any major mechanical problems. What I mean is yes, there was the occasional starter or alternator, etc. things like that, that would eventually need to be replaced but again nothing major on the engine itself.

My very first own vehicle was a 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass which I had purchased from my brother for $500 bucks back in 1977. At the time I thought that I would keep the vehicle for a year or so and then get a brand new car. But as time went on I liked the fact that I didn't have a car payment and plus the fact that the vehicle drove very well, really nothing wrong with it. Because of the maintenance up keep that I had been keeping on it.

I drove it up until 1986. I then traded it in for a brand new Toyota X-Tra Cab truck (remember them?). Man did I love that truck. I was all nice and well kept with sweet looking tires, etc. I kept that vehicle up until November of 1995 and that's only because it was stolen!

As a matter of fact it had been stolen a total of 3 times! After the third time well it was never found. Again, though it was in excellent condition, well kept with the maintenance up keep that I always gave it. Whoever stole it, well they sure got a sweet truck well kept.

Anyway, so in December of 1995, I purchased a new 1996 Dodge Ram 1500, large cab, all the bells and whistles, etc.. I kept that truck for a little more than 10 years. Again it was well kept with maintenance and all. The vehicle had close to 200,000K miles on it but still ran great. Though by then, after 9 years or so the paint started to fade quickly (Dodge vehicles are known for this) and well I decided then that I would not spend the $ have it repainted and just trade it in for something new. Now at this time, this was in 2008.

So in April of 2008, I traded the 1996 Dodge Ram truck in for a brand new 2008 Toyota Tacoma and to this very day, as I am sitting here typing this all in, I still have and drive it today! It has well over 265,000K miles on it and still drives like it was brand new!

Again, it's lasted me all this time all because of the regular maintenance up keep that is performed on it annually, regardless of what any manual says about when to change anything.

My wife used to drive a 2003 Toyota 4Runner (that had been purchased brand new driven off the lot back in 2003) and we kept up until December 2016. That vehicle had close to 300,000K miles on it by then. But that same month we decided to purchase a new 2016 Toyota 4Runner for her and gave the 2003 4Runner to my sister who, believe it or not, still drives it and she says still drives fantastically and smoothly! It now has well over 300,000K miles on it!

For me the way I see things is...I've spent a lot of my hard earned $ on my things and well I want to get the most out of them as much as I can. Because it's not like I have the big time $ to just throw out there and go out and buy something new every other year or so. I'm sure for some that's not a problem doing so but for me well I'm realistic, I just can't.


Here are a couple of pictures of my 2008 Toyota Tacoma.

 

[Mr. Mower]

I'm like Mr Mower, when it comes to my mowers, oil and filters, FULL tune-up, belts IF.. questionable every season ! my 98 Camry gets Mobil 1 full synthetic, with a few oz. of LUCAS oil conditioner every 5,000 mi. but I change the FILTER @ every 2,500 and a strict diet of LUCAS fuel-additive with about every 3rd tank of gas all other filters at 15,000 mi., new trans. fluid N filter, and "differential" oil, and replace BRAKE fluid too at 25,000 .......... I have 53 1/2 acres of money trees, and I use $100.00 bills to light the BBQ !! .. ( that part is funnin ya's ) ..:thumbsup:..:laughing:..:laughing:

That's the exact same type of oil that I use and only that, wouldn't even consider using nothing else.

 

[Mr. Mower]

If you want to be OCD about something, compare the Kohler recommend maintenance interval for the air filter "pre-cleaner" to the Hustler recommendation. Use whichever one is the FEWEST hours.

If draining oil is difficult, I use a vacuum oil extractor.

Is it possible if you could post a picture of that "vacuum oil extractor" that you mentioned above?

Or post the manufacturer's brand name?....model number?.....etc.


Thanks for posting!

 

[cpurvis]

Mine is a Pela. They make various sizes. I think mine is the 6 liter version and I got it from Cabelas when they were running a sale.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pela-PL-6000-6-Liters-Oil-Extractor/46758207

 

[Mr. Mower]

THANKS! :thumbsup:

Mine is a Pela. They make various sizes. I think mine is the 6 liter version and I got it from Cabelas when they were running a sale.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pela-PL-6000-6-Liters-Oil-Extractor/46758207

 

[Darryl G]

I considered buying a vacuum oil extractor and was advised against it by the head mechanic at one of the shops I use. He doesn't like them because they don't always evacuate all of the oil. Opinions will vary.

 

[Darryl G]

Think what you'd like but ever since I started driving (around 15-16 years old) I've always been on top of every type of maintenance on my vehicles. After seeing, listening, reading and learning from others I quickly realized that if you want to get the most out of something and make it last many years, the up keep maintenance is very important and should always be taken care of on a regular basis.

Basically its like this....."Take the time to care of it and it will take care of you"....this applies to everything in life....yes even your health.

Each of the vehicles that I've had, have lasted me 10 years or more and really with out any major mechanical problems. What I mean is yes, there was the occasional starter or alternator, etc. things like that, that would eventually need to be replaced but again nothing major on the engine itself.

My very first own vehicle was a 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass which I had purchased from my brother for $500 bucks back in 1977. At the time I thought that I would keep the vehicle for a year or so and then get a brand new car. But as time went on I liked the fact that I didn't have a car payment and plus the fact that the vehicle drove very well, really nothing wrong with it. Because of the maintenance up keep that I had been keeping on it.

I drove it up until 1986. I then traded it in for a brand new Toyota X-Tra Cab truck (remember them?). Man did I love that truck. I was all nice and well kept with sweet looking tires, etc. I kept that vehicle up until November of 1995 and that's only because it was stolen!

As a matter of fact it had been stolen a total of 3 times! After the third time well it was never found. Again, though it was in excellent condition, well kept with the maintenance up keep that I always gave it. Whoever stole it, well they sure got a sweet truck well kept.

Anyway, so in December of 1995, I purchased a new 1996 Dodge Ram 1500, large cab, all the bells and whistles, etc.. I kept that truck for a little more than 10 years. Again it was well kept with maintenance and all. The vehicle had close to 200,000K miles on it but still ran great. Though by then, after 9 years or so the paint started to fade quickly (Dodge vehicles are known for this) and well I decided then that I would not spend the $ have it repainted and just trade it in for something new. Now at this time, this was in 2008.

So in April of 2008, I traded the 1996 Dodge Ram truck in for a brand new 2008 Toyota Tacoma and to this very day, as I am sitting here typing this all in, I still have and drive it today! It has well over 265,000K miles on it and still drives like it was brand new!

Again, it's lasted me all this time all because of the regular maintenance up keep that is performed on it annually, regardless of what any manual says about when to change anything.

My wife used to drive a 2003 Toyota 4Runner (that had been purchased brand new driven off the lot back in 2003) and we kept up until December 2016. That vehicle had close to 300,000K miles on it by then. But that same month we decided to purchase a new 2016 Toyota 4Runner for her and gave the 2003 4Runner to my sister who, believe it or not, still drives it and she says still drives fantastically and smoothly! It now has well over 300,000K miles on it!

For me the way I see things is...I've spent a lot of my hard earned $ on my things and well I want to get the most out of them as much as I can. Because it's not like I have the big time $ to just throw out there and go out and buy something new every other year or so. I'm sure for some that's not a problem doing so but for me well I'm realistic, I just can't.


Here are a couple of pictures of my 2008 Toyota Tacoma.

I just thought that changing car spark plugs every year was excessive. I guess it depends how much you drive and what plugs you use too. Our vehicles only get 5 to 10k miles per year put on them. I think the original plugs are still in the 2011 Altima and I've changed them once in my 2003 truck.

 

[cpurvis]

I considered buying a vacuum oil extractor and was advised against it by the head mechanic at one of the shops I use. He doesn't like them because they don't always evacuate all of the oil. Opinions will vary.

You can test to see how much (if any) oil is left behind by an extractor--Use the extractor, then drain using the drain plug and see how much more you can get.

 

[gene_stl]

I had a similar reaction when I saw that short black tube. I obtained some longer clear PVC to do the job with also.
I have come close to buying a vacuum extractor but didn't want to have another too big thing sitting in the garage.
When I change oil sometimes ,especially if it's overdue, I like to add some flushing oil to solvate varnishes and suspend dirt.
I don't replace spark plugs I only clean and gap them. Never have ignition problems. I also clean air filters.

I am very nonplussed about my recent headaches with my FlipUp In very short order the battery crapped out, the fuel gauge crapped out and one of the park switches crapped out.
The response from Hustler was the boolsheet about safety stuff.