Changing your Sonic's oil.

ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
mitdr774 said:
Leap day purchase and already 12,700 miles. I fully intend to replace the belt around 60-75K unless the service interval is lower. With teh exception of my 96 K1500 I dont think I have let a chain in any of my cars go more than 100K. The 4.3 in the truck needs some help and will probably get a decent overhaul next year. Its only at 140k, but it has had a very hard life. Before it was mine it had at least 2 15K oil changes. Its amazing how heavy an oil filter can get after that many miles. BTW the same basic engine can now go 10k on an oil change. I find that hard to believe. My suspicion is that "owner maintenance cost" is more of a factor than the oil and engine really being that good. At least around me, most people seem to lease rather than buy and a lot of those that buy only keep a car for 3-5 years tops. Its a sales gimmick as far as I am concerned.

This is just my personal opinion, and I realize that it is not the same as everyone else.
Click to expand...


I also agree with changing belts at 100K but NOT chains. I had a 305 SBC with a chain that lasted to 196K when I junked the car and the engine ran great. Later on I drove a 92 C-2500 with a 350 and 5spd which I traded in with 226K on it and the original chain. I'm sure the chains end up with some slop in them at 200K, but I was more curious about how much wear the cams in them had being the lifters were not roller lifters.
 
mitdr774

mitdr774

also a dinner prick
ChrisJ said:
I also agree with changing belts at 100K but NOT chains. I had a 305 SBC with a chain that lasted to 196K when I junked the car and the engine ran great. Later on I drove a 92 C-2500 with a 350 and 5spd which I traded in with 226K on it and the original chain. I'm sure the chains end up with some slop in them at 200K, but I was more curious about how much wear the cams in them had being the lifters were not roller lifters.
Click to expand...


The chain on a SBC is a whole lot different than the chain on a 2.4L LD9. I was already inside the engine for other reasons and just replaced teh chain while I was there. I have compared new chains to even 80k mile chains for a LD9 and found a noticeable difference in length. I have come across at least 10 2.2l L61 engines that puked timing chains by 100k, and 2.2l LN2 engines that have lost timing chains by 150k. If I had not already been inside the engine I would have left the chain alone.

Depending on how it all works the cams may not have much wear at all. My LD9 uses lifter buckets that are a flat surface that teh cam rides on. Chances are that if I pull apart the engine in my 02 with about 220k on it the cams and lifters will look just fine. The lifters are original to the engine and the exhaust cam came from an early 90s 2.3l LO, and the intake cam is from either a 97 Grand Am, 00 Z24, or my 02 Z24. I dont remember which cam I actually put in it, but it wasnt the one that came out of it.
 
ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
mitdr774 said:
The chain on a SBC is a whole lot different than the chain on a 2.4L LD9. I was already inside the engine for other reasons and just replaced teh chain while I was there. I have compared new chains to even 80k mile chains for a LD9 and found a noticeable difference in length. I have come across at least 10 2.2l L61 engines that puked timing chains by 100k, and 2.2l LN2 engines that have lost timing chains by 150k. If I had not already been inside the engine I would have left the chain alone.

Depending on how it all works the cams may not have much wear at all. My LD9 uses lifter buckets that are a flat surface that teh cam rides on. Chances are that if I pull apart the engine in my 02 with about 220k on it the cams and lifters will look just fine. The lifters are original to the engine and the exhaust cam came from an early 90s 2.3l LO, and the intake cam is from either a 97 Grand Am, 00 Z24, or my 02 Z24. I dont remember which cam I actually put in it, but it wasnt the one that came out of it.
Click to expand...

How do you think the chain holds up on GM's family 0 line of engines like the 1.4L turbo?
 
G

GeneralZod

New member
mitdr774 said:
The chain on a SBC is a whole lot different than the chain on a 2.4L LD9. I was already inside the engine for other reasons and just replaced teh chain while I was there. I have compared new chains to even 80k mile chains for a LD9 and found a noticeable difference in length. I have come across at least 10 2.2l L61 engines that puked timing chains by 100k, and 2.2l LN2 engines that have lost timing chains by 150k. If I had not already been inside the engine I would have left the chain alone.
Click to expand...

Didn't the Ecotech have oiling issues which caused chain failure? I would hope GM learned that mistake. Since the 1.4L has been around I am sure the other markets will show chain failure before we see it.
 
mitdr774

mitdr774

also a dinner prick
GeneralZod said:
Didn't the Ecotech have oiling issues which caused chain failure? I would hope GM learned that mistake. Since the 1.4L has been around I am sure the other markets will show chain failure before we see it.
Click to expand...

Oddly enough this issue only seemed to be on the NAO L61 engine, at least from what I saw. I find it hard to believe that a chain snapped due to an oil issue when its dripping oil when pulled out after removing just the cam cover. Thats an odd one when the boss asks you to go check out a car and you walk back in with the timing chain in your hand.

I dont think GM really learns very fast when it comes to fixing mistakes. ;)

At 3000 miles my oil stunk of fuel due to the 4 mile commute to work and no real highway runs over the last oil change. The oil itself may still be just fine (its the additive package that fails and the dirt that builds up) but the fuel contamination is something I dont want in there. I have driven several LD9s to well past the point that they are "known" for loosing a rod bearing. I would like to think that a big reason is being anal about my oil.
 
G

GeneralZod

New member
mitdr774 said:
At 3000 miles my oil stunk of fuel due to the 4 mile commute to work and no real highway runs over the last oil change. The oil itself may still be just fine (its the additive package that fails and the dirt that builds up) but the fuel contamination is something I dont want in there. I have driven several LD9s to well past the point that they are "known" for loosing a rod bearing. I would like to think that a big reason is being anal about my oil.
Click to expand...

You touched the true issue. The short commute is the killer. I have posted about the wife's Escalade with short trips. GM really over fuels when cold.

If you do short trips I would just by a cheaper top tier oil and change around 4k. If you want distance and have the commute the major brands are worth the cost.

With short trips, I would do Vavoline's Maxlife or Q-States ES. You can scoff at those, but at 3-4k on short trips they will do just as well as M1, RP, or Motul.

I do just over 80 miles a day, I know I burn it off. With almost 2600 miles my oil looks really clean and smells great.

I have life-time changes at my dealer which is the blended. I won't be going past the 6500 miles OCI. The dealer rather do 3k changes, which for the first two is ok. I would be doing that every other month. The dealer blend on the highway can handle 5-6k.
 
mitdr774

mitdr774

also a dinner prick
I went from driving 60 miles a day for work to 8. At any point I could be sent to another job site and go back to putting on the miles. I really dont mind spending the $25 for a 5 quart jug of M1. I used to run M1 in my built LD9 and with the oil pump swap and no ballance shafts t took 7 quarts of oil. That got expensive.
 
sonicBoom55

sonicBoom55

New member
hey everybody just a quick silly question, was about to change my oil and looked under the car and couldn't find a traditional hex head plug. but found a torx head thing with a arrow just above it telling me which way to turn. is this the right plug? lol silly i know.



i have a 1.8 if it means anything
THANKS
 
$ub$onic

$ub$onic

The Sticker Guy
It only takes 4.1 quarts ?!?!?!?!
Edit: OK found the info 4.8 quarts lol I out 5 quarts in I got scared for a sec
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
 
Last edited:
sonicBoom55

sonicBoom55

New member
Lol I may have told you wrong let me double check in a second.
My Monte Carlo took 4.6 if I remember correctly. And it was a v6
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 122 (members: 0, guests: 122)

Share this page

Top