I musta failed auto101 in grade 9.....

[KMUNCASTER]

Yesterday, (new Year's eve) i was at the shop doing paperwork, got done early and decided I should service my Dodge...It was sitting inside the shop, nice and warm and dry, so it was as good a time as any....

I dug out my last case of Amsoil 5w40 (cold winters here normally) and my last Donaldson Endurance filter. Dropped the oil, swapped out the filter, changed my fuel filter, and made sure to change the o ring under the filter mount, and greased the front end and u-joints. Got out my oil gun and sprayed inside my doors, fender wells, behind the bumpers, inside the roof and rockers, you know the drill......

Filled the oil, 12 quarts, lit her up and let it idle for a few seconds, checked the tranny oil, all good, shut it down, checked the engine oil level, checked the belt (gotta change that tensioner and belt one of these days) coolant level is fine, good for -45, closed the hood.

I cleaned up around the shop a bit, dumped my used oil, washed the truck, all was good. So I started up, watched the oil pressure and backed out into the yard, then pulled up to the door.....the engine hiccuped a bit, I figured due to changing the fuel filter (which I filled with fuel conditioner and fuel)... I got out and looked at the snow, and there was a massive black oil trail from the shop to the truck in the snow.......I shut down, opened the hood and there was oil everywhere....I knew right away what I had done wrong...I picked up the old filter out of the filter bin, and there was no gasket on it.....what a stupid mistake....I reached in, amongst all of the oil soaked components under the hood, spun the new filter off and there was both the new and old gaskets....!!!!!

Well, in 10 seconds of running, I lost almost 5 litres of new oil....and as I had said, that was my last case. So here I am, 4:45 on new year's eve, Crappy Tire is a 3/4 of a mile away, I have no other wheels, and no diesel oil left in the shop. Crappy doesn't sell Amsoil, Just Rotella (which I use in my 6.2 anyways)....So I had to improvise, and use what I had in stock to get there. So in goes 5 litres of Mercruiser 25w40 stern drive engine oil (we do marine service)...and I drive to Crappy and buy $100 worth of Rotella 0w40. Now I have to drain and refill again....Arrgghhh

I know most truck nuts would not want to admit to such a dumb mistake, but I think by sharing this, maybe someone else will remember to check....and possibly save an engine from disaster

I have done hundreds of oil changes on my own fleet and we service engines every single day (not me personnally, but my techs do) and it is rule #1 one in lube servie, but it can happen...

Anyways......I wish every member and all guests a very happy, safe and prosperous new year....

and remember "If it's still smokin', It ain't broken !!!"