DIY SUPPLEMENT: Si Oil Change (noob style).

Poser · 06-29-2009, 03:22 AM

First, many thanks to ethlar for his great R18 oil change DIY (which can be found here). I found it extremely informative and very helpful.

Quick preface: Ironically enough, I have changed a timing belt, water pump, oil pump gasket, oil pump seals, camshaft seals, crankshaft seals, replaced battery cables, replaced alternators, replaced starters... and various other automotive projects... but this was the first time I changed my own oil. Go figure. This is really a supplement to ethlars thread, and is specific to the K20 found in Fg2 coupes. There were a lot of questions regarding the Si... and I'll try to clear some of that up.

Sweet.

First what I used:
5 qt Mobil 1 ep 5w30 ($22 walmart)
Mobile 1 ep filter M1-110 ($10.03 advance)
M14 aluminum crush washers (4 for $1.34 advance)
7 qt catch pan ($1.50 walmart)
17mm ratchet box wrench (for drain plug)
Fram filter wrench (see image later $8.31 walmart)
1 gallon freezer bag (free from my kitchen cabinet)

***I prefer to do this with the engine slightly warm... take a cruise around the block first***

1. Chock rear wheels & set e-brake
2. Locate center crossbar jack point at front of car behind the protective skirt that is below and behind nose/front bumper
3. Jack up car. I used a 6 ton jack with 18" height because of how low the Fg2 sits.
4. Use jack stands at both jack points on the frame right behind each front wheel
5. Locate drain plug (it is clearly labeled on the oil pan) and slightly loosen with 17mm socket/wrench

6. Position catch pan beneath and slightly behind drain plug...as the oil will shoot out a good foot back when the plug is first removed... (I learned this the hard way), and remove plug rest of way with hand. ***careful, the oil and plug will be quite hot***

As you can see... I had the pan directly below the drain plug and got a good halve cup of oil on the pavement. Hence why I suggest placing it back and moving it forward as the rate of oil flow subsides

7. Let the oil drain for 20 mins, or longer if you feel so inclined

Ok. Now comes the part that has sparked a lot of question, debate, scorn and various nasty names for the engineers at honda... the nefarious oil filter and its wildly inconvenient placement.

The photos really dont do it justice. The filter is wedged into the interior passenger side of the engine well, right above the CV joint/boot. Various people have suggested removing the front passenger wheel, the wheel well skirt/splashguard, turning your wheels before jacking all the way to the right or left, practicing kama sutra and/or kidnapping honda engineers for hours of torture. I actually found that none of this was particullarly necessary.

This is where having the car jacked at a nice height will prove to be very beneficial.

8. Remove the the clip on the wheel well splashguard that is closest to the rear of the car.

9. From the front of the vehicle, scoot under the car so when you peer up you are right below passenger front cv boot. If you look beyond that, you will see your filter (mocking you).

10. Snake your hand up in the wheel well and right behind the splashguard (which will move easily as a result of the clip your removed) unless you are jacked like govenor Arnold or have arms like a t-rex... you should be able to get a firm grip on your filter.

11. Ouch. Thats hot... see silly, I told you to be careful earlier.

Now I tried to hand loosen my filter... and got nowhere. Thats where the filter wrench comes in... I like this one:

12. You will be surprised by just how much manuevurabilty you have in that tight space, and will be able to loosen the filter (CCW) with fram filter wrench... but do not remove the filter... yet.

13. Now place the freezer bag over the filter and up against the oil cooler housing, and continue to unscrew...allowing the oil to drain into the freezer bag.

Truth be told, I did get a wee bit of oil on the cv boot... but it was easily cleaned with a shop towel.

14. Rim the gasket of the new filter with a little bit of oil and screw into place.

15. Tighten (CW) 1/4-1/3 turn past finger tight with the filter wrench.

16. Place new crush washer on drain plug and finger tighten (CW)

17. Torque drain plug to 29 ft-lbs.

18. Lower car

19. Fill with oil (my car took the full five quarts)

20. Check level with dipstick

21. Reset oil life meter (bring up meter on display and hold reset/sel for 10 seconds... it will begin to blink, hold again for 5 seconds until it resets)

22. Run engine and be sure oil light is out

23. Check for leaks.

24. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Again, although the placement of the filter is less than convenient... it was not nearly as bad as I had come to expect. With a little patience and a couple of tries... I imagine the whole process can be completed in 20 minutes.

Special thanks to ethlar, again... as most of this post is just a rehash of his execellent tutorial, with pics of the Fg2 rather than R18.

Happy driving.

***p1904*** · 06-29-2009, 07:22 PM

Good write up. Very Helpful

***BBQXXX*** · 06-30-2009, 05:36 AM

So would your way be possible with ramps?

***07mugencivic*** · 06-30-2009, 05:38 AM

messy....nice

drlo22 · 06-30-2009, 06:46 AM

nice. it's time for

Poser · 07-01-2009, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBQXXX

So would your way be possible with ramps?

Absolutely. The only question is will you have enough clearance to comfortably maneuver your hands and arms in somewhat tight space.

Poser · 07-01-2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 07mugencivic

messy....nice

If I wasnt such a mook... it would have been a cleaner operation. However only got a drop or two steering components. (I think I may have tapped my banjo... brakes feel stiff).

dukpoki · 07-01-2009, 02:56 PM

do i need to put it into gear or would neutral would be fine before e-brake and jacking? also if the car is going/facing upwards (only very slightly however) in an incline is this very dangerous? i would block the rear wheels of course and use two jackstands up front but the slight incline worries me.

also a question about a torque wrench: what is a single ideal torque wrench to have for this job and also for other jobs such as torquing your wheel lugs? what range of lbs (example: 25-250lb) and also what drive (1/2 or 3/8)? thanks.

***BBQXXX*** · 07-01-2009, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dukpoki

do i need to put it into gear or would neutral would be fine before e-brake and jacking? also if the car is going/facing upwards (only very slightly however) in an incline is this very dangerous? i would block the rear wheels of course and use two jackstands up front but the slight incline worries me.

also a question about a torque wrench: what is a single ideal torque wrench to have for this job and also for other jobs such as torquing your wheel lugs? what range of lbs (example: 25-250lb) and also what drive (1/2 or 3/8)? thanks.

Poser · 07-01-2009, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dukpoki

do i need to put it into gear or would neutral would be fine before e-brake and jacking? also if the car is going/facing upwards (only very slightly however) in an incline is this very dangerous? i would block the rear wheels of course and use two jackstands up front but the slight incline worries me.

also a question about a torque wrench: what is a single ideal torque wrench to have for this job and also for other jobs such as torquing your wheel lugs? what range of lbs (example: 25-250lb) and also what drive (1/2 or 3/8)? thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBQXXX

1. It never hurts to put the car in gear... (with the exception of changing mtf, I am not sure if that makes a difference or not).

2. Anything that increases the chances of the vehicle potentially moving while you are under it... is technically "dangerous". However if you take the proper precautions you should be fine (definitely put the car in gear, in this case)

3. The question about the torque wrench is going to be one of preference. I think having one for the big stuff (lugs, crankshaft bolts etc...) in the 25-250 range is appropriate. Having a second smaller wrench, with increments in the inch pounds is good for torquing the smaller bolts (drain plugs, alternator pivot bolt...etc)

As far as the drive...depends on the sockets you have. Remember any adapters you use will have an effect on "actual" torque applied. Most wrenches come with calculations to help figure out the impact of adapters. The effect most of the time is minimal... but sometimes can make a difference.

Happy driving

habitat · 07-01-2009, 07:21 PM

Nice write up... I hate changing oil, I just pay. But at least I know where to go for reference.

UnlimitedSi · 07-01-2009, 07:23 PM

I used a cheap grocery bag, but check for holes or double up...

same1ol1jee · 07-01-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnlimitedSi

I used a cheap grocery bag, but check for holes or double up...

***BBQXXX*** · 07-02-2009, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by habitat

Nice write up... I hate changing oil, I just pay. But at least I know where to go for reference.

Yeah i hate it to and on the SI it seems even worse. But i will be putting on a S/C in the next 2 weeks so need to change to full synthetic. So from my understanding the dealer wont do that so i have to do my own...

khmerboy8 · 07-02-2009, 03:48 PM

nice post, next time i will use that freezer bag instead of a grocery bag. always get oil on the cv boots but brake cleaner is your friend.

chrishann24 · 07-07-2009, 05:27 PM

stupidity

feralbrute · 07-07-2009, 06:32 PM

Nice write-up! I'm glad this was posted because I am moving into a new house within the next month that has a shop out back and was planning on starting to do my own oil changes to save a little $.. Kinda makes you wonder what they were thinking when they placed the filter though...

***obert*** · 07-07-2009, 07:09 PM

Very nice and messy......................LOL

civicracer32 · 07-07-2009, 07:41 PM

thanks for the writeup. I've changed my Si's twice already. One word of advice. Don't chince out and use a smaller sandwich-sized zip-lock bag like I did. Use the Big one like in the DIY. My baggie was too small, and it filled up with oil, I couldn't turn it enough, and had to abandon the baggie before I even got the filter off, and made a BIG mess. Next time I'm using the big baggie. I bought an oil filter socket also. Doesn't work great, but I did get it to work. First time I tried changing it out with a monster pair of vice grips. Took me 45 minutes and some skin off the back of my hand to get the filter off. I nearly gave up after mangling it, and decided I was going to WILL it off! Strategically of course. I took a deep breath, and a short break, and finally got it loose.

dukpoki · 07-08-2009, 04:05 PM

a tip:
when you use the catch pan and are afraid of the oil shooting back a foot and spilling on the ground i imagine you could first hold the pan really close to the nut area so it will catch it and then slowly let it down onto the floor as the oil streams down steadily so you won't have a mess.

well i went to walmart today and they didn't have m1ep only the regular for $22. they did have a 5qt castrol edge for $26 so i got that instead. i also got everything else i would need except the torque wrench. any idea where i should go for the wrench? i'm gonna try lowes or perhaps sears? any good brand? i hear craftsman torque wrenches suck.

06-29-2009, 03:22 AM	#1 (permalink)
Poser Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 46 iTrader: 0 / 0%	DIY SUPPLEMENT: Si Oil Change (noob style). First, many thanks to ethlar for his great R18 oil change DIY (which can be found here). I found it extremely informative and very helpful. Quick preface: Ironically enough, I have changed a timing belt, water pump, oil pump gasket, oil pump seals, camshaft seals, crankshaft seals, replaced battery cables, replaced alternators, replaced starters... and various other automotive projects... but this was the first time I changed my own oil. Go figure. This is really a supplement to ethlars thread, and is specific to the K20 found in Fg2 coupes. There were a lot of questions regarding the Si... and I'll try to clear some of that up. Sweet. First what I used: 5 qt Mobil 1 ep 5w30 ($22 walmart) Mobile 1 ep filter M1-110 ($10.03 advance) M14 aluminum crush washers (4 for $1.34 advance) 7 qt catch pan ($1.50 walmart) 17mm ratchet box wrench (for drain plug) Fram filter wrench (see image later $8.31 walmart) 1 gallon freezer bag (free from my kitchen cabinet) *I prefer to do this with the engine slightly warm... take a cruise around the block first* 1. Chock rear wheels & set e-brake 2. Locate center crossbar jack point at front of car behind the protective skirt that is below and behind nose/front bumper 3. Jack up car. I used a 6 ton jack with 18" height because of how low the Fg2 sits. 4. Use jack stands at both jack points on the frame right behind each front wheel 5. Locate drain plug (it is clearly labeled on the oil pan) and slightly loosen with 17mm socket/wrench 6. Position catch pan beneath and slightly behind drain plug...as the oil will shoot out a good foot back when the plug is first removed... (I learned this the hard way), and remove plug rest of way with hand. *careful, the oil and plug will be quite hot* As you can see... I had the pan directly below the drain plug and got a good halve cup of oil on the pavement. Hence why I suggest placing it back and moving it forward as the rate of oil flow subsides 7. Let the oil drain for 20 mins, or longer if you feel so inclined Ok. Now comes the part that has sparked a lot of question, debate, scorn and various nasty names for the engineers at honda... the nefarious oil filter and its wildly inconvenient placement. The photos really dont do it justice. The filter is wedged into the interior passenger side of the engine well, right above the CV joint/boot. Various people have suggested removing the front passenger wheel, the wheel well skirt/splashguard, turning your wheels before jacking all the way to the right or left, practicing kama sutra and/or kidnapping honda engineers for hours of torture. I actually found that none of this was particullarly necessary. This is where having the car jacked at a nice height will prove to be very beneficial. 8. Remove the the clip on the wheel well splashguard that is closest to the rear of the car. 9. From the front of the vehicle, scoot under the car so when you peer up you are right below passenger front cv boot. If you look beyond that, you will see your filter (mocking you). 10. Snake your hand up in the wheel well and right behind the splashguard (which will move easily as a result of the clip your removed) unless you are jacked like govenor Arnold or have arms like a t-rex... you should be able to get a firm grip on your filter. 11. Ouch. Thats hot... see silly, I told you to be careful earlier. Now I tried to hand loosen my filter... and got nowhere. Thats where the filter wrench comes in... I like this one: 12. You will be surprised by just how much manuevurabilty you have in that tight space, and will be able to loosen the filter (CCW) with fram filter wrench... but do not remove the filter... yet. 13. Now place the freezer bag over the filter and up against the oil cooler housing, and continue to unscrew...allowing the oil to drain into the freezer bag. Truth be told, I did get a wee bit of oil on the cv boot... but it was easily cleaned with a shop towel. 14. Rim the gasket of the new filter with a little bit of oil and screw into place. 15. Tighten (CW) 1/4-1/3 turn past finger tight with the filter wrench. 16. Place new crush washer on drain plug and finger tighten (CW) 17. Torque drain plug to 29 ft-lbs. 18. Lower car 19. Fill with oil (my car took the full five quarts) 20. Check level with dipstick 21. Reset oil life meter (bring up meter on display and hold reset/sel for 10 seconds... it will begin to blink, hold again for 5 seconds until it resets) 22. Run engine and be sure oil light is out 23. Check for leaks. 24. Wash, rinse, repeat. Again, although the placement of the filter is less than convenient... it was not nearly as bad as I had come to expect. With a little patience and a couple of tries... I imagine the whole process can be completed in 20 minutes. Special thanks to ethlar, again... as most of this post is just a rehash of his execellent tutorial, with pics of the Fg2 rather than R18. Happy driving.

07-07-2009, 07:09 PM	#18 (permalink)
*obert* # 1 Friend Whore Join Date: May 2007 Location: Seattle Wa Posts: 40,267 Robert iTrader: 100 / 100%	Very nice and messy......................LOL __________________

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06-29-2009, 07:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
*p1904* VIP Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: San D13go Posts: 16,014 Jr iTrader: 7 / 100%	Good write up. Very Helpful

06-30-2009, 05:36 AM	#3 (permalink)
*BBQXXX* VIP Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 792 iTrader: 0 / 0%	So would your way be possible with ramps?

06-30-2009, 06:46 AM	#5 (permalink)
drlo22 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 479 Lorence iTrader: 3 / 100%	nice. it's time for

07-01-2009, 02:56 PM	#8 (permalink)
dukpoki Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: GA Posts: 468 Taylor iTrader: 0 / 0%	do i need to put it into gear or would neutral would be fine before e-brake and jacking? also if the car is going/facing upwards (only very slightly however) in an incline is this very dangerous? i would block the rear wheels of course and use two jackstands up front but the slight incline worries me. also a question about a torque wrench: what is a single ideal torque wrench to have for this job and also for other jobs such as torquing your wheel lugs? what range of lbs (example: 25-250lb) and also what drive (1/2 or 3/8)? thanks.

07-01-2009, 07:21 PM	#11 (permalink)
habitat Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NorCal Age: 25 Posts: 4,300 iTrader: 1 / 100%	Nice write up... I hate changing oil, I just pay. But at least I know where to go for reference.

07-01-2009, 07:23 PM	#12 (permalink)
UnlimitedSi Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Gwinnett-Georgia Posts: 2,291 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I used a cheap grocery bag, but check for holes or double up...

07-02-2009, 03:48 PM	#15 (permalink)
khmerboy8 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Newmarket,ON Posts: 5 iTrader: 0 / 0%	nice post, next time i will use that freezer bag instead of a grocery bag. always get oil on the cv boots but brake cleaner is your friend.

07-07-2009, 05:27 PM	#16 (permalink)
chrishann24 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Red Deer, Alberta Posts: 30 Chris Hann iTrader: 0 / 0%	stupidity

07-07-2009, 06:32 PM	#17 (permalink)
feralbrute Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ada, Ok/Abilene, Tx Posts: 137 Wyatt iTrader: 0 / 0%	Nice write-up! I'm glad this was posted because I am moving into a new house within the next month that has a shop out back and was planning on starting to do my own oil changes to save a little $.. Kinda makes you wonder what they were thinking when they placed the filter though...

07-07-2009, 07:41 PM	#19 (permalink)
civicracer32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SAN DIEGO, Carmel Valley Posts: 637 iTrader: 1 / 100%	thanks for the writeup. I've changed my Si's twice already. One word of advice. Don't chince out and use a smaller sandwich-sized zip-lock bag like I did. Use the Big one like in the DIY. My baggie was too small, and it filled up with oil, I couldn't turn it enough, and had to abandon the baggie before I even got the filter off, and made a BIG mess. Next time I'm using the big baggie. I bought an oil filter socket also. Doesn't work great, but I did get it to work. First time I tried changing it out with a monster pair of vice grips. Took me 45 minutes and some skin off the back of my hand to get the filter off. I nearly gave up after mangling it, and decided I was going to WILL it off! Strategically of course. I took a deep breath, and a short break, and finally got it loose.

07-08-2009, 04:05 PM	#20 (permalink)
dukpoki Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: GA Posts: 468 Taylor iTrader: 0 / 0%	a tip: when you use the catch pan and are afraid of the oil shooting back a foot and spilling on the ground i imagine you could first hold the pan really close to the nut area so it will catch it and then slowly let it down onto the floor as the oil streams down steadily so you won't have a mess. well i went to walmart today and they didn't have m1ep only the regular for $22. they did have a 5qt castrol edge for $26 so i got that instead. i also got everything else i would need except the torque wrench. any idea where i should go for the wrench? i'm gonna try lowes or perhaps sears? any good brand? i hear craftsman torque wrenches suck.