Oil And Filter changes

[DrDaveMA]

Originally Posted by paul65k

Thanks, I'll give the local Speedco a call tomorrow.

I used the shop east of Harrisburg, PA on Lingelstown Rd

[Brianna]

My somewhat-local speedco is a brand new facility.
They let me fill my water tank with their excellent-tasting water.
I asked them about rv service and they said they wouldn't know where to begin---and that they had never done anything like that before.
So I conclude that service varies from location to location.

[Schuby]

Hey Brianna, where is there a Speedco in Wisconsin? Maybe if they started doing two Alpine's they would get the hang-of-it!

[andy29847]

I've been doing my annual maintenance. It is a very dirty job. I block my coach up enough to crawl around under it. I use cardboard on the driveway to keep from ripping my skin off (old man's skin). It is good exercise and I need that. The worst part of the chassis lube for me is the zerks on top of the king pins and the u-joints. I have a clamp on grease fitting on my hand powered grease gun that works well when there is room. I have to go back to the end that came with the gun to do the u-joints (and hold the gun fitting on the zerk). Not only that, the u-joint needs to be rotated to get grease in all the cups. Then you need to clean everything up. What a pain! I wish there was a Speedco around here.

I get my supplies from ebay:

engine oil filter - 42.67
engine fuel filter - 26.75
engine air filter - 67.36
generator oil filter - 10.75
generator air filter - 13.94
generator fuel filter - 20.20
anti-freeze test strips - $25 (bottle of 25)
chassis grease - $14.40 (2 - Lucas Red N Tacky - use for my Jeep too)
6 gallons of oil - 73.82 (enough for engine and generator)

total for supplies $294.89

[Old Scout]

….I prefer the pistol-grip grease gun--allows you to hold/pump gun with one hand and seal zerk fitting with the other---agree, top zerks on king pin and u-joints are the most challenging.

[Brianna]

Schuby, there is a brand new speedco in elkhorn, wi.

[Brianna]

Or, Andy, relax with a cup of coffee while the techs do it for you.

[Alpine36]

I'm with Andy, about $300 for annual everything DIY. Because of limited use last year I'm stretching our maintenance out to 18 months this year...
Yeah, greasing the entire chassis is the biggest pita. A pistol grip grease gun sure helps, the dog still learns new cuss words though.

[paul65k]

Originally Posted by Old Scout

….I prefer the pistol-grip grease gun--allows you to hold/pump gun with one hand and seal zerk fitting with the other---agree, top zerks on king pin and u-joints are the most challenging.

I just got one of these at a really good deal ($50)and hope it will serve me well as I attempt my first oil change soon

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauke...6-20/202438502

[Alpine36]

Originally Posted by paul65k

I just got one of these at a really good deal ($50)and hope it will serve me well as I attempt my first oil change soon

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauke...6-20/202438502

Those are quite nice to have, but practice and use sparingly.
Funny story,
We had an equipment servicer (Larry the lube rat) at the utility that overgreased everything with a power grease gun to the point there were large globs of chassis grease all over our facility on the ground..and everywhere in town our trucks went. The supervisors and managers in the "fish bowl" got a complete remodel, including new carpet. Well, the carpet was completely trashed inside of one month and the enviro folks wrote up a complaint to our maintenance shop to "fix" the grease problem.
I flattened Larrys grease gun in a 50 ton arbor press, problem solved.

[Old Scout]

….so while you are sipping your coffee--you need to ask the "tech" how many grease zerks he found???....you have to remember, this guys was probably bagging groceries at Kroger last week. He misses a key zerk and you pay the bill. How many quarts did he put in? Over tighten the drain plug--you pay the bill..... so choose wisely grasshopper!
Love my Dewalt 18/20 volt tools but there is a limit--even for me. Good old, cheap, pistol-grip gun used 1 or 2 times a year--priceless [wonder if they make solar grease guns?--[smile].
Quiz time--so how many zerks on an Alpine coach? [hint: varies by model/year]

[andy29847]

I have 2 zerks on the steering shaft under the coach - one for the u-joint, one for the sliding joint. I haven't looked under the plastic cover for the steering shaft inside the coach yet.

One zerk on each end of the drag link. The zerk in the rear is a pain because I have to turn the steering some to get to the zerk. I should put a 90° zerk there.

One zerk on each end of the tie rod.

Four zerks on the kingpin - top and bottom each side.

One zerk on the sliding joint of the drive shaft.

2 each on the 2 u-joints of the drive shaft. The multiple zerks on the u-joints sever the same purpose. I always have to roll the coach a little to get grease to come out of all 4 cups of the u-joints.

Old Scout, I didn't know that you could overtighten those oil drain pan plugs.

[Old Scout]

Good job Andy--bonus--one zerk on top u-joint of steering column and one on the brake pedal shaft [2003 and earlier]….

[Rod Fosback]

What size Fumoto oil drain valve should I order for my 2005 400H ISL 8.9L, and the gen set, I have all the filters for changing the oil next week, A friend ha a truck shop and in going to help me, (shout out to Chassis Remote in Springfield Oregon), ordered all the filters from amazon prime, I used to grease my Grand dads log truck when I was young and able to crawl around on the gravel so I know where to look for ZERK fittings, but where can I get a lube layout for the PEAK chassis?, (if it moves it needs grease.)