Option — Shōwa Car Tuning & Buyers Guide (2000 Edition)
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About this issue
180 available scans from Option — Shōwa Car Tuning & Buyers Guide (2000 Edition), in right-to-left reading order. Japanese OCR and English translation drafts are available throughout. Drafts have not received exhaustive image proofreading; unreadable source remains recorded in the archival data.
Page 55 — English draft translation
This time, the filter is being changed too. It is mounted on the side of the engine block and can be difficult to remove on some cars. Use a filter wrench to loosen it. Several types are available besides the cup-style wrench used here, so choose one that is easy to handle. Once it is loose enough, turn it off by hand. Oil will also come out when you remove it, so place the drain pan underneath the filter.
Don't pour in the whole can at once. Start with about 3.5 liters, wait for the oil to drain into the pan, then check the level with the dipstick. The dipstick has L (low) and F (full) marks (some manufacturers use H); the oil should reach the marked range between them. In the photo, it is right at the full mark. If you add too much, oil can get inside the engine and white smoke may come from the exhaust, so be careful. Finally, start the engine and check underneath for leaks. That completes the oil change!
Captions and page details
First loosen the oil filler cap on top of the engine. Place the prepared drain pan beneath the oil pan, then use a box wrench or socket wrench that fits the drain bolt. On this AE86, a 17 mm socket was used.
Before installing the oil filter, lightly coat its gasket with oil. It's not just superstition: when you tighten it dry, part of the rubber gasket could catch on the engine block and deform, which might cause an oil leak.
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C
The essentials of classic-car maintenance!
When you remove the drain bolt, the oil comes gushing out. Let it drain until it stops; take a short break while you wait.
Pour the used engine oil into an oil-absorbent disposal pack sold at home centers or auto-parts stores, then dispose of it as combustible waste.
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Engine oil selection guide
Choose oil suited to your engine and keep it running strong!
When you go to an auto-parts store, you'll find many kinds of engine oil...
Is expensive oil better? Should I choose a famous brand? I don't know what kind to pick...
The oil you should choose depends on whether the car is turbocharged or naturally aspirated, as well as its engine displacement...
...there are many choices. Oil cans display an API rating, such as SH 10W-40. This indicates the grade and viscosity you should select.
The API standard is an American testing classification. It ran from SA up to the current SJ...
The API grades run alphabetically. They are awarded after passing various tests. Grades SI and SJ, above SH, passed tougher standards introduced later and should generally be reliable oils.
Next, an explanation of numbers such as 10W-40. The W stands for winter...
...and indicates how fluid the oil is below freezing. Grades range from 0W to 25W; the lower the number, the thinner the oil. For example, 0W has a certain viscosity at −30°C, while 25W has that viscosity at −5°C—but the details are complicated, so we'll leave it there.
Put the drain bolt back into the oil pan, then add oil. A funnel-like tool makes pouring easier. If you don't have one, use a 1.5-liter PET bottle with a wide opening. Cut it partway down and use it as a funnel. The neck fits neatly.
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