I double check the Maintenance Manuals on a vehicle, forums and technical bullets from the vehicle manufacture before I dive into any type of maintenance on a vehicle. For my 2017 Toyota Tundra with the 5.7L V8, I immediately changed to oil and filter to AMSOIL Signature Series 0W 20 Synthetic Oil and the AMSOIL Oil Filter.
The two components that cost the most to replace are usually the engine and transmission. With less than 300 miles put on the truck I changed the oil and filter with AMSOIL products. I did it because I want the best protection for my vehicle as possible. The Signature Series keeps your engine a lot cleaner, and prevents a lot of engine wear.
Before changing your oil check the oil level. If it is within normal ranges you can warm up the vehicle before you drain the oil. Warming up the engine helps circulate particles that could be stuck into oil lines. I ran my truck for 15 minutes to get the oil warm. Then I used a basic socket set to remove the drain plug and empty the oil into a drain pan. This being my first truck I was unaware you need a special tool to take the metal canister off that contains the filter element. Since I drained the oil out, I had to take an Uber to the parts store to buy the tool and Uber back home.
On the Tundra Canisters there is a bottom metal plate you can unscrew. You then screw in a plastic tube that comes with the filter kit to drain the oil out of the filter section. The filter kit comes with two O-rings you want to use. The first one goes around the metal plate you unscrewed the second one goes around the top of the canister by the threads. I recommend lightly coating the new O-rings with oil so they don’t stretch or tear when you install it. After you remove the canister you have to swap out the filter element. I filled the canister half way up with oil to presoak the filter element before installing. I then put a new crush ring on the drain pan bolt and torqued it. You have to be careful with this bolt. I recommend replacing it after a couple oil changes. This bolt gets easily stripped out. I then filled the vehicle with oil and checked for leaks. Then I started the truck and monitored for a few minutes for leaks.
Depending on the application, the AMSOIL Signature Series can last 25,000 miles or a year for normal driving and 15,000 miles for severe driving. I have sent my used oil to Blackstone Laboratories for analysis. Each time they told me there is little engine wear and I could actually drive further. I only change my oil once a year.
When you think about it paying a little bit more for AMSOIL and the filter is well worth it. The Signature Series has extended drain intervals. This basically means the oil last longer. What does this mean? Instead of changing conventional non-synthetic oil 3,000 miles, with AMSOIL Signature Series you can replace it up to 25,000 miles or 1 year. Due to only replacing your oil and filter less often you save money and time.
Saving time is very important, it’s one thing you can’t buy back. If you depend on your vehicle for your business or to drive you to work you can basically consider yourself loosing money every time you take your vehicle to a mechanic. You don’t just loose money for what the mechanic does you also don’t make money because you are waiting for your transportation to get repaired. Personally, I also don’t want to waste my time driving to a mechanic and waiting for service to get complete. I rather be doing something I like doing.