Ok still being new to it all, time for a first oil flush (I still stand by my words of im not taking this car to a mechanic for something I can do)

Step 1: Buy 5L of oil
Step 2: Pull of oil filter?

Have i stuffed up already? lol

How do i drain the oil and how do I flush it with some stuff ill get from the store? cheers.

Yes u have! u gotta drain the oil our before removin the filter..

Its easy, get the car jacked up and on stands or ramps or something raised and safe.

make sure the engine is nice and COLD.

Get under the car, look for the oil sump plug. Ill assume you have a 2.6. If so its closer to the passenger side and is in a kinda awkward position, it faces the rear of the car so a socket or angled spanner would be best. and uses a 24mm or 15/16 Socket, which is bigger than most standard spanner sets come in, so check to make sure u have that size first... Get that unscrewed off and quickly chuck a bucket or tub ir something to catch the oil.

Once it looks like all the oil is drained out, unscrew the oil filter off anti-clockwise. Watch out for more pouring oil.

After that, put the bolt back onto the sump under the car, make sure its in nicely.

Get the new filter, run a light layer of oil around the rubber seal. This helps to remove the filter when it needs to be changed in th future. Screw it on clockwise.

Pour in the new oil. I think around 4L is all it needs. But keep checkin the stick.

have fun.

You dont want the engine oil "COLD" thou... otherwise it takes heaps longer to get out etc.. luke warm so having had the engine run a little bit will mean u get it out a lot easeier and faster.

what differance does it make weather you take the filter of first or second ??????
NONE

what differance does it make weather you take the filter of first or second ??????
NONE
Apart from the HUGE MESS!? :badgrin:

... how do I flush it with some stuff ill get from the store?

Can buy bottles of "Engine Flush" by Wynns, etc.

Pour that into the oil & idle for 10-15mins before you do the oilchange.
Its meant to clean out the gunk in the engine, dunno if it actually does but can't hurt.


Change your oil whilst its WARM... (hot is better but dangerous for you).
Cold oil won't all come out.

1) Remove sump plug, oil falls out.
2) Wait till it slows to a dripping trickle then remove the filter... more oil falls out.
3) Wet the new filter's rubber seal with some oil, spin it on & tighten per instructions.
4) replace sump plug & clean your dipstick
5) top up with 3/4 capacity of your new oil... check dipstick then add till 'full'.

6) cleanup your mess then start engine, make sure no leaks from filter or sump plug.

7) take short drive then check oil level again after enging standing for 10 mins



optional (4B)... I usually pour in 1-2L of fresh oil into the top with the sump plug out
and that rinses a bit more gunk out of the engine. Oil is cheap and I'm anal.

Thanks guys, to easy.

hehe be prepared for a long shower, cause your gonna get a sh|tload of oil on you. hope it all goes well

btw what oil u putting in? and what viscosity?

what differance does it make weather you take the filter of first or second ??????
NONE

yea.. alota mess.. the oil would be dripping down the side of the engine...

Not sure what oil im gonna chuck in.

Something a little thicker because the engines old as and im getting some ticking, have no idea about brands but.

Any recommendations for brands/thickness?

Usually with the AstronIIs we're using 15/50 when < 200,000 and 25/60 when > 200,000.

Brand of oil don't really make too much difference, AstronII ain't very high tech. lol
Just buy any of the big names for like $20 a 4L can.

Ok, engine as warm as you can handle if you get oil on you.

Wynns flush is the best if you are insistant on using it, be warned though if you have too much carbon in your lash adjusters you may get rattles as it can dis lodge and block the very fine passage. Valve stem seals in an older engine can also suffer if going hard already too

People bag it here but I have done the tests, all I use is Penrite, everyone in Melb and here in SA i have done work for have used ever since I have used it in thier cars.

Little hint, DO NOT bash the filter off, stab it to get a screw driver into it to loosen it as you can break the thread. Use a huge pair of multi grips that you can pick up for an auto shop and use for many other things or a proper oil filter remover

Lubricate the thread and rubber seal on the filter and do not over tighten it

no need to run the car for 10 minutes etc, fill it up to a couple mm over the full line with the car parked on level ground, run it until the oil pressure light goes out, stop, leave sit a minute then re check. If it is a mm over or under it does not matter in the least.

No matter how much fresh oil you flush through, due to the bad design of the Magna sump, the gunge will stay.

I second to what Madmagna said. Penrite HPR30 (20w 60) is almost perfect for astron II. It doesn't thin out as much as others when hot due to its 60 rating and we all know how hot the astrons can get. I tried everything from Castrol magnatec semisyn 10w 40 (thin as water and might be damadging to the astron) to Valvoline FullSyn 10w 50 (very good but too expensive for the astron and especially if you have many ks on the clock it's not worth it) Valvoline mineral 20w 50 (not bad but did not hold viscosity as well as Penrite does on hot days and A/C running) and Shell mineral 20w 50 (thiner than you would think). If your car has more than 200.000 on the clock or you think it might have than use a 25w 60 or something, so it keeps things in place when cold as well. I wouldn't run anything else than the Penrite on my 125.000 k astron II now.

Ill third the penrite hpr30

best one out there for rattly timing chains :D

hi my mechanic tells me not to use an engine flush on the astron 2.6. because if you aint blowing smoke now you will be after doing a flush. as somebody said in a previous reply change your oil when motor is still warm/hot. that way most of the impurities sitting at the bottom of the sump will be in the oil and will be drained out , be very careful not to burn yourself though. I have done many oil changes this way. currently have fuchs 15w40 with true blue oil stabiliser in my TR ( new to mitsubishi's ) . however i think a 25/60 would be to heavy for a 4 cylinder. i always ran elf 10w40 semi syn in my R31 and that car had done 335 thousand klm.i have have always been using an engine additive mainly justice bros and find that very good. will probaly go for a 15w50 next oil change with justice bros additive and purolator pure one oil filter,gives better flow than ryco and those cheap filters cost about $15 though.

Yeah, but I found anything below 15w to be too thin for the Astron II. Astron II is a particular beast different from most other 4-cylinder engines in cars today. It has an enormous capacity as one and an ancient design as two. If you have 200.000 ks or more a 25w would have to be put in to keep pistons in place and things working smoothly. A 10w is a bit thin even on Astron IIs with less than 150.000 ks. A good oil is also HPR15 if you have lower ks and are scared of anything above 20w for some reason. My 2c.