bigmike told me about a 300 I6 with over 600K miles and still going strong. What are your secrets for keeping your truck strong? Do you have special formulas that never fail? What is your monthly, yearly routine of preventative maintenance?

 

As far as maintenance goes, do not go cheap on the fluids for low maintenance parts such as the differential, power steering and transmission.

Flush your brake fluid every 2 years.

Also, use quality oil filters that have metal end caps.

Plenty more, but this is what comes to mind for starters.

 

Yeah just don't buy cheap products and maintain it regularly, thats the secret.

Problem is most people never maintain past what they see. Oil change is one thing, but what about the coolant, transmission and differential fluid?

I did the differential fluid in a 99 Mercury Grand Marquis today, 8.8 axle same as the trucks. It was so dirty in there the fluid was like a paste instead of gear oil. Customer complained he heard grinding around corners for a few years then it just went away.

Well his LS differential was now a fancy open diff with molasses for fluid. Same goes for brake fluid. I've found some lines and calipers that have rusted from the inside-out, not outside in cause I bet 10 years later even with new brakes its still the old fluid.

 

change oil every 3k

change brake fluid whenever it gets dark

change coolant on a regular basis

P/S fluid change on regular basis

trans fluid every 40k

mom has a 94 saturn SL2 that we got brand new 162k miles and runs like brand new

 

Example, I had my ford fusion since new. Every 6k miles Pennzoil Platinum with Bosch Distance Plus Filter =



Engine has 90k miles, other maintenance is every 30k miles I change tranny fluid, coolant flush that I do at 100k and brake fluid every 50k.

 

So why did you pull the valve cover off?

 

Started a very small leak. (I'm **** about leaks)

 

Too much info about **** leaking

Lol but seriously, I wish the cars I worked on were half as clean as yours is

 

I always use OEM air/oil/fuel filters. On the gas vehicles I use Mobil 1 and change every 5-7500 miles. On the diesels, same thing. Ford calls for fuel filters every 20k, I do em every 10k (lots of CYA on that) along with Mobil 1 for Diesel (13qts) every 10,000 miles.

I send all my oil samples to Blackstone for their review. I've never under or over changed my oil according to them.

 

I like cutting my filters apart after an oil change. Best way to know whats going on inside the engine is to see what the filter is picking up.