GERALD D. UTTRACHI
Contents
1. www NetWelding com Page 10 Jack Cross Brace There are times when it is necessary to lift the car using the jacking points on the front and rear cradle These are shown on the picture directly below The picture right is a Cross Brace that fits in place of the normal jack saddle Details of the one we made are provided below Note the distance between preferred and optional cradle lifting locations This is particularly important on the C7 as parts of these members are hollow and the car should not be lifted in the center E Preferred locations I Optional locations EE Frame contact locations for use with a lift SSS Suspension locations This Cross Brace was made from a 2x6 The center pin that fits into the jack with the saddle removed is made from a short section of steel pipe red circle on the proper diameter To secure the pipe section a short heavy lag bolt was screwed into the center of the 2X6 The pipe section was then slipped over the lag screw and the cavity filled with Epoxy Depending on the fit may want to put some clay or plumbers putty around the base of the pipe to stop any leaks until the Epoxy sets Copyright by WA Technology LLC www NetWelding com Page 11 Why Not Use Ramps Many folks do and are pleased with that approach tried and was not happy A friend used ramps to change oil on his C6 When I asked if he had difficulty with the ramps slipping he said at times When th2. Latch Hatch Window Valet Helps 2014 2015 Latch Includes M7 Crazy Seat Memory Recall Copyright by LLC GUttrachi aol com C7 Carbon Fiber Side Skirts How to install side skirts with jacking information for DIY s without lifts Carbon Fiber Splitter w End Plates How to install Splitter amp Nylon bra fit Removing GM Plastic Film How To Remove The Rocker Panel Film C7 Mirrors 2 3 8 Wider Than C6 Device assists with 8 foot garage door Mirror Proximity Alarm Limit switch alarm warns when passenger mirror is too close to door frame Making Jacking Pads for C7 Jacking Pads must 2 1 2 inch max OD Made four Also Hockey Puck pad and 2 1 2 inch OD x 2 inch high pads bought after installing side skirts C7 Radar Power C7 Belt Rattle Passenger seat belt rattles against the seat back The solution add a shoulder belt pad Aluminum C7 Chassis and Weld Repair The C7 has an all aluminum chassis made from 117 welded pieces Carbotech Ceramic Brake Pads The Z51 has very dusty brakes These pads help to K Copyright by LEC GUttrachi aol com C7 License Plate Frame Must Meet South Carolina Law Manage C7 Spilled Gas Protect the side of the C7 when filling up with gas C7 License Plate amp Cargo Lights LED license plate light amp cargo area bulbs are brighter and whiter C7 Rear Cargo Area Rear cargo area needs storage device and rear protector C7 Door Panel Protector protector plate added to preve
3. max temperature www NetWelding com Page 7 APPENDIX Jacking Up A C7 Corvette This section S NOT for those happy with their present method of lifting their C7 so skip it It is for those who aren t either happy with their current method or want to try the method shown here for this oil change Background Worked on many cars with my Dad years ago After we jacked up a car we would use cement block s under the frame our jack stands Even with that would have to hit the car with my shoulder to be sure it was stable and could not fall Dad had a friend crushed and killed when working under a car that fell he was justifiably very careful To have the C7 level assuring all old oil is drained wood stanchions were fabricated was somewhat surprised when a few forum posters said they would not trust these to get under a car commented that I could calculate the loads they could hold but just stated they were no doubt stronger than the commercial ones you could buy for gt 100 each or some ramps I have seen For fun decided to perform those calculations and they are presented at the end of the Appendix You ll see they have a conservative Safety Factor of gt 15 Can t 4 Jack Stands be Used No Not Safely Using 4 jack stands does not provide a very stable support IMO Would be concerned to try my Dad s required shoulder test Note the warning on this pair of jack stands that use very good and
4. rugged ones It states USE ONLY TO SUPPORT ONE END OF A VEHICLE AT A TIME If getting under the car this is especially important Copyright by WA Technology LLC www NetWelding com Page 8 Building the Stanchions First cut a twelve foot long 2x6 into 4 pieces 21 inches long and 4 pieces 912 inch long This makes two stanchions 12 2 inches wide sufficient to fit the rear tires With the inch plywood top it makes a 6 inch high stand Not bad for an 8 investment had some left over plywood Be sure to make the cuts square Assemble the cut pieces as shown in this picture Note the corner clamp which makes it easy to assure a 90 degree fit when drilling for the first screw but it s not essential Suggest using four 3 inch 8 screws to join each corner joint That provides 1 inches of gripping length Pic shows the 4 screws on one joint It can be seen in the calculations of Safety Factor that each screw in pine will have a Pull Out force of 790 Ibs Copyright by LLC www NetWelding com Page 9 Copyright by WA Technology LLC The top was made with 3 4 inch plywood It not only is supporting the tires it has a major function of keeping what we ll call the 2X6 columns from tilting Considering the tensile strength of plywood and the loading it has a Safety Factor of 35 based on its strength However their role in keeping the side 2X6 columns from tilting is more
5. WA Technology Changing My Own Oil Including Checking Magnetic Drain Plugs and Catch Can What Oil to Use In addition to Chevy recommending Mobil 1 for use in at least the dry sump C7 was an early adopter of the product My new Datsun 260Z was a great car however it was the 1 year of new federally mandated pollution controls that caused problems The Z had an exhaust air pump hot water channeled to the carburetors etc There was a problem when accelerating rapidly and the Datsun District Rep suggested using a product Mobil made for the military in Alaska called Mobil 1 He said to replace the oil in the two Hitachi SU carburetor dash pots with Mobil 1 recall it was hard to get and expensive However it worked Reading about the product I realized it might be good to put in my 1967 Corvair had since new This air cooled engine often collected a creamy foam visible around the top of the oil inlet pipe The oil ran very hot as evidenced by the oil temp gauge added even with my aluminum aftermarket pan that had many conical cooling pins protruding into the crankcase Sure enough Mobil 1 worked for the Corvair as well Have used the product in my cars ever since However as most if not all of todays full synthetic oils as they are called it has changed Mobil Loses Advertising Complaint Paraphrasing a 2000 Car and Driver article I just recently found Late in 1997 Castrol eliminated the poly
6. alphaolefins PAO synthetic base stock constituting 70 of the product and employed specially refined Group III mineral based oil in their SynTec brand Full Synthetic offering Mobil brought a complaint to the National Advertising Division NAD of the Council of the Better Business Bureau asserting that this oil was not synthetic but simply highly refined petroleum oil and therefore it was false advertising to call it synthetic In 1999 the NAD with supporting arguments from the SAE and API who had standards based on oil performance did not support the Mobil complaint saying acceptable high performance oil could be made either way It was decided that the word synthetic was marketing term and referred to properties not to production methods or ingredients Good article still available on the Net http www caranddriver com columns pat bedard synthetic motor oil gets all new semantics column Shortly after Mobil s complaint was rejected most oil Companies started reformulating their synthetic oils to use Group Ill mineral base stocks instead of truly synthetic stocks as their primary component Most of the synthetic oil you can buy today is made predominately of this highly distilled and purified mineral based oil called Group Ill Group III base oils cost about half as much as the true synthetics By using a blend of mostly Group Ill oils and a smaller amount of true synthetics the oil companies can produce a product that h
7. as nearly the same properties as the true synthetics and nearly the same cost as the Group Ill oil In fact Mobil 1 is apparently Copyright by WA Technology LLC www NetWelding com Page 1 now primarily made from Group Ill unconventional base oils In fact cannot find any motor oil available in the US that says it is Group IV which must be fully synthetic The old synthetic motor oil was made through chemical reactions unlike mineral oils that are produced by refining of existing crude oil stock Synthetic lubricants are recombined into synthesized hydrocarbon molecular chains with desirable characteristics and uniformity not found in even the highest quality traditional motor oils Typically the best synthetic oils use a combination of synthetic base fluids polyalphaolefins synthetic esters and alkylated aromatics These synthetic molecules are much more consistent in size and shape they are better able to withstand extreme engine temperatures Since they are chemically produced there are no contaminants compared to conventional oils that contain small amounts of sulfur wax and asphaltic material that can promote detonation as well as varnish and sludge buildup Synthetics flow at much lower temperatures than conventional oils However until it is clear from testing that there is an oil significantly better PII stick with Mobil 1 In 5 quart jugs note not in quart containers it s about the same price as most other quality oil
8. d reasonably fast There are many ways to jack up a car If you re using one and are pleased fine However if you are looking for a way to do it for a reasonable cost hope this information was helpful in making your decision The next few pages show the calculations made to assure the home made Wood Stanchions were safe I don t blame those who questioned their use engineers can be wrong They said the Titanic Couldn t Sink However they are light compared to what one forum poster who questioned their safety said he was going to do He planned to stack five 2X12 s to make stanchions That would work but would weight about 50 Ibs each versus the 12 Ibs for these fabricated wood stanchions Copyright by WA Technology LLC www NetWelding com Page 13 Other Stingray PDF s Available Some 37 items discuss improvements or information about the Stingray function and or esthetics Some are minor and others like the genuine carbon fiber side skirts include detailed install information Below are the PDF s available Click on picture may need Cirl pressed Or just copy and paste the PDF info Blue type into your browser Or email me at and state the title desired shown in Yellow Rusty C7 Muffler Why the C7 muffler is rusted and a simply way to make rust turn matte black Bottom pic rusted top pic treated Change C7 Oil WHY change your own oil and HOW to do it Revised includes C7 Lifting Methods
9. dles are hollow castings so be sure you re not lifting in the center Details of how to build a Jack Cross Brace are also in the Appendix In this case used the Optional Locations on the front cradle to place the Jack Stands With the two drain plugs front and side of the pan having the car level provides the best angle to get as much oil out as possible Therefore jacked up the rear and put the wheels on the home built Wooden Stanchions Jacked each side only 3 or 4 inches at a time Watch that the Jack moves in as you lift The Jack should be perpendicular to the car and the rear casers turned to help it move Especially with a small jack that is necessary to keep the jack saddle centered on the Jack Puck With my side skirts 2 inch high Jack Pucks are needed These are from Katech that also meet the GM requirement of 2 2 inches max diameter They also have 1 inch Jack Pucks www NetWelding com Page 3 This is a view of the two jacks lifting the front on the 2 inch high Jack Pucks red The Jack Stands were placed on the Optional Locations as noted on the GM chart That left room for the drain pan and access to the front drain plug The Jacks were left in place and there was plenty of room to access the side drain plug and oil filter The stanchions can be seen below the rear tires Note the flat metal pan is partially inserted under the car These are available at Auto Parts stores for changing oil and a
10. e C6 was new built the cross brace for my large hydraulic jack but still needed to lift up the front and back to make room for the jack and cross brace Decided to make my own low profile ramps made four As noted Used a 3 support rib design with 1 2 inch particle board on top and bottom They were sufficiently strong even used on the wife s CTS she had at the time In fact with her automatic trans they seemed easier to use However one or both ramps would still slip when driving the Vette up on them Note the rubber runner starting tabs placed on the front of these finished home fabricated ramps Thought that would help avoid them sliding forward Unfortunately they were no help Copyright by WA Technology LLC This is a picture of the Cross Brace made for my C6 and modified for the C7 by installing sections of a 2X4 as pads that touch the preferred jacking points These are held in place with two bolts that are set in a recessed hole and protrude inches from the bottom These are placed in holes in the Cross Brace that are slightly larger than the bolts This Cross Brace was cut in width for the C7 as noted in the first photo above www NetWelding com Page 12 Having gone through the effort of building the ramps thought of a possible way to improve them Perhaps a higher friction material placed on the bottom might help eliminate the ramps moving when I tried to get the Vette up onto th
11. em In fact one would move and not the other so had to back off and start all over This was particularly an issue when on my garage tiled floor but even occurred when on my concrete driveway A fish scale and some weights provided repeatable data for static and sliding friction measurements The result of these tests None of the materials tried including rubber runner material was much different than the rough wood the ramps were made from Fun to do even though the results were not as hoped Final Outcome Since like to work on my own and not ask my wife to see if was up properly on the ramps or if one was moving gave them away I wanted something I could safely and quickly do on my own ramps did not appear to be what would work for me I gave them away A person who needs to raise their vehicle on grass something would not do and can t do with jacks was very pleased to get the ramps They worked fine for them Decided to use jacking pucks and a three jack approach Two small jacks for the sides on the Jacking Pucks and a large hydraulic jack on which the fabricated Cross Brace was employed to contact the preferred jacking points Finally replaced my old scissor jack and cheap hydraulic jack with two low profile hydraulic jacks from Harbor Freight As noted in the C7 oil change report the two jacks work great with the 2 inch high Jacking Pucks that are needed to provide the clearance for my side skirts Safe predictable an
12. er sahlbom recently measured the pulling force on these plugs at 36 oz which was 2 25 times that of one bought at an auto parts store He also found the magnet had a far stronger attachment Good analytical information This is a picture of the oil draining from the front drain plug Even though this drain pan transporting container is large it is easier to position it under each plug separately to avoid the draining stream missing the pan Note installed the drain plug and lowered the car You could try to fill the car with oil and check for leaks at this point with it still jacked up However having done this many times over the years and never having a problem with plugs or filter leaking check for leaks after filling which is easier to do with the car on the ground If there were a problem would have to jack up the front but the probability of that happening is very remote Copyright by WA Technology LLC This is the drain plug removed from the front of the pan the one that drains the dry sump Very few and very fine particles cleaned with a paper towel The longer magnet side plug was the same Note the new gasket on the left If purchased in quantity they are 0 95 each Well worth using a new one Interesting pricing one cost 2 99 and 15 was less expensive that 14 No shipping cost if allow them to US Mail www NetWelding com Page 5 Once removed from the stud it is easy to unscrew the bottom
13. important as we ll see in the next item Straight compression of the column members provides a Safety Factor of several hundred That is not a plausible failure mode The largest risk occurs if the columns are subjected to a side load and the screws holding the sides together and those securing the plywood top to the side columns cannot support the side load I was reminded of another possible approach employed by Brunelleschi in the 1400 rds when building a huge dome for cathedral in Florence Italy If interested google or get an old best seller Brunelleschi s Dome by Ross King And he did it without the Internet that was a big help in addition to an old Strength of Materials text book in assisting with my Safety Factor calculations How does the tire load cause a side load on the 2X6 columns If the deflection of the plywood is sufficient then there will be a load pushing the 2X6 columns outward Calculating that deflection X for a 1000 Ib load concentrated in the center would cause a deflection of only 0 02 inches That creates a side force of only 4 pounds Even if 10 000 Ibs was centered on the top the deflection X would only be 0 2 inches Calculated with a side load of 200 Ibs which would need very poor construction or some other defect As noted in the attached the Safety Factor would still be 15 Check Out the Safety Factor Assumptions and Calculations at the End of this Appendix
14. l fill www NetWelding com Page 6 This is a view of the top half of the Clean Air Oil Separator removed and turned upside down Note the hose that burps air from the tank into the air intake is left in place Copyright by WA Technology LLC This is the bottom half of the Clean Air Oil Separator that remains in place It is fully turned clockwise to the stop just like the OEM cap To remove the top section rotate the it slightly further clockwise and it will rotate and the O ring will loosen It will then lift out easily Filled with 8 12 quarts note the Owner s manual says 9 8 quarts capacity and ran the engine to get the oil hot Then checked the level Note while the car was running looked for any leaks None were visible Just as planned when checking the level after waiting 5 minutes but less than 10 minutes it was at the bottom of the hatched area about 1 quart low Filled it with quart more and checked It was right where it was before started and when filled it the last time half way in the hatched are 2 quart low It did not burn any significant amount of oil in the 3000 miles from last refill Keeping the level 2 quart low in combination with the Clean Air Oil Separator should avoid oil burping out of the dry sump tank along with the air as the air oil is savaged from the pan PII check the level after return from a long ride where the oil gets to its typical
15. lso stopping drips in a garage if that is an issue with an old car As typical when I use it there are no drips If not the concrete gets a few small spills Place the drain pan under the oil drain plugs did the side first While the pan is draining unscrewed the filter Note unscrew slowly to allow oil to drain A glove helps since it is warm There is a place in the drain pan to place the filter upside down so it fully drains When finished draining installed the cleaned drain plug and oil filter Instead of the Owner s Manual that says to use 22 ft lbs to tighten the filter which found on the 1 oil change was excessive and would have distorted the gasket used what always have in the past and what the Service Manual references After putting oil in the new filter run your clean finger over the gasket with some new oil Then tighten by hand until it just seats than use to one full turn more Moved the drain pan under the front drain plug Removed it with a long socket extension and a 13 mm socket That is the size of the magnetic drain plug used to replace the OEM drain plugs on the 1 oil change The OEM drain plugs have a 15 mm nut Copyright by WA Technology LLC www NetWelding com Page 4 Purchased magnetic drain plugs from http www powerslutracing com oil drain plugs html with very powerful magnets Good info on their website about why they should be used and magnet quality A forum post
16. nt scuffing of door when exiting C7 Improved Cup Holder A solution to the cup holder spilling under hard braking or shape turns C7 Wheel Chatter Hop Why sharp low speed turns with cold tires causes the front tires to chatter hop Carbon Fiber Grille Bar Install genuine carbon fiber grille bar overlay Jacking a C7 Vette Safely jacking either front only or back and front Copyright by LEC GUttrachi aol com Deer Whistle Installed on C7 Do they work Plus Install Info C7 Battery Issues Even after using a GM type charger and showing fully charged voltages were still low C7 Splash Guards GM offers splash guards for the C7 Corvette An easy DIY installation C7 Blind Spot Mirror Smaller rear and side windows cause C7 blind spots Small blind spot mirrors help C7 Skid Pad Protector After the air dam the aluminum skid pad hits driveway ramps etc Plastic protector helps C7 Wheel Locks Wheel locks torqued to required 100 ft lbs help protect your expensive wheels from theft C7 OnStar Lights The OnStar LED s in the rear view mirror at a quick glance look like a police car flashing light This ts a fix C7 Skip Shift Eliminator Skip Shift Eliminator install with suggestions on jacking a C7 Copyright by LLC GUttrachi aol com C7 Catch Can amp Clean Oil Separator Direct inject engines like the LT1 are particularly subject to coking What is Coking and how to reduce the pote
17. ntial C7 Round Shift Knob A round shift knob shortens throw C7 Stingray Sill Plate Stingray sill plate replaces original C7 Nylon Bra Nylon Bra Stops Bugs on Front and Grill C7 Clutch Fluid Change Clutch fluid after 3000 miles gets dirty Carbon Fiber Hood Vent Replaces Plastic Hood Vent Cold Air Intake Low Restriction Air Filter amp Duct May Be Of Interest Engineering a ProStreet Rod How Our 34 ProStreet Rod Was Designed and Built 8 2 Liter Engine 4 Wheel Disk Brakes amp Coilover Copyright by LLC GUttrachi aol com
18. of the can by hand No need to remove the hoses unless cleaning the oil vapor condensing ribbon material in the top section This time there was no need to clean the stainless ribbon material it looked very clean The O ring seal between top and bottom was fine Put the collected oil 1 ounce in the jar on the right Not much but better in the can than in the intake or possibly coking around the intake valve Just screwed it back on the can top and bolted it back in place Copyright by WA Technology LLC Time to check the catch can to see what was collected Only checked it once since the last oil change 3000 miles ago It had about 1 ounce about 1500 miles ago Note used a stud to replace the bolt in the mounting location Elite suggested That spot had a ground connection so move it to the ground connection a few inches forward Useda Nylon lock nut on the stud Now to remove the Clean Air Oil Separator to gain access to the fill location Originally since it was shipped as one piece was rotating it like a cap This meant removing the hose and lifting the trim behind it to clear the hose barb A forum poster recently asked about just separating the two parts Did not know they came apart In fact had to hold the base in a vice and apply a lot of force to get the two pieces apart Once I took the two pieces apart a few months ago I oiled the O ring and it was very easy to do for this oi
19. r had to tell him where it was recall going into my uncle s office and saying was going to do my own oil changes in the future and for sure change my own plugs a frequent requirement for a Corvair He said be sure to keep all receipts and that may help if you have an engine warrantee issue GM soon thereafter backed down on their requirement to have a dealer do all maintenance as long as you kept receipts There are a number of reported issues where C7 s with Dry Sumps had problems caused by a dealers oil change The system is sensitive to overfilling which will cause oil to be expelled with the burped air from the tank To evacuate all the oil from the pan you need to pump a good deal of air as well That burped air from the Dry Sump Tank enters the air intake duct though a hose exiting downstream of the air filter If oil enters as well as air it soaks the air filter and contaminates the air intake duct It also takes time to change the oil Will that newbie mechanic bring the oil up to temperature before removing the old oil Will they be sure to remove both drain plugs Will they take the time to allow all 10 quarts to fully drain Will they be careful not to overfill with their pump metered filling nozzle assuming they have Mobil 1 available as an option versus using whatever one of over 100 brands that meet the GM dexos 1 they have in that 55 gallon drum Would they underfill by a quart and check the level That requires sta
20. rting the car having the oil reach temperature then when it is shut off waiting 5 minutes but not more than 10 per the manual before checking the level If they wait too long some oil can drain back to the pan through the scavenge pump resulting in a low oil level reading Will they follow your request and leave the level 1 2 quart low to help avoid oil burping into the air intake along with the air that is entrained with the oil as the pan is pumped dry See pics of cleaning the Clean Oil Separator filter material that follows Copyright by WA Technology LLC www NetWelding com Page 2 Photo How to Sequence These are the tools used The 15 quart oil drain pan has closures for all openings to transport used oil to a recycling center Two Harbor Freight low provide profile jacks 60 each on sale Four 2inch high Jacking Pucks since my car has side skirts Jack stands are also needed Wheel chock and ratchet wrench with extensions Torque wrench and metal pan are optional The wood stanchions are homemade see Appendix for details Several forum posters questioned their safety so made Safety Factor Calculations that are also included in the Appendix GE Preterred locations DE Optional locations GB Frame contact locations for use with a lift Copyright by WA Technology LLC This schematic shows the GM suggested lifting points Note the preferred locations are on the front and rear cradle These cra
21. s at Walmart In addition for this 2 oil change a forum poster found a rebate offer and was able to purchase two 5 quart jugs for 3 quart after the rebate A Reason to Change My Own Oil A forum poster made a comment that helped make my decision to change my own oil and not take advantage of the GM 4 now 5 free oil changes He said do you think your dealer will have their Corvette Certified Mechanic change your oil or a newbie It reminded me of an incident with my 1 new car My 1967 Corvair was purchased with all the performance options available quick steering HD suspension and others About that time GM extended their warrantee but you had to have the dealer change oil and filter My uncle was the service manager at the large dealership where bought the car This was the same uncle who helped when I put the 51 Olds engine bored an 1 8 inch to fit 55 pistons in my 41 Ford Opera Coupe For the first oil change brought the car in for service had several Corvairs prior to the 67 and was very concerned about folks who did not understand that the aluminum heads and other parts could not be treated like cast iron was watching the young mechanics helper who was working on my car as it was on the lift and was obviously looking for something went over and inquired and he said as expected he might looking for the oil filter n a Corvair the filter is in the engine compartment not accessible from under the ca
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