Basic Sport Truck Maintenance Tips

With the price of a new bare-bones truck approaching $20,000, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it makes sense to treat your truck-new or old-to regular service. Periodic maintenance doesn't require a lot of skill or time. But if you neglect your truck, you can bet it will require some costly and time-consuming repairs that are beyond the budgets of most shade-tree mechanics.

A regularly serviced truck that runs like new is a pleasure to drive. No one enjoys driving a truck that wanders all over the road and changes lanes because the suspension and brake systems are worn out. Likewise, it's no fun to get into the truck after a hard day's work, turn the ignition key, and wonder if you're going to be met with the harmonious firing of all the cylinders or the death wail of an engine that won't start and should be put out of its misery.

We've compiled a group of basic maintenance operations that can ensure that your truck will be on the road for years to come. Any one of these practices can be easily performed in a single afternoon, or, if you're really ambitious, all of them can be done in a day.

Automatic Transmission Fluid

Most automatic transmission pans don't incorporate a drain plug. Put a large drain pan underneath and loosen all the pan bolts a few turns, but only remove half of them (here we removed the rear six bolts). Lightly pry the pan down on the end where there are no bolts, and the fluid will come gushing out. Once the flow subsides, remove the rest of the bolts and then the pan.	Remove the filter. This one is from a Ford C4, which required 1/2-inch and3/8-inch sockets.	Always replace the filter (the new one is on the left). Again, this is cheap insurance. Before cleaning the pan, inspect the fluid for metallic particles. If the stuff smells burnt, the fluid has been overheated and the transmission may be going south.
Scrape the old gasket off the pan and install a new one. Now's a good time to install a drain plug. This local-parts-store piece requires a 1/2-inch-diameter hole in a spot that doesn't interfere with anything inside the transmission.	Reinstall the pan. Don't overtighten the bolts or the pan rail will warp. Refill the transmission through the dipstick tube. Drive around the block once or twice to put heat in the fluid, then double-check the fluid level while the car is running. Don't overfill.

Changing Automotive Fluids

Tools: End wrenches; Ratchet and sockets; Oil filter wrench; Screwdrivers

Fluids. Those slimy, colorful liquids that inhabit the engine, transmission, and rear axle are the lifeblood of your car. And dagnabbit, they need to be changed on a regular basis, regardless of wacky Uncle Henry's philosophy: "Aw hell, I've got 122,000 miles on the oil in Ol' Blue out there!" Petroleum breaks down with use, age, and heat, and if it's not changed, the parts will suffer.

Engine oil can go as long as 7,000 miles before changing (longer if synthetic oil is used), but why risk it? Compared to a rebuilt engine, the stuff is cheap, and it only takes a few minutes to change. We swap oil every 2,500-3,000 miles. Transmission fluid lasts a lot longer in normal use; change it every 20,000 miles--or once a year. Rearend honey is even more viable under normal use and is good for 30,000 miles or so.

Extreme conditions considerably shorten the intervals between fluid changes. An engine that works in stop-and-go traffic all day in 100-degree weather is just as hard on oil as an engine that spends most of its time at 6,500 rpm. Both situations require an abbreviated schedule, and the same is true of transmission and rearend fluid.

Before you remove the drain plug from the oil pan, put a drain pan underneath it. Oil comes out easier and quicker if it's warm, so run the engine to operating temperature and then shut it down. The oil will be hot. If you can worm your way to above the drain plug as it's removed, the stuff won't drip down your arm, as it's doing here.	The oil filter is the biggest snag in an oil change. You'll need a filter wrench (shown) to remove it. In a pinch, you can poke a screwdriver through the side of the old filter to loosen it, then spin it off by hand.	Always fill the new filter with oil before installation to avoid a pressure loss upon start-up. Also, coat the rubber O-ring with a finger dabbed in clean oil to enhance the seal. The filter of the Ford small-block is nearly horizontal when it's on the engine. Fill it about halfway, then install the filter by hand. Don't use the wrench to tighten the filter. Handtighten the canister by a three-quarter turn beyond the point where the O-ring touches the engine.
Screw the drain plug into place. Make it snug, but not too tight.