There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches

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In the pics of the new valve covers, you can see the little window. The OE covers, there is no window.
 

Fless

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In the pics of the new valve covers, you can see the little window. The OE covers, there is no window.

Partially correct. The breather hole in the OE VC is round, and the updated one is rectangular and in a different location to minimize how much oil spray gets into it.

@mattbta shows the comparison here:

 
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As I have said in a couple other threads, I will be 72 in 9 days but still like to do as much of my own work as I can and I do work on neighborhood vehicles and for my American Legion and VFW.

Worked on a friend of an American Legion member's 2014 Silverado K2500HD with a Duramax. It was a simple oil change, so I thought. Has 143k miles on it.

Plenty of room to put my filter strap on and loosen it. It was on so tight, that as I am laying on my yoga mat style roll out pad, I pulled hard enough that I actually lifted the upper half of my body off the mat. I finally used my left hand on the filter wrench and my right hand grabbed the bottom of the R/F rotor and I pulled for all I was worth and it budged. I got a second grip and it budged again. 4 budges later I loosened it and drained and swapped with my preferred WIX filter, after lubing the new filter seal.

Then on to the easier drain plug, or so I thought. I had a long reach 13mm combination wrench on it and it would not budge either. Tried 2 more times with no luck. Thankfully the 6 point drain plug head was still looking good. I got a long reach Mac swivel head 3/8 ratchet with a USA Craftsman 3/8" drive short 6 point chrome socket. Pulled and felt it give. I was saying, "Finally" along with a few other choice words. Then I looked. The wall of the socket busted out. I had had enough at this point and called the owner and told her I was not responsible for however farther I went with this, She said, "Go for it". I got out my very powerful 3/8" drive Milwaukee Tool impact and Put a 13mm 3/8" drive impact socket, SK this time, and burped it a couple time and I put the wrench back on and it broke loose.

Done a few oil changes in my day but that was the tightest that I have ever seen where both were ridiculously tight. I expected stretched drain plug threads but they were ok and after draining, I installed a new Genuine GM drain plug, after checking seal surface of the pan and wiping clean. The rest of it went fine. I reset the oil life reminder and shipped it.

See pics. I told her it looks like a RMS is leaking.

20241215_101238.jpg20241215_094246.jpg20241215_095010.jpg20241215_095323.jpg20241215_095431.jpg
 

Tonyv__

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As I have said in a couple other threads, I will be 72 in 9 days but still like to do as much of my own work as I can and I do work on neighborhood vehicles and for my American Legion and VFW.

Worked on a friend of an American Legion member's 2014 Silverado K2500HD with a Duramax. It was a simple oil change, so I thought. Has 143k miles on it.

Plenty of room to put my filter strap on and loosen it. It was on so tight, that as I am laying on my yoga mat style roll out pad, I pulled hard enough that I actually lifted the upper half of my body off the mat. I finally used my left hand on the filter wrench and my right hand grabbed the bottom of the R/F rotor and I pulled for all I was worth and it budged. I got a second grip and it budged again. 4 budges later I loosened it and drained and swapped with my preferred WIX filter, after lubing the new filter seal.

Then on to the easier drain plug, or so I thought. I had a long reach 13mm combination wrench on it and it would not budge either. Tried 2 more times with no luck. Thankfully the 6 point drain plug head was still looking good. I got a long reach Mac swivel head 3/8 ratchet with a USA Craftsman 3/8" drive short 6 point chrome socket. Pulled and felt it give. I was saying, "Finally" along with a few other choice words. Then I looked. The wall of the socket busted out. I had had enough at this point and called the owner and told her I was not responsible for however farther I went with this, She said, "Go for it". I got out my very powerful 3/8" drive Milwaukee Tool impact and Put a 13mm 3/8" drive impact socket, SK this time, and burped it a couple time and I put the wrench back on and it broke loose.

Done a few oil changes in my day but that was the tightest that I have ever seen where both were ridiculously tight. I expected stretched drain plug threads but they were ok and after draining, I installed a new Genuine GM drain plug, after checking seal surface of the pan and wiping clean. The rest of it went fine. I reset the oil life reminder and shipped it.

See pics. I told her it looks like a RMS is leaking.

View attachment 445032View attachment 445033View attachment 445034View attachment 445035View attachment 445036
I feel like this happens to me every time I get a “ new to me” car. The last person who does the oil always over tightens everything.

The van that I just picked up in July had an oil filter so tight that I ended up punching a screw driver through it to break it free. I also used my Milwaukee 3/8 impact to break the drain bolt free.
 

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