How To Change the Oil on a Corvette

Changing the oil in your Corvette is a great way to save money and
ensure that your car is being handled with loving care.  There have been
many do-it-yourself articles done by magazines and websites explaining
how to change your own oil but changing the oil in your Corvette may be a
little different from other models–so be sure of a few things prior to
following  a magazine or internet article.

C1, C2, C3, and C4 Corvettes all (for the most part) use an oil pan
with the drain plug at the rear of the pan and the oil filter located
next to the oil pan.  This is a very routine layout for an American V8
and changing the oil on these models is fairly straight forward.  The
oil change for these cars is little more than jacking up the front of 
the car so that you can get under it, then removing the plug and filter
over a drain pan.  Most of the V8s over the first four generations take 5
quarts of oil but higher performance models and modified Corvettes may
take more engine oil.

If you own a C5 Corvette, the oil change is a little different and a
touch more complicated.  The oil pan of the C5 is designed to cut down
on under-body drag so the pan is completely flat and the oil plug is
located at the front of the pan.  That means that if you jack up the
front of the car, gravity is working against you but if you don’t jack
up the front of the car it’s almost impossible to access the plug and
filter.  The best way to get around this is to buy a set of low-laying
ramps so the low front end of the Corvette will not rub but the front
end will be off the ground far enough to access the drain plug and
filter.  Once you loosen the plug with your C5, you will then need to
jack up the back end of the car to help drain the engine oil out the
front of the pan.  Because of the location of the drain plug relative to
the oil filter, you will need to finish draining the oil and replace
the plug before removing the filter or risk making a mess of your
driveway or garage floor.  Many C5 Corvettes take between 5 and 7 quarts
of oil.  Check your owner’s manual for the proper engine oil amount and
type.

If you own a C6 Corvette, the oil change is a little easier than the
C5 as the plug is on the side of the oil pan, next to the oil filter. 
The best way to lift the C6 for an oil change is again on the ramps and
to help the oil drain a little quicker you can jack up your Corvette on
the passenger’s side.  The standard LS2 and LS3 Corvettes take 5.5
quarts and the Z06 takes 6.5 quarts, but check your owner’s manual for
the proper engine oil amount and type.