things they forgot to tell you , doing your own oil changes

grumpyvette

Administrator
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(1) you generally won,t be able to position floor jacks on the correct frame support on all locations and still be able to work the jack correctly and generally won,t have a jack that lifts the car high enough, floor jacks have handles designed to come loose during use,and retaining pins designed to be easily broken or lost.

(2) any car ramps will ALWAYS skid out from under tires as the cars moved forward onto them

(3) the chance of the floor jack hydraulics leaking is directly proportional to the speed you need to do an oil change,the more urgent the time frame the higher the chances the jack will malfunction, and no floor jack will roll easily in a strait line

(4) funnels with screens will slow the oil drain speed from seconds to what will seem to be almost hours , removing the screen will almost guarantees you drop something small into the engine thru the funnel

(5) oil filters rarely come off easily, and driving a screw driver thru them to use as leverage almost always results in either oil pan or sensor damage or a huge mess, open oil cans placed on the engine always fall into places that cause problems, and retrieving them without spilling oil is highly unlikely

(6)if you can,t see the oil filter mount & sealing surface, the old gasket is likely to be stuck or ripped, preventing the replacement filter from sealing properly

(7) parts counter guys have a mental fetish about selecting and selling you the wrong oil filter

(8) most oil filter wrenches will only be located in your tool box AFTER you butcher the old oil filter to the point they won,t fit

(9) you'll usually be 1-3 quarts short on oil because someone used several quarts of your oil and put the empty oil cans you thought were full back on the shelf, but you'll only find out ONLY after you drain the oil pan, and usually when you don,t have access to a second car.

(10) any oil pan plug, or socket used will almost always fall and roll to the least accessible location in your garage, at least 50% of all oil pan drain plug threads are factory defective or cross threaded

(11) the big sign at the auto parts store that says we accept old oil will have a tiny note saying the tanks full, we can,t accept any today

(12) parts store hours always close 3 minutes before you arrive with used oil

(13)you will always have individual used oil bottles leak in your trunk unless you place them in a large plastic box, and you will usually be forced to drive around for days before finding a legal place to dump used oil

(14) you will forget your wearing a good shirt and slacks until you get old black oil on them

(15) your dipstick will bend or break, or be mis-placed if your in the least hurry, and the oil cap is always going to fall and roll under the car just out of easy reach, and at least once , its going to be damaged when found

(16) ONLY after you pour the last quart of oil into the engine you'll remember you forgot to re-install the oil pan drain plug

(17) your "knowledgeable friend" who always talks about cars, that wants to help is frequently a TOTAL MORON


(18) mis-placed, wallets, keys or eye glasses placed in top shirt pockets, or placed on car roofs , normally fall into the used oil salvage pan only after its full of hot black oil
 
Re: things they forgot to tell you , doing your own oil chan

on a serious note, heres a few things that do help

fl1a.jpg

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-inch-to- ... 36778.html
fl2a.jpg

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-en ... 94096.html
fl3a.jpg

http://www.harborfreight.com/magnum-8-a ... 67722.html
fl4a.jpg

ramps-2.jpg

car-ramps.jpg

http://www.harborfreight.com/rapid-pump ... 68050.html
fl5a.jpg

http://www.harborfreight.com/20-gallon- ... 66786.html
12tonstand.jpg

fl6a.jpg

http://www.tooltopia.com/blitz-11845.as ... lebase_18u
hbc.jpg

fl7aa.jpg

http://www.tooltopia.com/plews_lubrimatic-75-072.aspx


fl12a.jpg


fl13a.jpg


fl8a.jpg

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D82SH

fl9a.jpg

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-9 ... toview=sku
 
Re: things they forgot to tell you , doing your own oil chan

fl5a.jpg


2878.jpg

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-gallon- ... 94122.html

BTW heres a tip
both of these salvage oil containers when near full weigh a great deal. enough that putting them in the pick-up truck bed without help is a P.I.T.A. so your going to want to empty them when they get 5-15 gallons into one or more containers of 5 gallon capacity as smaller containers are a hassle and larger ones get too darn heavy for easy transport. obviously you want something CHEAP that won,t LEAK during transport and theres a faucet drain,on the waste oil collection containers pictured above.
that having a separate 5 gallon waste oil transport container allows you to do that, but the tools pictured above hold a good deal of oil and the darn things drain, very slowly, so its best to have a 5 gallon gas container dedicated to use as an oil transport container for use transporting the waste oil to the local disposal location,

I have red five gallon containers for GAS
521966226.jpg


I have BLUE five gallon containers for DIESEL

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I have YELLOW five gallon containers for WASTE OIL

82725665.jpg


https://www.holley.com/products/tools/utility_jug/parts/8017MRG
keep in mind that use of ethanol requires carbs and fuel pumps designed to use ethanol.
 
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Re: things they forgot to tell you , doing your own oil chan

Quaker State® motor oil posted these tips
http://www.quakerstate.com/?var1=x&var2 ... oil-change

1. Prepare the vehicle before you change your oil. Park it on a level surface, engage parking brake and turn off engine. If necessary, raise the front of the vehicle by driving it onto a ramp or by jacking it up and supporting it with jack stands. CAUTION: WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR OIL, NEVER GET UNDER A VEHICLE SUPPORTED ONLY BY A JACK! WE ALSO RECOMMEND WHEEL CHOCKS TO HELP PREVENT WHEELS ON THE GROUND FROM ROLLING.

2. Open hood.

3. Locate engine oil dipstick and remove (helps oil flow when draining oil before you change your oil.)

4. Once vehicle is safely and securely supported, put on safety glasses, crawl under vehicle and locate engine's oil pan. (See owner's manual for reference.)

5. Locate oil drain plug, which is a long bolt head at bottom of pan. The drain plug allows the oil to drain out of the pan while you change your oil. (Note: Some vehicles have two drain plugs.)

6. Position a container, such as an approved oil catchpan, under drain plug. Make sure the catchpan is large enough to hold the volume of oil expected to drain out of the engine.

7. Loosen drain plug using box-end wrench or 6-pt. socket. Carefully remove plug by hand, making sure catchpan is underneath plug hole. Oil will flow rapidly from hole, but allow several minutes for all old oil to drain out. (See vehicle owner's manual for additional information.) CAUTION: OIL MAY BE HOT!

8. Wipe the oil pan threads and oil drain plug with a rag and visually inspect the condition of the oil pan and oil drain plug threads and gasket. Buy a replacement drain plug if you have any concerns about the condition of the plug. Replace the drain plug gasket if needed (some OEMs recommend this). Once the oil is finished draining, reinstall the oil drain plug and tighten with the correct box-end wrench or 6-pt. socket to the manufacturer-specified torque. (See owner’s manual.)

9. Locate oil filter. If the old and new oil filters are not the same, double-check the application to be sure you have the correct filter. (See vehicle’s owner’s manual for additional information.)

10. Position oil catchpan under oil filter to catch any residual oil remaining inside filter.

11. Loosen oil filter or oil filter cap with oil filter wrench, and allow oil to drain from oil filter.

12. Remove oil filter. Check to make sure filter gasket has come off with the filter. If it's still clinging to the engine mounting plate, remove it and any remaining residue.

13. Place a light coating of new oil you plan to use when you change your oil on the gasket of the new oil filter so it will install smoothly onto engine. (Note: Do not use grease!) By hand, install new oil filter onto engine by turning in a clockwise direction. Once oil filter gasket first contacts mounting plate gasket surface, tighten filter according to directions for your application (usually found on the new oil filter or oil filter box), preferably by hand. Generally, this is three-quarters to one full turn after the filter gasket contacts the engine. (NOTE: Cartridge oil filter replacement procedures may differ. See owner's or service manual for instructions.)

14. You are now ready to change your oil. Under the hood, remove the oil fill cap and pour in the correct viscosity and amount of Quaker State® motor oil with a funnel. (See vehicle's owner's manual for recommended grade, specification and amount.)

15. Once you change your oil, replace oil fill cap.

16. Start engine and run at idle for minimum of 30 seconds. Carefully inspect under vehicle for oil leaks (especially by oil drain plug and oil filter). If leaks are visible, shut off engine immediately and repair leaks.

17. Shut off engine and allow 30 seconds for oil to settle in the engine. Carefully inspect the area beneath the vehicle for oil leaks.

18. Safely lower vehicle to level ground.

19. Insert and remove oil dipstick to check for proper oil level, adding more oil if necessary. (See vehicle’s owner’s manual for oil capacity and recommended oil level on dipstick.)

20. Change your oil with Quaker State® motor oil as directed by manufacturer’s guidelines.

Note: These instructions are intended as general guidelines. Please consult your owner's or service manual for specific instructions on changing the oil and filter on your vehicle. Use extreme caution when lifting or jacking any vehicle.
 
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