Bobbing for drain plugs

[patrick_g]

And I thought I was the only one who had warm oil flowing down his arm and through the armpit, saturating a shirt. I don't need a tractor for this fun. I can do it just changing a filter on an '89 Dakota 4x4 which has a particularly difficult filter to reach and twist.

Pat

 

[Steve_Miller]

Had a good chuckle over that one, Thanks Chris.
Plastic pans are not always the best things for warm/hot oil. Years ago I filled one to the top (you always try to get it all in one smash), it was fine and dandy until the hot oil decided it would soften up the plastic enough to let it fold in the middle as I was carrying it across the floor (insert mental picture here and you probably won't be too far off). I was probably better off to just let it drain on to the floor and try to contain it there as opposed to throwing it everywhere while trying to juggle the soft pan. By the time I got a good grip on it, it was pretty much empty.

Steve

 

[DieselPower]

As a life long mechanic I know the "oil down the arm" bit a little more than I would like to. Fixed that problem a few years ago though. Got one of those 58 quart drain pans that is completly enclosed. Nice thing is if you drop the drain plug the grate in the drain hole is small enough that the plug can not fall into the pan. When your done you screw in a plug in the drain hole and can carry away up to 58 quarts of fluid. Best $70 I ever spent.

58 quart drain pan

 

[Doc_Bob]

Fixed that problem a few years ago though. Got one of those 58 quart drain pans that is completly enclosed.

That is one serious drain pain!
Bob

 

[KubotaSteve]

Chris:

I had a similar experience but was a little embarrassed to share it, but now you've opened the flood gates. (no pun intended)
I normally take the tractor to my dad's garage (3 miles away) to change fluids. The last time I went to change the oil in my B-7800, I dropped the plug in the drainpan but in the process of trying to catch it I knocked the drainpan out from underneath the stream of oil. By the time I got it back into place, half of it was on the floor. Fished for the plug, cleaned it off, then proceeded to drop it right back in the oil. 2nd time cleaned off plug, moved drain pan and put plug back in. Then put drainpan under oil filter. Trying to get better grip on oil pan, I kicked the drain pan splashing out more oil. Then when the filter was ready to come off, slipped out of my oily hands and you guessed it right in the oil drain pan. When all was said and done, out of the 5 quarts of used oil, I think I only had about a quart in the pan. My dad asked why I even bothered to get out the drain pan.

Well it was time to change the oil again, so I decided to do it in my driveway as the weather was so nice yesterday. I think I only spilled maybe a teaspoon of oil and that was even using a 2.5 gallon jug to pour the oil from. Either I'm getting better or just got lucky this time.

I couldn't imagine having 12 quarts of fluid to clean up though!!!!!

 

[Soundguy]

Yep.. sometimes it's just easier to spread out newspaper1

Speaking of oily concrete..I remember when i was repairing the hyds on my ford 8n... and an ordeal I went thru..

OK.. for starters.. an 8n is an open sump machine.. hyds, diffy, and tranny share a 5 gallon sump.

The hydro pump is a 'belly' pump, and is mounted in the lowest portion of the sump, under the hyds section, just ahead of the diffy. the pump base plate is actually the bottom of the sump.

I carefully drained the 5g's of oil out.. even let it drip during lunch.. etc. Removed the bolts around the perimeter of the base, dropped it, and another half gallon of oily sludge let loose. Seems the drain bung is ever so slightly higher than the bottom of the sump.. plus it is 90wt oil, nd there is usually 50 ys of sludge ont he bottom.. so it don't drain... well.. it does once the pump drops.. I had an oily mess on the garage floor that spread out almost 3' wide.

I put about 3 newspapers down and just kept working. took 2 days for the project.. on the 2nd day, after the wife left for work, I finished.. made sure the tractor worked.. backed her out of the garage.. tossed the papers into the trash, and then went to hand scrubbing the concrete with every detergent I could find. I actually got it 98% clean.... by the time the wife got home..

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Here's a pic, as I promised.

Soundguy

 

[patrick_g]

Soundguy, That dipstick is an antique so a little wear over the years is normal. You can sell it on eBay.

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

It should fit right in.

" Shows some marks from use"

Soundguy

 

[texasjohn]

LOLROF...

Well, now I'm nervous! I have a brand new metal building, concrete floor and I HAD been looking forward to changing oil out of the weather, wind, grass and gravel. NOW, I'm visioning all the ways that my pristine concrete will get messed up. So far, my only plan is to be careful AND to use old carpet under the vehicle to soak up the (hopefully) few drips and then throw it away.

That said, I, too, have had the oil/armpit/big mess experience