Oil change

[MDNick]

Seems we all have these stories.

I have one of those plastic drain pans with the integral funnel. Dropped the drain plug (it was HOT) into the pan. Naturally the funnel directed the plug into the center hole. Which had the expected effect of plugging the hole. With overflowing oil, I quickly reached in with fingers to grab the drain plug. Did I mention it was hot? I did not get the plug, still had oil on the ground AND burnt fingers.

Now one of the tools that I go under the truck with includes a screwdriver with a magnet stuck to it. Always.

Dad has owned several F250's. They historically always take FL1A oil filters. So he buys his filter, gets home, drains the oil, removes filter (not noting that it was not an FL1A) and attempts to screw on his FL1A. The new filter is the same size, but different thread (metric likely). He was not happy. My ranger at the time did take an FL1A, so I went to town to buy him a new filter and I got his.

But I know both oil changes were done right, and in an environmentally conscious manner./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Nick

 

[Richard]

But I know both oil changes were done right, and in an environmentally conscious manner

About the environementally conscious manner....About a week ago, in the woods with Brutus. I had been wondering exactly when I would be doing an oil change....well..

Driving with loaded bucket backwards DOWN the hill, felt a thump. Quizzically, I looked around, noticed nor heard nothing. Backed down slowely, looking around...looked UP the hill from whence I just came and the ground inbetween the tracks was wet. Hmmm, on hill, couldn't stop where I was, so idled to bottom and shut down immediately.

Stick (big) got run over by tire which bent stick up and speared oil filter and spewed engine oil EVERYWHERE.

Guess I now know when I'm doing my oil change. I happen to have filter & oil, so I grab my bucket, remove plug and .......NOTHING. Oil pan is dry. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Since machine made no untoward noises or grinds, I put new filter on, filled er up and have been puttering around since then.

I count that as one MAJOR bullet I missed. I must have been living a blessed life. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Richard

 

[rancar]

Well, Jeff, at least you didn't have to have skin grafts done on that pink arm of yours. That saved you a bundle /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[rancar]

Mike -- here's another one to really make us ponder.

I recall during my high school days. High school engine mechanics shop teacher (who you'd think would be on top of it all) was changing oil one day in his Corvette. He drains oil, forgets to put plug back in, puts his 5 quarts or so in without noticing oil leaking from underneath, then cleans up and decides to take his Vette for a cruise. Within a mile or 2 engine quickly seizes up. He had to re-build engine. He never lived that one down /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[bgott]

When I worked at a Firestone store we had a dips&%t that would drain the oil, install a new filter, do his inspection and then run the car out of the shop with no oil in it, EVERY TIME!!!
This dummy would totally ignore mains knocking, lifters clattering, red light on dash, etc. I got to where when I would see him draining oil I'd go stand by the car and force him to fill it back up before he did anything else.

I left the old rubber gasket on the blocks of a couple of trucks when I was a kid, two gaskets do not seal twice as well as one. It took me two times of cleaning up nine quarts of oil off of the shop floor before I learned my lesson on that one. After the first one I learned to get right out of the vehicle and check for leaks, the second one was a cold blooded mother that had drained all night and I was trying to keep it running, so I didn't have a chance to check it until the pan was empty. I now start them, either see the oil pressure come up or count to ten and shut the engine off and get out and look before I have to clean up a catastrophe.

 

[LazyK]

Mike...you're so close to the bull's-eye...it's a little scary. Just don't forget that the oil drain plug won't take ANY rectilinear removal tool...there are no flat edges on the plug from the last time you boogered it with your Costco Leatherman's Multi-function Plier Tool w/ Belt Sheath!

 

[Bird]

Brad, when I was a teenager and my dad owned a service station, we hired a guy who was supposedly an experienced service man. He changed the oil & filter in the mayor's new Oldsmobile, then came in the office to tell me that when he went to back the car out of the bay, it wouldn't move. He had drained the transmission, then added 5 quarts of oil to the engine! Fortunately, no damage done.

<font color=blue>two gaskets do not seal twice as well as one</font color=blue>

I only recall doing that once myself./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Of course, with my old memory I sometimes wonder what I'll do next. I told my wife yesterday morning that I was going out in the shop to see whether I had a new oil filter on hand and if so I'd change the oil & filter on her car. Sure enough, I had a new filter but discovered I'm out of oil./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[ewoss3]

Bird at least you checked before draining the oil. I went out yesterday and dumped the jeeps oil, changed the filter from the case on the shelf then realized that I had 2 empty oil cases on the shelf and no running vehicle to go fetch oil. The good news was I got seat time in the the kubota and two cases of oil fit nicely in the FEL.

 

[Bird]

How far did you have to go for that oil, Rob? For me, it would be a 43 mile round trip, and I think that would be more seat time than I want on the Kubota./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Jeff396]

One time I was changing the oil on my parents car, I think it was a Lincoln Towncar, before we were to go on a trip the next day. I didn't put her up on ramps because I could reach everything fine from the ground. So I drain the oil and replace the filter. The oil in the drain pan didn't look like very much but whatever. I started putting oil in and much to my surprise it took only 3 qts. After further inspection I realized that this car was equipped with an oil pan that had two drain plugs...one in front of the K frame and one behind. Of course I only bought enough oil to do the change so it was off to the auto parts store ...again.

Jeff