Vehicle Oil changes

[dodge man]

I once forgot to add the oil back in a vehicle. I started it up and it ran about 20 seconds before I caught it.

I store my used oil in an old 5 gallon hydraulic oil bucket. I have a huge funnel that I put in the spout of the 5 gallon bucket and dump the oil from a catch can into. I guess I was impatient once and had the funnel mostly filled and knocked it over. The funnel must hold around a gallon. That was a mess.

 

[mrmikey]

Odd timing, Project Farm just did a test on ramps

 

[paulsharvey]

Odd timing, Project Farm just did a test on ramps

I'll check that our, he does good work. I rarely buy his "top" pick, but often choose is higher than average quality, cheap, pick.

 

[mrmikey]

He does do good, no nonsense real world tests.
I will admit, I'm not a proponent of the plastic ramps but they did do a lot better than the steel ones. Saying that, mine are the old style that have the separate brace that goes from the upright to midway down the ramp.

 

[paulsharvey]

You know, that video wasn't his best work. It was fine, but...

I still really wish Muhammed would make a poll function available;

How many of yall actually have a concrete surface to work on vehicles? My old house I did add a asphalt millings parking pad, but I've never lived anywhere with a true paved or concrete work surface.

Wish he would have tested them on regular old dirt driveway.

 

[WinterDeere]

How many of yall actually have a concrete surface to work on vehicles?

I grew up in a house with a friggin' huge garage, heated with cast iron radiators... spoiled. Then I bought my own house, and it had a carriage barn too small to work on any car, and a gravel (3/4" modified) driveway, and sat way up on a windy hill. That really sucked, especially when all vehicles seemed to break in 20F weather with 0F windchills and snow.

Now I have my shop in another carriage barn, and I can work on a car in there, but not an SUV or pickup. There's a much larger attached garage down at the house, but that's several hundred feet from my tools in the shop/barn, so I still end up doing most oil changes in the driveway in front of the barn. It's smooth asphalt, seal-coated every 3rd year or so.

Moreover, now I have more reliable vehicles, and more of them, so there's rarely any emergency to work outside on anything in bad weather. Most vehicle repairs get put off until the weather is at least somewhat conducive (35F - 85F) to working outdoors.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning Paulsharvey,
I have been doing mine for over 50 plus years. Even at 73 I can still crawl under my 2017 F150 to change the filter and drain the oil. Will continue to do it as long as I can ! The 8 qts of oil and filter are still under $40 ! That’s using a 5/20 wt synthetic blend oul. I couldn’t justify $120 for sure, JMO !

 

[ArlyA]

You know, that video wasn't his best work. It was fine, but...

I still really wish Muhammed would make a poll function available;

How many of yall actually have a concrete surface to work on vehicles? My old house I did add a asphalt millings parking pad, but I've never lived anywhere with a true paved or concrete work surface.

Wish he would have tested them on regular old dirt driveway.

We have a concrete floor which is cracked and heaved but the one car garage is awful small anyway. I take it in for oil changes.

 

[tradosaurus]

You know, that video wasn't his best work. It was fine, but...

I still really wish Muhammed would make a poll function available;

How many of yall actually have a concrete surface to work on vehicles? My old house I did add a asphalt millings parking pad, but I've never lived anywhere with a true paved or concrete work surface.

Wish he would have tested them on regular old dirt driveway.

I prefer my gravel driveway to change the oil as any spills will be absorbed. I use a thick mat to lay on use ramps if needed.

If I'm changing brake pads I will park on the concrete parking pad.

 

[paulsharvey]

I prefer my gravel driveway to change the oil as any spills will be absorbed. I use a thick mat to lay on use ramps if needed.

If I'm changing brake pads I will park on the concrete parking pad.

Yes, I also use an old rubber bed mat. The old house I had a asphalt millings parking area, but that's not a good time to lay on either. New place, it's all sand, sand with a bit of gravel, or sand with a bit of clay, or sand with a bit of grass, pick your poison.

The new plastic ramps are Far better than the stamped metal ones about sinking in.