Changing oil in the garage

[Knowing]

Get a fumoto valve with the hose. Drain into whatever you want, no muss no fuss. My wife does the oil changes in our daily with no issues.

 

[kn51]

Don't do what I did once. O-ring from previous oil filter still stuck on the block and I didn't notice when installing the new one. Usually I do a quick wipe with a paper towel on the mating surface but I was pressed for time and it was starting to rain so didn't unlike the 1,000 other oil changes I've done.

Start car up. Hear a weird hissing noise. Shut car off. Realize it shot around 2 qts of oil out onto driveway that has quite a slant to it. Then it really starts raining. Can't move the car (up on ramps). No kitty litter on hand. Fun time.

 

[Billb2]

The Go-To setup for working on cars:
4 x 8 sheets of Masonite duct taped to the floor.

 

[KK]

Get a fumoto valve with the hose. Drain into whatever you want, no muss no fuss. My wife does the oil changes in our daily with no issues.

I was looking at those, have you had any issues with them?

As far as oil pans, I have the one that was posted above. My drain cap split, the air vent cap had been broken from the plastic holding it to the pan, and the top is deformed to where the oil will sit around the outside and not drain to the middle. Other than that its a good pan. I drain the oil into the 5 qt jugs i buy. I got 5 or 6 of them sitting in the garage ready to be dumped out.

 

[Knowing]

I was looking at those, have you had any issues with them?

Not one. Knowing when the oil will flow and having next to no dripping is so worth it.

 

[RU482]

Don't do what I did once. O-ring from previous oil filter still stuck on the block and I didn't notice when installing the new one. Usually I do a quick wipe with a paper towel on the mating surface but I was pressed for time and it was starting to rain so didn't unlike the 1,000 other oil changes I've done.

Start car up. Hear a weird hissing noise. Shut car off. Realize it shot around 2 qts of oil out onto driveway that has quite a slant to it. Then it really starts raining. Can't move the car (up on ramps). No kitty litter on hand. Fun time.

lucky some enviro-nazi didn't happen to be going by and call in a HAZMAT crew!

 

[bruceb]

The larger diameter oil drain pans are best, but you need a bit of common sense. See which way the drain plug points and put the pan far enough away so the initial flow will hit the center of the pan.

 

[microAmp]

Pour the oil back into the container it came in. Problem solved.

It crossed my mind. Pouring back into 6 small containers, I would probably goof by overfilling a funnel, spill, slip on it, bump my head, then when getting up, accidentally hit the button to close the garage door on the car. Dream one up.

 

[NutBucket]

I was looking at those, have you had any issues with them?

I wouldn't recommend it if the drain plug points straight down like my dad's truck. Otherwise everything I've read about them is very positive.

 

[NutBucket]

For the oil filter (opening facing up), I use a red dixy party cup. Loosen it by hand, then put the cup around the oil filter to take it off. Any oil will drip into the cup.

For those filters you can also take an old screwdriver and punch a small hole in the bottom of the filter. Oil drains out into the pan and no mess.

 

[Kelvrick]

I wouldn't recommend it if the drain plug points straight down like my dad's truck. Otherwise everything I've read about them is very positive.

Are you referring to it being sheared off because it sticks down if you hit some road debris? I could see that.

The ones I have are off at an angle, so it isn't that bad and I have a skid plate under it as well, so I'm not as worried.

I'll admit I'm a little paranoid though, so I did this to my valve as well and put a hose clip on to keep the latch from somehow opening up.

 

[NutBucket]

Yeah, exactly. Risk of being sheared off. But I don't think that's terribly common anyway. Seems all the other cars I've dealt with either point forward or (majority) backwards.

 

[MBentz]

Get one of these. Never worry about spilling oil again, or getting hot oil on your hands/arms.

Otherwise: cardboard, kitty litter, and getting a large drain pan will serve you well.

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