Oil change whoopsies

I'll give that a try.

 

I've done that before, but it's tough to get it into position and I still end up with oil running down the side of the block or on the transmission cooler lines.

It might be easier to do that if I were to jack the truck up, but I'm too lazy so I just crawl under and do it.

 

If I have to jack it up. forget it. But what are these transmission cooler lines you speak of.

 

If I have it parked slightly nose-down, it'll clear the crossmember, but I've tried parking right nose down and it's not enough to clear those lines.

I guess I could park nose-down, drain the pan, then lack up the left side before pulling the filter.
Another option would be to use foil to form a catch/funnel to divert the oil around the lines... but that's a two handed operation and now we're back to jacking it up.


A few months ago while changing the oil, a neighbor came over and asked if I was okay since he just saw one leg hanging out from the side of the truck.

I like my wife's '04 Rav4. Just turn the wheel to the right and I can get to the plug and filter without getting under it.

 

i had it just as bad, i was doing mine while i was really tired and was just having one of those days, i bought my drainpan that has the lid from walmart, and everything else i needed for it from autozone (might as well save a few dollars right?) well, got to changing the oil and started draining it no problem, was getting ready and opened the new oil already but then realized the side cap on the oil pan wasnt sealed so oil was all over the garage floor. i rushed under there trying to fix it, just to kick over the new 5qt bottle all over the floor as well to make 10qt's of oil everywhere. and seeing as i only had one vehicle(that had no more oil in it) it was a long walk to the store. you never really know how much 10qts of oil is until it's all over your floor.

 

Never made a mess like that in the work area, but I used to use those drain pans with the large screw-on lids. I liked them because they have a square mesh covering the opening so oil doesn't splash back out, and it's a nice place to put the filter to drain.

Anyways, so I stopped at Pep Boys on the way home from work to dump the used oil.
I lifted the "bottle cap" end upward, and just as I reached to unscrew it, the 10" plastic lid on the "side" popped off... covered me chest to feet with the dirty oil.

Never used one of those again. I've got the open-top pan with a spout on the side and transfer into a 5qt Mobil-1 or antifreeze container.
Been a few splashes on the garage floor, but nothing a blue towel doesn't pick up easily.

 

yeah, the walmart thing was just a piece of shit, that's what i get for trying to save a few bucks. i tried re screwing it on and there was no way to ever get it on. the threads were mismatched. i learned my lesson.

 

I’m sorry for what i’m about to do.

hahahaha.

 

Haha it's all good. It was just one of those days.

 

I used to use a drain pan like that, but they splash too much... like a cow pissin' on a flat rock.

The Form-a-Funnel may or may not fit in there. The filter is above and just forward of the crossmember, but like using a piece of foil or zip-lock, the issue is access.
I don't like to bother to jack it up, so it's a one-handed operation... can't really roll to a position where I can get a 2nd hand in there to hold anything.

 

I may go back to a pan like that, but if I do, I'll switch to a Fumoto with the nipple and connect a hose to it and run it directly into the pan's opening.

What I liked about that pan was I could carry it across the parking lot to my garage without worrying about splashing.

 

This thread reminds me of the old Saturday Night Live "I hate when that happens" skits.

 

12 years ago I was a Tire/lube jockey and changed the oil on many cars/trucks back then.

The oil change on the 4.0 tacoma is by far the easiest to do, and most spill free oil change I have ever done.

Do people seriously drain oil into litter bags and throw it away!!?? WOW, I thought I was a simple man but DAMN!!!