Oil Change on my girlfriend's car (rant)

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: Danno
How does one remove an oil pan bolt that is rounded and is "welded on tight"?


I have a set of the craftsman bolt extractors and I use a 12" breaker with an 18" cheater or impact gun. OR hammer on a next smaller size metric socket and have at it. OR weld a nut on it.

 

[Bambam]

No more strippeddrain plugs !

 

[electrolover]

Thats what they do. Over tighten filters and drain plugs. They dont care if your stuff gets stripped, just so long as it doesn't fall out and cost em a lawsuit.

 

[SuperDave456]

I've watched guys use an impact on a drain plug, and totally strip it out to where the plug spun by hand and leaked a stream of oil.

Better yet, they did this on a lift in front of the window where the customers were.

Good thing we had a self tapping oil drain plug that fit that car in stock.

It took a mechanic with 20 years of experience, a pry bar, and that same impact wrench to back that plug out. There was a serious discussion as to if the shop should just replace the oil pan for free.

I am constantly amazed at the general level ignorance of guys who work in the automotive field. For every decent tech, you have at least 5 bozos that shouldn't be there.
(Then again, last I heard 1 out of 3 adults in America are functionally illiterate.)

I changed oil in High School and College, I learned quickly to watch out for those who are dangerous to themselves and others.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: Danno
How does one remove an oil pan bolt that is rounded and is "welded on tight"?



Vice grips

 

[InvalidUserID]

I can almost guarantee that if a car goes to a shop and has an oil change performed, the drain plug will be tightened to [censored] and back.

I almost have to beg my parents to NOT take their car to a shop for an oil change as I'd rather make a special trip to do it than have to get frustrated trying to get the plug off if a shop does it.

Oil filters aren't too bad now that I've picked up one of those universal "jaw" style tools.

 

[The Critic]

I've had people tell me that drain plugs I've torqued to spec are too tight.

Or oil filters that are tightened to 3/4-1 full turn per the filter mfg's instructions are way too tight and impossible to remove.

These same people use a 8" long wrench to remove their drain plug....gee I wonder what is the problem?

I've concluded that most claims of severe over tightening are false, and is because most DIYers do not have the "proper" tools for the oil change.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: The Critic

I've concluded that most claims of severe over tightening are false, and is because most DIYers do not have the "proper" tools for the oil change.


You mean a 1/2 inch ratchet, a 6 point socket and my hands to remove/install the oil filter are not proper tools to change the oil?
Gee, I must've been doing it wrong for the last 15 years

There were only few times that I had to use a tool, other than my hands to remove oil filter and that was when someone else did the job. Same thing with drain plugs.

When I bought the Focus I brazed myself for the worst when doing the first OC, as most of the used cars I purchased before had over tightened oil filters and sometimes drain plugs, but I was pleasantly surprised that everything came off with no problem and that car was serviced exclusively by Ford dealer. Obviously some places can still do a proper job.

 

[chrome]

I often wonder if its because in quick lube places, the cars are always on a lift. The lube tech tightens the drain plug, and pulls on the wrench with his weight. It's easy to overtighten the plug that way.

Most of us use ramps, or jack stands. Lying down at that angle, it takes considerably more effort to overtighten the plug.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
When I bought the Focus I brazed myself

Sounds more painful than Super gluing one's skin together.

Muscle/grip strength varies tremendously between people also. Where one person strains to use a 3/8" ratchet length, I can use it to twist bolt heads off if the wrench doesn't break (I'm no muscle man by any means).

 

[GearheadTool]

Originally Posted By: apwillard1986
I sometimes wonder if the various quick lube places don’t have an internal game of “Who Can Tighten it the Most” with customer’s cars as the pawns. They all seem to do it.

You bought a couple of filters for your girlfriend’s car barely a month after you started dating? You may not realize it but that is a BITOG proposal.

Originally Posted By: electrolover
Thats what they do. Over tighten filters and drain plugs. They dont care if your stuff gets stripped, just so long as it doesn't fall out and cost em a lawsuit.
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
I've watched guys use an impact on a drain plug, and totally strip it out to where the plug spun by hand and leaked a stream of oil.

Better yet, they did this on a lift in front of the window where the customers were.

Good thing we had a self tapping oil drain plug that fit that car in stock.

It took a mechanic with 20 years of experience, a pry bar, and that same impact wrench to back that plug out. There was a serious discussion as to if the shop should just replace the oil pan for free.

I am constantly amazed at the general level ignorance of guys who work in the automotive field. For every decent tech, you have at least 5 bozos that shouldn't be there.
(Then again, last I heard 1 out of 3 adults in America are functionally illiterate.)

I changed oil in High School and College, I learned quickly to watch out for those who are dangerous to themselves and others.


As to bolded: Yes. It's fueled by energy drinks, and working out...

As to the other two: Glory, glory, Hallelujah.

And did nobody seriously NOT mention a breaker bar yet? Anyone snapped some wrenches with one of those?

I always ""snug" the oil pan bolt, because I was taught that if an 800lb angry gorilla put that nut on with all his might, so much so that a decently muscled dude couldn't budge it with all his strength.. that it would strip the threads on these new aluminum pans....

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
I am constantly amazed at the general level ignorance of guys who work in the automotive field. For every decent tech, you have at least 5 bozos that shouldn't be there.


HUGE 2nd on this one! And they have ZERO social skills,NO communication skills,and act like they`re fresh out of the pen. They`d never in a zillion years be able to hold a job working with the public.

 

[Boatowner]

I changed the oil for our church secretary a couple of months ago. Previous oil change was oil the local evil empire store. I could not budge the drain plug. My daughter's boyfriend was there so I called him out to try it. It was a while, but he finally got it. He told me it had Loctite on it.

I changed the oil on my wife's Pilot last week. I had a heck of a time getting the drain plug out, and I am the only one who has changed the oil on it. I finally got it and discovered I had used an aluminum washer I got from a Honda dealer the previous time. I almost always only use copper crush washers I get from the Honda dealer in downtown Spokane, WA. I got 30 of them last time so I don't have to order for a while.

 

[ANGELRAMOS]

Originally Posted By: danthaman1980
So I changed the oil on my girlfriend's car for the first time on Sunday - It's a 2001 Grand Am v6, and I bought a couple of filters for it (on sale) barely a month after we started dating - she usually takes it to random lube&tube places around town, but I just won't have that.

So I get under there and decide to pull the filter off first - so I get it off and (gasp) its a private-labeled E-core. Oh no you don't... Let me just replace that with a Quaker State filter (private labeled Purolator) - and much better.

Then I grab my 15mm/12pt combo wrench and get ready to work on the drain plug... and... oh boy, I can tell just by looking, this drain plug has been abused. So slide the wrench on there and push... and... ok maybe a bit more force... wait... ok just a bit harder... and... oh [censored]. Way overtightened. Lets try this again with some real oomph. and ARRRRRRRGH and nothing.




Did you use the QS3387 or did you go with the longer QS3980 for the vehicle? In my experience working at a quick lube over tightened drain plugs are very common make me wonder at times as I recall on my first day my boss telling me to never over tighten a drain plug that 2-3 hits with the palm of your hand was more than enough especially on vehicles with aluminum pans. Around our shops you will get a tongue lashing for hanging on the plugs. If its a common thing write ups are to follow if verbal warnings do not seem to suffice.

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
I am constantly amazed at the general level ignorance of guys who work in the automotive field. For every decent tech, you have at least 5 bozos that shouldn't be there.


HUGE 2nd on this one! And they have ZERO social skills,NO communication skills,and act like they`re fresh out of the pen. They`d never in a zillion years be able to hold a job working with the public.

Other times you have a great guy, too bad for him he gets hurried excessively, is given cheaply made replacement parts, and is treated wrong by the boss man or salesman.

I am so glad I am in a different business now.