Your technique for not getting messy

[sopususer]

As everyone else has said I use about 6-7 paper towels. I have a place in the ditchline next to my driveway that is lined with concrete. I can pull the vehicle up on both sides of the ditch with the oil pan centering the concrete slab. Don't have to use ramps.

One thing I use that hasn't been mentioned is aluminum foil. With the design of the Subaru boxer engine the entire filter area is surrounded by the exhaust system.

I usually take about three pieces of 12"x12" foil and wrap the exhaust so that when the filter is removed that the oil doesn't run down over and into the seams of the exhaust. If I don't do this we (mainly the wife) gets to smell burning oil for the next 2-3 days. I've tried other ways to do this, but this seems to work best for me.

As you can imagine it's tough to change this baby if she's very warm.

 

[Sayjac]

Lots of corregated cardboard from boxes, both to lay on and put under the drain pan.

Nitrile gloves, though I admit I use my bare hands for many parts of the opertion and don't concern myself much if oil touches my skin.

Several different size funnels including a homemade used GTX bottle, perfect for the oil fill hole.

And a good supply of the blue disposable shop towels, saved me many times. Excellent for clean up.

 

[exranger06]

I remove the old oil filter first, THEN drain out the old oil. So in case I drop the filter while unscrewing it, it doesn't fall into a full pan of oil and splash everywhere. I immediately poke a hole in the filter and drain all the oil out of it, then seal it in a plastic bag. Then I drain the oil. As soon as the oil is done draining, I immediately empty the pan into a closed container. The longer you have a full pan on the floor, the more chance you have of stepping on it and making it spill.

I lay some cardboard down and use a few rags to wipe out the pan. Oil changes are fairly clean for me.

 

[fdcg27]

I don't worry about getting dirty myself, since I have some old clothing dedicated to dirty jobs, and a little hand cleaner followed with soap and water will get any grime off of your hands.
I use newspapers under and around the drain pan to keep any drips or spills off the concrete.
I use paper towels to wipe my hands of excess oil, as well as any part of the car needing it.
All of our cars are pretty easy to change, with the Subarus being stupid-easy, except for the filter location on the Forester (see sopususer's photo above, the Forester being identical). A set of ramps make changes far more pleasant on the Hondas and the BMW, due to the filter location on the Hondas, and the drain plug location on the BMW.
After you've changed any given car a time or two, you can usually do the job quickly and pretty neatly.

 

[LeakySeals]

Use Jiffy Lube then

Nah..

- dedicated old clothes
- newspapers on the floor.
- 2 paper towels
- wait 30 mins after operation so you dont get splashed removing the filter

while waiting
- re-use the jug
- re-use the filter box
- re-use grocery store plastic bags
- $5 drain pan
- $2 funnel
- $8 six pack
- no gloves
- post game shower
- post game

 

[zerosoma]

Originally Posted By: garlicbreadman
I drain MORE and FASTER when my car is cold. If i do a warm drain, fluid will take forever to stream down from the entire engine.


How does that work? Everyone knows oil flows better when warm...


My main problem on the Prius is when I twist the plug off (it's at an angle), it falls right into my Blitz jug hahaha! By that time the oil is spilling out so I just have to let it fill up and then I'll use a funnel to pour it into another container and catch the plug. What a bummer lol.

 

[WMSmotorhead]

Here's a few good tricks... I use rubber gloves when working on the car, since I'm likely to have a skin reaction.....

if you have a thin glove or other very thin rubber, you can wedge it between your socket and drain plug... then the plug will hold in the socket by friction... makes it easier not to drop.

For a few of the vehicles with inconvenient oil filter placement, the Form-A-Funnel really helps control the mess..

Cardboard is awesome for 2 things... once, it's easy to slide on, and 2, it keeps the messes under control.

Choose your drain bucket wisely.. the highest sides control splashes. And per usual, be responsible and take your oil to a recycling center.. (most auto parts stores...) so someone else can buy your old oil as MaxiGard.

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: zerosoma
Originally Posted By: garlicbreadman
I drain MORE and FASTER when my car is cold. If i do a warm drain, fluid will take forever to stream down from the entire engine.


How does that work? Everyone knows oil flows better when warm...


My main problem on the Prius is when I twist the plug off (it's at an angle), it falls right into my Blitz jug hahaha! By that time the oil is spilling out so I just have to let it fill up and then I'll use a funnel to pour it into another container and catch the plug. What a bummer lol.

What he means is he does not have to wait for the oil to return to the sump during an OC. Less drip drip. Why I don't check my oil at gas fill up. Up to 1/2 qt of oil can remain in the top 1/2 of your engine for as long as 10 mins.

That being said, I dont like cold either. As you stated, cold flows slower out the drain, and gives time for the heavier heavier deposits in suspension to sink and get stuck to the pan, not removed during the OC. So I think its a wash. I wait 1/2 hour when its "warm". Less oil gushing from the filter, less dripping from the upper 1/2 of engine. But still warm enough to flow well, less settling of heavier deposits.

just opinion, no proof one is better than the other.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
A nice big sheet of cardboard, a big drain pan, rags, and gloves. My hands stay as clean as they were before I start, the garage floor or driveway remains spotless.

You have Mityvac 7201, don't you ? Try it to extract oil from the dipstick tube, then remove the drain plug to see how much oil remain after using Mityvac.

For the MB it removes all oil the sump, for LS400 and S2000 it removes upward 90-95%.

 

[milehigh]

I protect myself with nitrile gloves.
On the car I have a fumoto- Love it! I drain it into my recycle container. I use a couple of old microfiber towels from previous detail jobs (that cannot be washed). For a final cleaning, I use brake cleaner to clean off any oily residue from the fumoto, oil filter and the top of the drain pan. Simple, easy and fun change.

 

[Donald]

40 lb dog food bag is better than newspaper as its coated. Cut it open and its pretty large.

Drain pan with screen to catch the nut. I hate fishing.

When I used my smaller drain pan I would hold it up close to the drain hole at first then lower it making sure the flow was in the middle of the drain area. Readjust as the force of the oil flow is less.

Larger drain pan (3 gallon).

Wait until wind dies down.

Wait until its warm outside.

I use the large 3 or so gallon jugs from cat litter for the old oil.

Grub clothes.

Change clothes next to washing machine.

If I drank I would open the beer first, don't want any used oil where I will be drinking the beer.

 

[Mark72]

Only real messy part is pulling the drain bolt. So I use two buckets. One of them I place under the pan, spin the bolt off and let it fall into the bucket so I don't have to try grabbing it while the oil comes out. after it drains a while, I stick the other buck under there to catch the drips and dump the old oil through a funnel into the 5 qt container from the last oil change and retrieve the bolt with minimal oil on my hands or fingers. Then wipe it off with a shop towel.

 

[LckydevL]

Originally Posted By: wirelessF
I just did the first oil change on my new to me 02 silverado 1500 and the drain bolt was 90 degrees! The oil stream shot down the driveway until I was able to move the pan.

Any huge tips here?




Instead of planning to make a mess (towels, cardboard, etc). I like to eliminate the mess.

The tips for my oil changes on a 01 Silverado may help others out.

Cut up a 2 liter bottle of soda as follows. Cut bottle straight down the middle starting at the bottom. Halfway down stop and cut sideways. You are basically making a very large funnel with a back splash out of the two liter soda bottle.

The idea is to leave the oil change pan in one place, while using the handy dandy "redneck" funnel, to divert the initial flow downward instead of sideways.

I also use a cheap stubby phillips head screwdriver to punch a drain hole in the oil filter and to make it lighter or easier to handle. Of course, when you unscrew the filter tons more oil still comes out. This is where patience and a cold beer comes in handy.

Pop hole in filter, then unscrew filter enough to get a good flow and let it drain. Then use blue shop towel as a grip for bottom of filter and have correct size ziplock bag ready. When filter comes off, dump towel and almost empty filter into ziplock bag.

Test fit ziplock with new filter. Under the vehicle is not the time to find out you have the wrong size bag. I use a gallon size bag to hold filter and whatever rags I use on the oil change. The ziplock keeps the liquid contained and also keeps the oil smell down.

 

[Donald]

Maybe they have a Trunk Monkey that does oil changes.

http://www.trunkmonkeyad.com/

 

[Mr_Incredible]

I lay down a big sheet of cardboard under the drain pan, have a roll of paper towels within reach, wear latex gloves, and take my time.

I drain the pan into the 5 gallon steel bucket when I leave the underneath side. It's dangerous to have it around and walking around it. I forgot it once a long time time ago and backed over a corner of it. It was quite a mess, but it could have been worse.

I use a nice funnel for the refill. Paper towels standing by or pre-positioned in the most often dripped into area(s).

Slow and easy. Checks after each section. Tools cleaned and put up. Put the cardboard away. Take the car off the stands. Run it for a while. Let it sit. Check oil after a while.

Lastly, a beer for my troubles.

 

[ruxCYtable]

fumoto valve (which i learned about here), gloves, shop towels and a can 'o brake cleaner. no mess!