MisterTinkle
04-04-2009, 12:05 PM
I try to be clever, but life continues to show me that I'm only half clever...
I like my Shrock skids. I feel MUCH better about sliding over rocks with the Shrock skids as opposed to the OEM skids. However, although Shrockworks provided an oval cutout for the oil pan drain plug it seemed apparent that oil pouring from the pan would arc beyond the oval cutout. So, being the clever guy that I am, I fashioned a funnel that would catch the arc of fluid and direct it through the cutout. Being cautious about this new technique, I put down a drop cloth and gathered rags.
So, I loosen the oil pan bolt, line up the funnel, remove the bolt with my fingers, and sure enough the funnel catches the oil and directs it through the cutout. For about 3 seconds...
The funnel can't handle the flow of oil and over flows. The oil is now flowing around the funnel into the drain pan and also onto the engine skid. Here I am, laying on the garage floor, one hand still holding drain plug bolt, one hand steadying the funnel. No problem. Put the bolt back in the drain plug. Oops, dropped the bolt in the funnel. Now the funnel is blocked and ALL the oil is draining on the skid. (BTW, the engine skid can hold a LOT of oil.) Oil is now draining off the skid in the other cutouts. I stick my finger in the oil pan drain hole, use my other hand to attempt to position the relatively small square oil drain pan to catch oil draining from 3 holes, and try to figure out my next brillant move.
Eventually I'm able to remove the funnel, and allow the oil pan to drain through the Shrock oval cutout by limiting the amount of oil flowing from the pan with my finger.
Many rags later, I have as much of the oil wiped off the skid as I can manage (did I mention that I'm lazy and didn't just drop the skid?), wiped up the pool of oil on the drop cloth (drop cloth good!), fished the bolt out of the funnel in the drain pan, and re-installed the bolt in the oil pan.
Now for the filter... Actually it went MUCH better. Lucky me.
Next time I might just remove the skid. Until then I'm going to leave the drop cloth under the truck to deal with the inevitable drips. :o
How do the gurus change oil on a vehicle with full skids?
I like my Shrock skids. I feel MUCH better about sliding over rocks with the Shrock skids as opposed to the OEM skids. However, although Shrockworks provided an oval cutout for the oil pan drain plug it seemed apparent that oil pouring from the pan would arc beyond the oval cutout. So, being the clever guy that I am, I fashioned a funnel that would catch the arc of fluid and direct it through the cutout. Being cautious about this new technique, I put down a drop cloth and gathered rags.
So, I loosen the oil pan bolt, line up the funnel, remove the bolt with my fingers, and sure enough the funnel catches the oil and directs it through the cutout. For about 3 seconds...
The funnel can't handle the flow of oil and over flows. The oil is now flowing around the funnel into the drain pan and also onto the engine skid. Here I am, laying on the garage floor, one hand still holding drain plug bolt, one hand steadying the funnel. No problem. Put the bolt back in the drain plug. Oops, dropped the bolt in the funnel. Now the funnel is blocked and ALL the oil is draining on the skid. (BTW, the engine skid can hold a LOT of oil.) Oil is now draining off the skid in the other cutouts. I stick my finger in the oil pan drain hole, use my other hand to attempt to position the relatively small square oil drain pan to catch oil draining from 3 holes, and try to figure out my next brillant move.
Eventually I'm able to remove the funnel, and allow the oil pan to drain through the Shrock oval cutout by limiting the amount of oil flowing from the pan with my finger.
Many rags later, I have as much of the oil wiped off the skid as I can manage (did I mention that I'm lazy and didn't just drop the skid?), wiped up the pool of oil on the drop cloth (drop cloth good!), fished the bolt out of the funnel in the drain pan, and re-installed the bolt in the oil pan.
Now for the filter... Actually it went MUCH better. Lucky me.
Next time I might just remove the skid. Until then I'm going to leave the drop cloth under the truck to deal with the inevitable drips. :o
How do the gurus change oil on a vehicle with full skids?