oil change

[msubullyfan]

I find that ramps are much easier to use than jackstands(for oil changes). you can buy a decent set for like $20-30. they pay off in the long run if you plan to do stuff under the car.

(mswerd) Definitely get a set of ramps or jack stands. NEVER GET UNDER A CAR THATS ONLY SUPPORTED BY A JACK! PERIOD! This can be a big safety risk. My neighbor was hurt badly once when his car fell off the jack while changing the oil. It was a 3 year-old hydraulic that the bleeder screw failed.

$30 is cheap insurance -- under a Proteg, you'll be crushed if it falls off or the jack fails.

 

[adc0642]

(mswerd) Definitely get a set of ramps or jack stands. NEVER GET UNDER A CAR THATS ONLY SUPPORTED BY A JACK! PERIOD! This can be a big safety risk. My neighbor was hurt badly once when his car fell off the jack while changing the oil. It was a 3 year-old hydraulic that the bleeder screw failed.

$30 is cheap insurance -- under a Proteg, you'll be crushed if it falls off or the jack fails.

Amen brother! hold that thing up with something! I made a free set of ramps out of plywood, just screwed a bunch of layers of wood together into a ramp, and it gets the car up 4-5", enough to get under it for the oil.

 

[YelPro03]

Just use Fram's Sure Drain to replace the drain plug. I don't use their filters but the Sure Drain is pretty good. I have it on all 3 of my vehicles. Each one comes with a brass washer.

 

[mellowyellow]

Just use Fram's Sure Drain to replace the drain plug. I don't use their filters but the Sure Drain is pretty good. I have it on all 3 of my vehicles. Each one comes with a brass washer.

Whats a sure drain??? never heard of it.

 

[solomr2]

This is from another forum...

Fram Sure-Drain
[8/19/2002] Reviewed by: Tom Winkle - BilgeRat4@Juno.com
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter

An oil draining attachment that has the valve attached in the oil drain opening in the pan, and a separate, detachable hose assembly for draining the used oil.

Installation was very easy. The assembly comes with a new copper washer, and Fram recommends that you install the drain valve with a torque wrench, they give you the figure to use for the installation. After draining the oil, the installation only took about a minute. When I drained the oil, I removed the dust cap using a rag to protect my fingers from the hot brass of the dust cap. With my drain pan positioned under the car, I then threaded the drain hose assembly on to the drain valve. Oil does not start to flow until you bottom out the drain hose assembly, and length of hose and allows you to aim the oil stream where you want to go. The oil does not drain rapidly, so the danger of splash is minimized, and the hose gives you the option of aiming the oil anywhere you want it to go. Once the oil has drained, it is simply a matter of unscrewing the drain hose and putting the dust cap back in place on the drain valve.

I'm pleased with the drain assembly, and will continue to use it on both cars.

Under 5 minutes to remove

 

[Rickman]

I didnt read all the above responses, but I suggest you get one of these http://www.fumotovalve.com/

I put one on every car I have. Makes oil chages MUCH easier... I also suggest getting the one with the hose nipple.

OH, and do get some ramps or stands. I use $20 plastic ramps from pepboys.

 

[YellowPR5]

Could the dripping NetGuy is experiencing be from removing the old filter? I know when I change my oil, I always spill oil down the back of the engine because the direction of the filter when it is screwed on has the hole pointed down, where oil will fall out as it is unscrewed. Any tips to prevent this? Am I not letting the car sit long enough before changing/draining the oil?

 

[NJP5Guy]

ive heard bad things about the sure drain. i personally wouldnt get it.

 

[akProtege5]

If you need some help bud let me know and i can come over to help you change it!! I need to do mine as well!

i'm cool kc, my bro works at jiffy lube, he can get it done for free. but since i'm mostly bored at home i want to do it myself now. thanks for your offer though.

 

[xelderx]

If you drive very hard (racing-AutoX-Track days) and used the V6 filter just go ahead and put 4.5 quarts of oil in it. There is plenty of room between the crank and the windage tray that we have. It helps keep plenty of oil around the oil pick-up tube to keep from oil starving a rod bearing.

 

[YelPro03]

It's been on my truck for the last 100,000 miles and my Eclipse for the last 40,000 and just put it on the P5 during the last oil change and so far so good. What kind of bad things were said? It's a pretty simple and clever devise. I don't see how it could screw anything up.

ive heard bad things about the sure drain. i personally wouldnt get it.

 

[YelPro03]

Just go to Fram's web site and you'll see SureDRAIN on the left of the page. Just click on it. It'll tell you all about it.

Whats a sure drain??? never heard of it.

 

[billzebub]

Sure Drain is just a knockoff fumoto valve. Go with the original.

 

[YelPro03]

I've seen the Fumoto valves way before Fram came out with Sure Drain but I never liked the idea of having the opening and the valving mechanism being exposed to the elements. I've always thought it was a good idea but didn't like the design. I remember wishing they would make a cover of some sort for it. Then came Sure Drain. It is a very simple and effective design, I think. You replace the drain plug with Sure Drain, which is made of brass. The other end has a threaded brass cap to protect the threads and opening. When you want to drain the oil, just unscrew the cap, screw on the brass adapter. The adapter has a hose on one end and the other end has a prong that opens the valve when you screw it into "plug" part. What's not to love?

 

[billzebub]

I personally don't see any issues with standard fumoto valve design. If you don't want dirt getting in it, you could stick a rubber cap over the nipple. Frankly, how is dirt going to get into an engine through a small hole that is closed most of the time and when open has hot oil gushing out of it? It's self-cleaning. And I don't care about dirt in my waste oil. Before I got it, I had concerns about the valve getting "KNOCKED" open while driving, but the valve absolutely will not open unless you open it. It has a locking mechinism. I'm just saying if folks have heard bad things about the FRAM unit, why don't they look into the Fumoto valve, which has no bad press.

 

[YelPro03]

I hear what you're saying. To each his own. I'm just wondering what bad things were said about Sure Drain because I personally don't have any issues with it. By the way, when I said I'm worried about dirt getting in, I didn't mean into the engine via the valve. I mean dirt getting into the valving mechanism. Also worried about salt, too.

 

[billzebub]

What does salt do to brass? I wen't and looked and the issues on Sure Drain seem to be bad sizing info for some makes and slow draining (up to 15 minutes to drain engine). The Fumoto dumps it out in around 3 minutes. Sizing looks equally up to the eyeballs of the purchaser to figure out on either valve.

 

[YelPro03]

Salt hasn't done anything to it so far. As far as sizing goes, I guess I've been lucky because all 3 fit perfectly, although the P5 and my 01 Eclipse GT use the same size plug.

 

[LTD-Scott]

The thing the Sure Drain has going for it compared to the Fumoto is the drain hose.

I was looking at getting one of these because the main problem I have is that the drain plug on a couple of my cars faces forwards/backwards instead of straight down. So when I remove the drain plug, I have to act fast to make sure the drain pan is in the vicinity of where the oil shoots out to. The Fumoto wouldn't help me out with that.

 

[YelPro03]

This just proves that variety is good. I like Sure Drain and I've never had any problems with it. But that doesn't mean everyone will have the same experience. This is true for Fumoto. Some with swear by it for their car, but not for others. Variety is good. Competition is good. It's all good.