What not to do when changing oil...
 

After getting home last night from work I figured why not just pull the plugs from the oil tank and sump plate while the engine was still warmed up. Easy enough I thought... so just do it while I was still in my work clothes. Hmmm oil tank plug was tight so pull the sump plate one first. No problem.. let it drain into one of the oil buckets. Hands still nice and clean. Darn stubborn oil tank... I guess I'll fire up the compressor and use an impact wrench ONLY to loosen it.. thats what its there for! I find the right socket and buzz the wrench... in a split second my hands were burning up as hot oil covered the impact wrench and my hands... quarts and quarts of hot oil pouring out! The second oil bucket was out of reach.... I put my hand to plug it but the metal was way too hot... I finally found the plug and screwed it back in. My work clothes were splattered with black spots of oil. I dammed the oil spill with a door mat that my wife still doesnt know about...closest thing I could get to without tracking around a mess! Thank goodness for kitty litter and a ribbed rubber mat... confined the spill much better. My hands are still raw from the heat... no blistering though and can still type! I go inside and my 5yr old son looks at me strangely with the spots and says... "Ewww...Daddy you smell like chicken."

Comes quickly is an understatement!

Regards,
mlfox

I've had the (non-Porsche) oil filter slip out of oily hand and splash into full and hot oil pan happen to me a few times over the years. Not fun.

Funny story. Of course only funny now - definitely not at the time.

Thanks for sharing.

For you or the oil? :D

I keep reading these deals and wonder why guys with very expensive cars and tools don't invest in a suction evacuator...griots has a nice one, not too much. Hell, Whitneys has a cheap hand pumper.
Hook it up to my air hose, drop the tube in the oil tank...drink a beer. Not a drop anywhere. I do open the bottom and the sump for that final quart but that's no gusher.

Kids are awesome.

I've heard nothing but positive feedback about the Fumoto Oil Drain Valves. It's taken me awhile, but I finally installed one last week. I'm looking forward to using it, but I still have to remove the sump drain plug for the 3.2. Not as bad as the oil tank, but I hate that the oil spurts sideways instead of down.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1381277852.jpg

Looks like that thing has a positive lock on it...loosen the bolt then able to move the lever? If yes then I like it.....still, using a suction (air pump) unit make all of that superfluous.

Ball valve is used, like the type for pressurized gas. No bolt to loosen, just lightly pull the level back then turn down 1/4 turn. Two types are available; with or without the "nipple" (mine has the nipple).

Research says that 1) the oil drains a bit slower, and 2) the threads *may* enter into the tank approximately 1/8 inch, which *may* not allow a total and complete draining of oil.

There's quite a bit of info on these on this forum with a quick search.

Fumoto Valve | Qwik Valve™

I have no affiliation with Fumoto.

And that 1/8 inch from the tank can add to the oil left over in the lines and cooler in the fender...


I should get one of these as normally I have to retrieve the drain plug from the bottom of the oil filled bucket.

At my house those events are called an Exxon Valdez. Good story!

I bought one of those a few weeks ago. When i try to screw it in to the oil tank it doesn't go all the way in. It bottoms out with a few threads to go. I emailed Quikvalve but they were not able to help. I'm thinking I may need to cut off a few threads.

Hugo

A man after my own heart. Well-played.

There are some threads out there where a few have done what you suggested. Supposedly, Fumoto states that what you are experiencing is a result of their engineering, which allegedly doesn't allow the threads to completely enter the oil pan (tank)....which allows a complete drainage of your oil. However, there are a couple of threads which states that Fumoto's claim may not be true.

Personally, I would just add the regular aluminum crush washer to the gasket washer that is supplied with the valve. If the valve indeed protrudes inside the oil tank 1/8", then the addition of the crush washer could eliminate quite a bit of that equation. Conversely, if your valve is not able to screw all the way for a snug fit, the addition of a crush washer may eliminate your problem.

Alternatively, if one is truly concerned about a complete draining, you could still flip the valve until "empty", then pull the entire valve from the tank as you would do with the original oil plug.

In fact, I'll probably do this upon the next scheduled oil change. I'll report back and let you all know if doing so will result in substantial drainage. SmileWavy

I did my last oil change after a long trip, also figuring the oil was good and hot so I'd be able to get all of it to drain well. I have one of those drain pans that has a single hole in the center which can be plugged after filling the pan so it can be used as a container to tote the oil to the recycling center. This particular pan also holds four gallons, so it's perfect for the 911. I positioned the pan under the oil tank and just as I pulled the plug, being careful to get my hand out of the way, a leaf wafted into the pan covering that hole in the center. The pan quickly overflowed and hot oil went EVERYWHERE. Funny now, but not so much when it happened.

Ha ha - thanks! Say Eric, how are your super nuts holding up (do they still have that hi-pro glow)!? :p

Haha been there.
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...-08-13-193.jpg

Classic! :D

I tried the crush washer thing, but still no go. The "engineering feature" seems plausible. I'll have to take a closer look. Maybe some creative filing/grinding will fix it.

Hugo